angetenar

*A Gold status will get you lounge access and free checked bags. Airlines generally restrict partner access to business/first class award inventory, so it's useful to think about where you want to fly business/first to. You also want to consider which miles expire and which don't, see Miles/Points that Do and Don't Expire. UA miles don't expire, and it doesn't sound like you'll be doing a lot of domestic US travel, so UA's restriction on lounge access for it's own members doesn't really apply to you. However, the one sticking point is that UA requires 4 segments operated by UA/UAX to qualify for any status at all. Avianca and Copa are both UA preferred partners, so the cap of PQP earnings for each flight is 750 for economy and 1500 for business. The actual amount is based on distance, fare class, and current status.