Dude, it's a no-brainer. If you do that trip every week for a year, you're going to want the nonstops, not an SLC connection. So you're on either HP or NW. Both are CO partners, and flights on either airline count toward CO status. You'll be CO elite by the twelve-week mark, and the upgrades start coming... and on HP upgrades are pretty easy to get. As for Amex, CO is a Membership Rewards partner. So get yourself a CO OnePass membership, fly either airline you want, make elite fast and sit in F.