I'm currently AA Executive Platinum, but in a general year, I'd only expect to be mid-tier. I expect from next year I'll be sapphire on either AA or JAL.

At this time, it's not clear if I'll be in Japan long-term or just for a year or two.

It looks like JAL doesn't match any kind of status, so I assume if I switch, I'll be starting from scratch. Will I be able to credit to JAL while getting lounge access from AA?

I did take the recent status match for ANA, but I think I want to stay on Oneworld--I just think their program and airlines tend to suit me better.

I'm leaning towards switching, but I'm not completely sure it's the best choice. At this point, my best plan is probably to use AA for the rest of the year and switch to JAL once the calendar rolls over. Any opinions?