No, it really doesn't. It would seem so from reading here, but talking to people in the real world makes it clear that this number is not significant at all. Many elites don't even know about the promotions and, among those who do, few actually change travel plans just to qualify for a new level. This comment is often made, but there is no support given and the real world effects certainly don't show any appreciable increase.
Cheers.
I have a theory about that. I think the people who really benefit most from the DEQM promotion (and thus the population AA is targeting) are people like me who already have elite status (be it GLD, PLT or EXP) and who would have otherwise gone down a notch because they are not travelling as much in the current economy. If not for the promotion this year, I would have dropped to PLT (and was expecting to) despite making EXP easily for the last 3 years. Obviously there are going to be people on FT that will make the next level up because of the promotion – but I am betting the majority of those people are just flying the same amount as before (the actual amount of people willing to fly MORE because of the promotion is very very small I would imagine) and that would automatically take them to the next level. In reality though, most people are not travelling as much as before.