Those new challenges are quite a bit (for EXP, substantially so) easier than the previous "challenge" (it was a LinkedIn targeted one) of which the challenge period just finished. The aforementioned one had no fee (but you had to be targeted), but required much more than this challenge in the same time period; e.g. for EXP 25k EQM was required.
...
Anyone think these new ones are a bit of a walk in the park? A mere return Economy fare across the Pacific on the new entrant (as long as you fly within the challenge dates), plus USD 200, equals instant oneworld Emerald. That's pretty cheap if I ever saw it, even if it is for only a year with hard drop. Of course, even if you were to do it "cheap", it is still worth considering before jumping so that one can take full advantage of the year as an Emerald (or AA EXP for that matter). I can't remember if doing a challenge disqualifies you from ever doing another one.