I'm pretty much in the same boat as you (same city too) - will finish the year with about 66,000 EQMs and about 11,000 EQD. My flying and purchase patterns are usually intra-east coast, some ORD trips, or transcons. If I have a long transcon (LAX or SFO type) I usually will book F for at least 1/2 of the trip and book well in advance so as to minimize fare expense except when I'm travelling with family when I book coach for that. For intra east routes (routes like PVD, CHS, MSY), I almost always book coach and wait for the upgrade. For those trips like MIA or OKC or where I build a segment in via LGA or PHL for extra miles, I'll usually book coach as well.
My EQM and EQD is pretty much the same as last year - maybe a bit less on EQM this year as I had a lengthy Europe trip this year but had two more transcons last year.
Im about 60% on upgrades. Where I miss, I have two miss scenarios:
#1 miss by a lot (#11 on the UG list) especially on flights to/from MIA or DFW or
#2 just miss (
#1 or
#2 on the UG list). That I miss by a ton is something I don't worry about or care about especially as I've seen some of these flights actually have Group 2 boarders. Where I miss by a little, I imagine I miss and would have made had I been Plat Pro.
Is it worth the three extra segments to be upgraded only through having to spend an extra $8,00 to $1,000 of my own money on mileage runs (plus two whole days of travel) for those upgrade options (plus the other Plat Pro bennies)? I'm leaning on .... not really. As it stands, I already get the free bag, the MCE seats, the one free drink, and an absurdly low flying earn rate.
If the difference was between Plat Pro and EXP, then I think the calculus changes a lot. There I would probably say - yes.