Originally Posted by
AAerSTL
It's easier in the sense that you are already enjoying the perks of your status (opportunity to standby w/o fee, preferred seats, pre-boarding, upgrades, intl lounge access, fee waivers, etc).
+1. One year I had to do a quick overnight MR to top off my mileage and it would have been a royal pain (would not have done it) had I not been looking at almost certain upgrades (which they cleared).