Originally Posted by swag
Sample size of 1, but last year I completed an AA Gold Challenge in April, made Gold BIS in June, and made Plat in December.
Reading the AA board here on FT, it seems I'm in the great minority. Most of the folks posting there about the challenge do not seem to ever earn it the old fashioned way. But I'd guess FT is the exception, and the % of folks who earn the status after a comp or challenge is probably greater amongst non-FT'ers.
Actually, I would guess that the % of folks outside FT who even know about the status comps or challenges is very tiny. I never would have known about either had it not been for FT...it's not like those are well-publicized features of frequent flyer programs.
Personally, I am also 1 for 1 - I got comped to NW Silver this year, and have already upped it to Gold.