I personally would go for Continental Elite status by way of NWA. They give status based on segments, and continental seems to have many more promotions for miles going on currently (I'm referring to miles actually obtained by flying). Additionally, their elite packets seem to be much better than those offered by NWA, and you receive nearly the same perks with the elite status (the one notable difference is that it is possible to upgrade to first on an award ticket with NWA gold and above).