Your success on CO/NW will depend on your routes and home airports. If you fly mostly transcon to-from EWR during business times, upgrades have been very difficult to come by. Others will swear by a 100% upgrade percentage on all their flights. YMMV. But when you're not upgraded, get used to no more MRTC - and the smallest seat pitch and biggest attitude problem in the air on CO coach.

But, don't worry about being non-elite. Continental comps anyone for amlost any reason. Call one pass and tell them you're an AA plat. They'll drool to bump you to Platinum ahead of their loyal members who actually flew between 25-70k miles last year. Many of us DON'T consider that a good thing....others do.

Good Luck