Originally Posted by yvr__dad

That is subjective. For example, if you read Air Canada's Terms and Conditions, it states:

How to qualify

Qualification for Aeroplan Elite Status is based on the number of eligible flight activities between January 1 and December 31 of the previous calendar year. Aeroplan Members who reach a higher status level during the qualification year may be eligible for early recognition at a higher Elite Status level.
(emphasis is mine)

As above, the term "eligible flight activities" also includes credit card spend - for example, my credit card spend helped me achieve 50K this year. So in this case, credit card spend is indeed included in eligible flight activities.