Originally Posted by
Antipode
IIRC they actually sent out cards early to anyone who requalified for the same status level as the previous year. Then they sent out the rest, including those who qualified for a higher status level in the meantime, later.
Something like that anyway. If you've already qual'ed for 1k, they probably already know if you're going to qual for GS. Additionally, if you've barely passed 25k (or 50k), they (UA) know if you've got reservations between now and the end of the year (unless you've got major flights on a partner) so they can make an educated guess if they should go ahead and print your card.