I'm a platinum who was status matched, and I am extremely annoyed about this change for a few reasons. First, I just received notice today in an email - the notice was buried deep in the email. Since I do use ATA about every 2 months, when I pick up out-of-town business clients, I am very glad that I read through the whole email (I normally do not). I would have been seriously pissed off to show up at the lounge with a client and be denied entry. DJ, this is poor form on your part.
Second, I have read through about 30 pages of this thread and skipped ahead to post. Apparently some people who were status matched are being given offers to allow them to retain platinum by flying only 1-4 flights? I am very close to renewing my platinum through hard-earned flying, and I was planning to do so with one last international flight in September. (I fly only economy unfortunately so it takes a lot more flying to get to Platinum this way.) I'm not sure why I wasn't given any of these special offers, but apparently I'm not very valuable to DJ.
Third, why is everyone assuming that there had to be abuse to cause DJ to end ATA? Until/unless DJ explains why, I think it's premature to make that argument. It may be that the cost-cutters got the upper hand. Facts are malleable things; the same set of facts can be construed as "success" or "abuse." Other people have made this same argument; if it's ATA, how is it abuse?
So right now, I'm scratching my head over what to do. I do mostly international flying and DJ's lack of alliance causes me endless grief. When I fly in the US on Delta, as part of DJ-booked tickets, I still get charged ridiculous amounts for baggage. That wouldn't happen if I had status with an airline in an alliance.
I have also brought my daughter to the lounge twice (we live in Canberra). It's a magical experience for her: the planes, the feeling of being in a nice restaurant, the atmosphere. I don't drink coffee or rarely drink alcohol, so we certainly haven't cost DJ much money this way. This was a major perk for me, even though we rarely used it (and only on Sunday afternoons, when the lounge is dead).
So DJ has ticked me off in a number of ways: 1) providing no advance notice of the change 2) providing no real visible notice of the change (burying it in the middle of a monthly email doesn't count) 3) refusing to explain the change and 4) refusing to consider less dramatic changes, such as giving it to Platinum only or allowing it only on off-peak times.
What does this mean for me? I'm glad I haven't booked my final international flight, because I'm not sure if I'm going to stay with DJ. If they had seamless international alliances, this would annoy me but not break the final straw. However, given the headaches I put up because of my loyalty to DJ, I was going to stay with them because of ATA - and now I may not.
It's off to the Qantas website to figure out which program is best for me.