My understanding is that, each family member will have his/her own status based on his/her own flight/mileage history. Family pooling works only when one does not have enough miles to redeem but his/her family has some, so those can be combined. So, family pooling is only related to award redeem, and cannot be pooled other than redeem purpose. Other rules (may give bonus ticket to anybody, or things like that) follow "head" of the family I believe, so usually most mile holder becomes "head", not always daddy.

There are lots of regulation: not able to be pooled for skyteam award. Only for Korean air award. This sucks, since I need skyteam award to come to my home - Austin. Asiana allows this, so I like Asiana's mileage system. Also a family can be consist of up to 5 members or so. And only one chance (I think it will be flexible, though) to get out of a family and become other family, such as marriage (make independent family with husband and kids) or divorce.

Also they need corresponding member's sign whenever want to pool other members' mile. Still there are many many abusing cases. For example, after divorce or some complex family structure cases.