residence --> hub --> destination --> hub --> residence = 2000 miles minimum; this can probably be done in as few as 6 hours, and with sufficient advance planning it can perhaps be found for $200-$250 depending on your location

in simple terms, it's just a question of whether you think getting status sooner is worth however many hours of your time it will take and however many dollars the ticket costs

if I had to face this decision, I'd do it in a heartbeat if I could get concurrence from my CFO