I emailed AA about matching status and they replied back to call their AAdvantage customer service line.

So they have a fee-based challenge.

For Gold, it's $120 and 5000 points within 90 days.

For Platinum, it's $200 and 10000 points within 90 days.

You only get 1/2 a point on the cheapest fares.

So they're making the UA and *A more attractive for someone choosing between AA and UA.