Originally Posted by
cordelli
it's probably more than just the number. There have been people who reported getting through on less miles than people who did not get through.
I wouldn't chance it either way, I'd board a plane and take a quick trip someplace to fill in the extra miles if you are going to be traveling next year. If you aren't planning on flying that airline next year it doesn't really matter, but if you are it's worth having status.
What
cordelli said ^.
There have been reports that UA has been "advancing" status (complete with a congratulatory e-mail) for folks within 1,000-5,000 miles but there is no rhyme or reason to it and as an example, I'm 3,431 miles short of re-upping for 1k with a planned run tomorrow (12/11) and with my luck, I would be the one "not advanced" so it's best to fly it and be safe.