CO will likely loose all of my business next year because I am lifetime Gold on AA.
Here's how it's worked: I'm currently CO Plat and have been for 5 years (CO Star for at least 3 of those). They're my carrier of choice. However, my carrier of choice has a schedule into BDL that doesn't work for me and most of my flying this year has been to BDL. So I have been flying my carrier of second choice, AA, where I have lifetime Gold status.
As a result, this year, I will barely hit Silver, if anything on CO. So, I will effectively have no status on CO as of March. So, guess what, with Gold status on AA - they will likely get all my business next year. Gold status with Exit row access on AA, vs. no status (or Silver) on CO with no exit row option - the choice is easy for me.
If CO had lifetime status, no problem, I'd be back up to Plat in a year. If CO had a step down policy - Plat to Gold, Gold to Silver - then no problem, I'd stay with CO. However they have neither, so I'm out. In addition, if I got full EQM's for my flights, I'd be Gold this year, but I have to book through Corporate travel, so Strike 3, Continental is Out.