Originally Posted by
bszeto
It'll mostly be HKG-JFK in biz with occasional leisure travel ex-HKG or ex-JFK/LGA in coach.
The problem with lounge access is, when I travel in leisure (either ex-HKG or ex-JFK/LGA) it would be with family of 4 (2 small kids) and not every lounge makes an exception of allowing me to bring extra guests based on status (e.g. HKG Qantas lounge was a yes, NRT Sakura lounge was a no). Priority pass works well enough in HKG and some other places we usually travel to (TPE/LHR/etc) but not so much in NRT/JFK, which is why partner status is appealing, but as CPH-Flyer said, it's probably at least a year away. When I travel for work it's not an issue at all, with the slight benefit of having OW Emerald gets me to F lounges in Wing/Pier or JAL first class lounge, which is why the ease of obtaining emerald is also a consideration.
Note neither AAdvantage status nor domestic First grant lounge access for North American (except tcon and MEX) itineraries, which makes AA status not as appealing compared to other ow status. An oneworld status is definitely nice for HKG departures for accessing HKG lounges.
Talking about points - it really depends on how you collect them. You do not need a JAL status to upgrade yourself with points, and you could always get massive JAL miles by converting SPG (now Marriott) points. I sometimes prefer crediting to AS on some airlines offering up to 300% bonus, as I could just transfer SPG to JAL if I need them.
If you consider upgrade a big factor, go with AA. AA is space-available upgrading while JL likely only op-up (which means less change getting upgraded... unless you are always on oversold flights). Also you can confirm or standby upgrades with SWU while it is not a thing on JL.