I've had it issued in advance for my wife (~24K and going EWR-SFO). I did it over the phone rather than email, as you can actually explain to the person what is happening rather than getting a canned email response. Also, you should make sure that you will actually qualify on your next trip (ie the outbound of a R/T ticket), that you are within a week or two of the trip, and that the ticket is non-refundable so you can play the "I'm definitely going" routine.

They can grant you the status bump for a 10-day window or whatever it would take to cover your travels and the miles posting so it will go away if you miss the trip.

They can do it, and they have done it -- you just have to get the right agent.

S