When I was a kid, my mother used to tell me how life isn't fair. And as I grew up myself, learned this was the case. OP is just learning this now, I guess. But until next year, status is based solely on segments or miles. Revenue hasn't been a factor.

As for me, since moving from Canada in 2005, I've been silver most of the time, gold starting last year, and plat this year. I don't have the data going back that far (nor, to tell you the truth, the will to spend time researching it), but I'd be willing to bet in each of those years, because of my routes, lots of flying to Canada, etc. that I'd spent more each of those years than some 1Ks (MRs), and probably would have hit the initial PQD threshold for plat most of those years as well. And pretty much all personal travel (I could count the number of biz trips on one hand).

Is it fair? Probably not. Is it life? Yes.