Thanks for the tip, but I couldn't find anything on www.aa.com relating to "challenge". I went through all the info regarding AAdvantage Gold & Platinum though. Looks like I will have about 40,000 miles which isn't quite enough for Platinum, but more then enough for Gold status.

Once I hit 25,000 miles about half-way through my RTW trip, will I automatically be placed on Gold with the benefits that go with it? So far, it looks like the benefits such as priority check-in/boarding/wait-listing are just for flying within North/Central America.

How do I get Oneworld Ruby status and after I reach 25,000 miles can I get the above benefits in other continents during my RTW trip?

Thanks!