AA lets you qualify on miles flown (for which there is no elite bonus), segments flown (ditto) or points (which range from 0.5 to 1.5 times miles). I always qualify on miles, getting no benefit when I pay a high fare but also not losing (more often) when I pay a low one.

However, I now have lifetime mid-tier status. AA counts all miles for this, including bonuses, partners and the rest. I wouldn't have 2+ million lifetime miles without bonuses. I'm not even sure I'd have 1 million (lifetime Gold, first-tier) though I'd be close enough that I'd have to do some calculations to figure that out either way.