One thing I've noticed as my last day of PLT. When you check in and have requested an upgrade AA will deduct those stickers from your account whether you clear or not. If you don't clear after flight the stickers show back in your account.
A favorable thing happened to me over the weekend when I had 3 flights. Flight one got me the 12.5K miles needed for 4 earned stickers while Flight two put me over the threshold for PP. By the next day I had the 4 stickers deposited, my status update as well as the status changed on my reservations and all future flights auto upgraded.