Other than the loss of of 8 for qualifying, this change seems to be fairly neutral a change to me. Some people will be happy to get their new upgrades early. It would also seem to provide an incentive for people who qualify early in the year to continue to travel with AA rather than trying to get a status with another carrier.

One plus that I can see is that if they are going to send out fulfilment packs as people qualify , rather than waiting till March ( and then sometimes being late) , then such issues which are reported as trying to get into a BA lounge but being turned away for having no valid card should go. There won't be a single print run of cards, which if screwed up, affects all members

Dave