So I'm not a very frequent flier, but I fly enough to make it count. I have 59.4K banked up on US with a $250 voucher to spare for a quick mileage pickup.

I was contemplating "paying up" to plat and then status matching to CO.

Is it worth it to fly EWR-LIS for ~700 on co/klm in coach (solely to gain miles; CO PE bonus) or should I burn the miles on an award (it's available for dec.).

This would be a leisure trip with limited days off so MR is not an option, but creative routings considered.

Essentials:

-Dates are Dec 21-31/jan 1 for those wondering.
-I would spend $400 for the step up to plat
-If I don't burn the miles, I would pay $90 for the BofA US visa for the 25k, and maybe accrued enough for a first award somewhere.

Any thoughts? I'm not sure if this is exactly the right place...