Newb here. I'm not necessarily looking to switch from UA, but just want to make sure I'm not "doing it wrong". What are my other options??

(1) LAX
(2) S, L, W, V, H
(3) about 80,000 and growing
(4) UA Gold already, will reach UA Plat this year
(5) Most important things in a FFP to me: frequency of upgrades, special treatment (check-in, dedicated phone line, priority boarding, etc), RDM bonuses
(6) I fly mostly for work, typically LAX to the East Coast, plus several (3-4) international or Hawaii flights per year. For personal travel, I typically fly 1 international and 3-4 domestic flights per year.
(7) The reason I joined UA MP is that I always fly to IAH at least once per year for work. They also have very good availability of flights from LAX to basically anywhere. Before UA, I was with Alaska. I'm not partial to any US domestic airline, but my favorite airlines so far are Thai Airways and Lufthansa
(8) When I travel for work (most flights), I cannot choose class of service. Occasionally I purchase the TOD upgrade, if available.

Thanks!