I am reading in other threads about people asking for a status match as they decide to switch from DL to CO or whatever.

I always saw the choice of the airline/program as a no-choice. I mean, i lived in Zurich and I never thought about opting for something other than Miles and More. Now I am in Minneapolis and NW, now Delta seems like the only choice.

are those who talk about switching based in non-hub cities (so they have to connect anyway), or am I missing something?

What are the circumstances that might lead someone based in Minneapolis to select another program (assuming they are unhappy with DL SM)? If so, what are reasonable options out of MSP?

If this has already been covered in other threads please post the link, I didn't know what to search