Ok..so my account started Dec 10, 2014. While I have Ritz Platinum anyway, I am curious how this card would work for that benefit. If I spend and make whatever status through spend only, how far would the status extend?
What I think should happen is that if you meet the spend this year, you'll be granted status in Dec 2015, good until Dec 2016 (Feb 2017).
However, I'm not sure how fast the transfer of information might be, so if it is pushed to January (they do say 6-8 weeks) you might be good till Dec 2017 (Feb 2018).
The reality is once you are on the cycle (and plan on keep meeting the minimum spend), it does not really matter because you'll retain the Gold status throughout (as the first year gives you Gold automatically). It is only matter in a year you plan to drop the card.