I'm not an FF expert, and my strategy is still developing, so keep that in mind if there is an angle I've missed. Also, you probably know a lot of this, but I'm still ejicatin muself.

I moved to PDX last year where AS is the clear leader in NS flights. SWA is second, all others go to hubs only. My understanding is that SEA has a bit more options from non-AS carriers, but they are still the dominant carrier.

As such I've been looking hard at the AS program since this is the first time I've found myself somewhere where concentrating on one FF program might actually work out for me (up to now, my concentration has been all on Hilton HHonors, but I'd love to get status with an airline and more free flights to go with all my free hotel rooms).

I'd think AS' partner network would be the easiest ariline for maintaining status (or gaining, in my case). From the website, "American Airlines, Delta Air Lines, KLM, Air France, LAN, or Northwest Airlines" miles count towards status. You only need 20K AS miles, or 25K miles including partners for VIP (double those numbers for MVP Gold).

In my limited experience, AS is easier to redeem miles with than many of the other airlines, and cheaper, too, with the 20K domestic redemptions (AS only, 25K on partners). And you can redeem with more partners than the status accruing ones listed above: CO, Hawaiian, Cathay Pacific, British Airways, etc.

And FWIW, I personally have found that AS service ranks high in comparison with other airlines. I don't have extensive experience, and don't know about "inconsistant policies lately" making them "predictably unpredictable".

A downside would seem to be that the international alliance is small compared to the big three networks (OneWorld, Star Alliance, SkyTeam). And you can't transfer your AS miles into HHonors points at a decent rate (that's just one of my personal things since it has always been my focus).

What I need to do next is look at AS partners, where flying AS counts towards status, and see if they hold any benefits over AS. Unfortunately, I haven't found the table you describe. I'll end up making my own, probably.