when you factor in the cost (time and money), those 3 mileage runs can easily top out at $10,000 CAD (figure 6+ travel days), even if you don't stay overnight and purchase super cheap discount fares. At a relatively modest $1000/day for time and $4000 for 3 roundtrip fares, you are there.

You could easily buy up to YMU fares and use SWUs to upgrade at time of ticketing, even a SYD trip . . .

As to whether or not purchasing status miles has merit, I am agnostic to a degree. If it is a slight top up, I leave it to AC to decide what % that should be. It will mean that those who qualified at 90K status miles before on special occasion years, will now be required to cough up to get to a full 100K. I can see how that might be good for AC but there is more of a business case to be presented. Ken H has pretty good details on another thread, but it doesn't have all the considerations.

Would be interesting to see how many would buy up if offered. I know many here would, but what about the general Elites or lapsing SEs . . . Depends if they are jumping ship to other programs, other airlines and so many other considerations.