Originally Posted by
SPN Lifer
If anything, this would debase lifetime status, making it much, much easier to earn.
Much, much easier to earn? You'd still have to fly the million miles on UA metal. It just changes the way some of them are paid for.
And, per the OP's point, tickets paid for by a credit card company using their rewards currency earn lifetime miles already. This would even the playing field a little bit more.