I fly AA out of SJC. AA has trimmed back flights over the years, perhaps due to the terrible economy here. The Hawaii flights are especially handy for me, and maybe someday I'll go to Tokyo. Sad they went to tiny jets to LAX, but on the bright side this increased or at least preserved frequency there. I think the benefits for platinum (mid tier 50,000 miles) on AA are really excellent.

Alaska Airlines flights count towards elite qualification on AA, a lot of people might not know that. It's important because that's what you'd use to go to Pacific Northwest.

But I'd also look at the Alaska Airlines FF program, maybe that would work for you if you end up flying them a lot. They have some good partners for international travel, and seem to be growing nicely.