Thanks tekelberry. This certainly gives me some required information. To clarify a few points:

- MRTC sounds good, although I am comparing it to PE on VS.
- I don't use BA because they don't upgrade if you order a special meal. Of course if I did use AA I would go WT+ to Tokyo which would be OK as it would be occasional but no upgrade to CW makes the Exec Club unattractive for NY travel. Question is whether VS have the same special meal/no upgrade policy.
- In terms of routes AA + Oneworld does have an advantage over VS, although all my travel will be to VS destinations.