Hi,
I'm pretty new to the FF game and would like some input on committing to an FF program. I am debating between AA and UA (and would like to avoid Delta because (i) they have way too many elites through their cc deals and (ii) as a gold medallion in the past, I didn't really see any benefits that I wouldn't have gotten with the right cc).

I am currently an AA platinum (thanks to the challenge) based out of New York. I currently have 6k EQM on AA, 0 on UA and 2.5k on Delta and have no intention of doing mileage runs. Whichever program I go with, I will be looking at about 75k EQM by the end of the year.

The main elite benefits I care for are the free checked bag and economy plus seating. Upgrades are nice, but I know they are unlikely since I will mainly be flying out of nyc. I am also looking for an FF program whose miles I can best leverage for upgrades (not award travel) to Europe and South America.

I have a few routing issues with AA and oneworld. AA (and US) does not fly directly to my hometown from NYC (UA and Delta do). I make this trip once a month and having to connect at ORD is much more expensive, time consuming and tricky since I generally fly out on the latest itinerary from LGA, meaning I miss my connecting flight in ORD if there is any delay. That said, I will be moving to Miami in the next year or two, which will negate this problem entirely.

My other main routing issue is traveling to my home country in Europe. There are no direct flights on any airline from the states. My best oneworld options are through LHR or MAD. There are a lot of cheaper options flying through Germany with Star Alliance (and just more flight options in general). I will fly home at least three, if not four, times this year. I know that UA doesn't grant EQMs on partner airlines as freely as AA, but I generally book UA on the leg to Germany and then Germanwings, Croatia Airlines or Adria for the second leg, which all credit 100%.

Finally, I have two trips planned to South America. My understanding is that AA and oneworld are better for this travel than UA and star alliance. However, looking at prices and routes, I see them as being about equal.

If I go with UA, I'll probably ask for a status match in June with the hopes of completing their challenge in July (so that it lasts through Feb, 2016). I am not worried about UA's spend requirements because, if I switch, I'll get their cc (plus, I travel quite a bit for work, so those Y fares my employer covers should do the trick anyways).

I have one more trip next weekend booked on AA, but would switch everything to UA after that if I think I'm ready to make that move. As you can probably tell from the above, I'm pretty sure that switching is the right thing to do, but I would appreciate any input from the more experienced fliers--especially in light of the fact that my projected mileage for the year would get me to platinum premier on UA, but would still only be enough for plat on AA. Thank you all in advance!