I bought a couple of giftcards, too, alas on the AS portal. If the $20k limit is portal-specific and retroactive (i.e. past 365 days impact today's eligibility), I am locked out of AA shopping for giftcards for a while (haven't done the math yet when my rolling 365 day spend drops below $20k). I have been waving anyway whether to stay with AA, go back to AS, or get some mid level status with both programs. This really doesn't make it easier to work out the best strategy.