Thanks for the advice everyone! I'm thinking at this stage, I will try to go with UA & NW (forcing it through & pushing NW/DL flights) as my primary carriers & may attempt a challenge with AA if I can pull it off with 2 transcons. I don't like the concept of having to blatantly pay for the ability to UG on international flights - whereas my business won't take me internationally, I have friends in Thailand & the Netherlands that I visit & I have been lucky enough recently to find decent upgradeable UA fares or use my miles for premium cabins to S.E.A. - across the pond in coach is fine as I'm east coast based. I'm not sure I'm ready to give up on NW & UA's just got more mileage earning opportunity overall than AA appears to.

I just dropped about $900 in airfare & $300 in rental cars for 2 business trips, & $250 on a new Blackberry for work today. I spent $1284 in all of 2005 for my NW Plat status of 78K EQMs & ~$300 on US Silver status for 26K EQMs. I never realized how damn expensive "real" air travel costs! Gonna rack up a slew of Amex Rewards points!