Actually, I found the original wording on the
merger thread (post #13 ) from Sept 23/2016. It is as follows:
I have attained Lifetime status in one of the loyalty programs already. Will that be recognized in the Status Match to the other program?
Don’t worry; you’ll continue to enjoy all the benefits of Lifetime status in the program in which you earned it. We are initially matching your tier status between programs, and when the programs are combined in the future, we’ll consider ways that preserve the continued recognition of our most valued lifetime customers.
So it sounds like they have updated the wording to be more definitive about honoring previously earned Lifetime status.