The benefits of elite status are proportionate to miles flown. Just as today's weather is always the best simple guess for tomorrow's weather, most people who flew silver miles in 2005 are likely to fly silver miles in 2006. Make them Back Door Platinums, and the resulting benefits are only a third as valuable to them as these benefits are to natural platinums. The resulting dilution of upgrade benefits to the rest of us is only a third of what we might imagine.

On the other hand, CO and anyone considering this offer recognizes this. The people taking this offer aren't selected at random from the general silver pool, they're self-selecting. It may well be that they earn platinum for 2007, and by giving them platinum in 2006 Continental is providing an incentive. Ignoring our outrage, there may be calculations at CO that justify this offer.

Still, I'd rather keep platinum status a sanctuary only reachable by flying the miles. Compare, for example, Singapore Air's principle of keeping the front of the plane a sanctuary, not filling it with low fare riff-raff upgrades. There is an intangible benefit to CO in keeping the highest elite level a sanctuary.

As an unintended side effect of consolidating coasts for an academic year, I'm dropping to gold for 10 months in 2006 before regaining platinum (my spreadsheets already have my return planned). As I will be flying platinum miles in a period with gold status, this offer appeals to me more than it should most people. At the same time it also bothers me deeply. We'll see if I get over my outrage, accept facts and go for it.

Edit: I'm spending at least $5,000 on CO in 2006, so the 5% discount alone is an intelligence test. Of course I used the platinum status offer code, and the offer code was accepted for me, a current platinum falling to gold. In the past I have had offer codes rejected when I wasn't targeted, so I have every reason to believe that I am in fact eligible. I have been having difficulties with forwarded mail; for all I know, I was in fact sent this offer.

I was just approved, the new card is already in my profile, and I just made it my primary card so I don't forget. We'll see...