Here's my experience with this. I just switched over to MPC with my move to HK, hit silver in three months and am now one sector away from gold in under five months. Mix of both long haul J and short haul Y and J.

I've got a personal trip to Taipei this weekend, which would be sectors 40 and 41. In other words, I'd be gold by the time I fly back to HKG.

I called up MPC and tried asking for an upgrade to gold one sector early, so I can get on the 1630 TPEHKG flight using the Gold guarantee. No, was the answer from the Manila call centre.

"The requirement is for 40 sectors sir. Please fly 40 sectors," repeated ad nauseum.

Was put to a supervisor, who declared that she was the final word on the issue and refused to transfer me to anybody else.