Everybody's different.

It seems that other OW partners are rather more stringent in requiring the "4 on our metal" rule be observed than AA when it comes to status, but I'm not aware of any definitive research on the matter. (As if.)

But living in the US it certainly seems logical to stick with AA. Buy an AC membership if you really need one (or a Priority Pass.)

It also seems to me that if most of your travel is on your own nickel and in Y, then a premium-class OW RTW might be a game-changer. Structure it so that it yields EXP status (not terribly hard to do) and enjoy the eVIPs and domestic u/gs for a year and a bit, then fall if you must to Plat, burn the miles you've garnered, and then (if you want), do another big trip the following year. That's what we do - one year do an RTW to make EXP, then burn the miles the next year, do another RTW... and so on. An every-other-year DONEx for EXP is actually a pretty efficient way to maintain status, travel a lot comfortably, and amass a pickup truck worth of miles.

I think you'd find that AA's earn/burn rates are as good or better than anybody's, at least for the time being.