I'm a long-term SE, Ottawa based, flying typically 130-180k per year. My flying is a mix of transcontinental domestic (30%), transborder (20%), transatlantic (50%) and the occasional transpacific. Particularly within Europe, I've found myself recently on random non-StarAlliance flights, and without lounge access . I wonder if there are others in my boat who comfortably make SE, with enough to spare for at least 2nd tier status on another airline, and whether they just bank it all on AC for the bonus miles, or shift over to another alliance, and if so, who and why?

TM