Hope these answers help..
<font face="Verdana, Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif" size="2">Does that mean THE very top level of those programs, or top level meaning "high" levels?</font>
I have been told that it is any Elite level not just the highest level
<font face="Verdana, Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif" size="2">"retroactive credit is not possible for flights made prior to receipt of the membership card."
Hmmm. Reports here clearly indicate the KLM "cards" take a few weeks to arrive after the y receive the paperwork. The promo finishes Febraury 15. Or more correctly signing the FORM "is only available until February 15". (Is that the date they weant to RECEIVE all applications or the last date to MAIL them - huge difference!) </font>
They want to receive it by 2/15. They dpon't care about when it was signed!
<font face="Verdana, Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif" size="2">HOWEVER, the next days or so after that I fly over 15,000 miles on UA, hence 30,000+ more miles will be in my account by say Feb 20. I will not have the card by then. Doubtless KLM will not have mailed it. Will that 30,000 count do others think?</font>
No, it doesn't count. The total that was on the statement you sent to them it the comped total
<font face="Verdana, Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif" size="2">Or reading this strictly correctly - "retroactive credit is not possible for flights made prior to receipt of the membership card" - it may be only flights AFTER you get the card that apply?</font>
This one is messy. For people who already have a number this means that they have the full 6 months. For people that need to wait for the number and card, they loose 3-4 weeks waiting for card