You can not compare AS and UA. The latter offers dozens of nonstops across the globe and multiple options on some routes. Perhaps a better label would be AS is a good option for some California travelers (1/8 of US population) who have similar patterns to me. They offer cheap flights to Popular vacation destinations like Mexico and Hawaii (even cheaper with BofA $99 certs). They offer cheap and good service up and down the west coast. They offer limited service on popular routes to major cities like DCA, ORD etc. so they are a good alternative for many leisure travelers. Maybe UA doesn’t want these customers anymore - we will see if they start filling the back of the plane. But once you lose their leisure business (because of your mileage deval), they really have less incentive to fly the front of the plane on lucrative biz trips.