Originally Posted by
peachfront
I would see how many flights the boyfriend bought before I made any firm decisions. It's just my humble opinion but if you are planning to make 8 to 10 flights a year to see this guy, you should expect him to make 8 to 10 flights to see you...and if he isn't willing to do that, then the question isn't about what airline you should commit to. It's about how much time you want to waste with somebody who lives in a different city -- a city known for the large proportion of single women available to each single man. I guess that's my answer -- if *I* were you, I'd want to see commitment from the boyfriend before I'd worry overmuch about committing to an airline. The airline will always be there. The boyfriend who chooses to live in a different city, not so much.
I don't think the OP was asking for relationship advice, but I also think you folks are way off. My girlfriend made about 50 trips to see me in the three years we dated, and has made another 20-25 since we got married. Perhaps (a) the OP will have a living situation that isn't incredibly comfortable for him to visit her (b) she likes having a reason to come to New York (c) they have other activities or friends in New York (d) her schedule allows her more flexibility (e) he is coming out to Seattle a lot but she wasn't asking for advice on his travel. In my case the reason my wife comes here is pretty simple - the shopping is much better where I live!
As for the question, I would personally go for status. I've never been gold on any airline but I've been silver several times and I've had pretty good success on upgrades. Even if you only get upgraded half, or even 1/3, of the time, you're going to be really happy when it happens.
Another consideration though, which airports in NYC are most convenient? I assume UA will have the best service to EWR and DL to JFK. Your perspective may be very different if you're going to Queens vs. going to the west side of Manattan.