thanks for these replies all. I do and probably will continue to fly UA as much as I can, since its destinations are good for me anyway and I'm happy with the benefits. Still, kind of interesting to think of how sometimes choices that are presented to you, even if they are highly unattainable, so much so as to be practically irrelevant, still influence your judgements and desires about things. I have a feeling that sort of thing drives a lot of the elite travel industry...

reminds me of a funny episode of Frasier:
what's beyond the platinum door??