I find airline status most helpful when it comes to irregular operations (IRROPS) and try to keep status on at least one U.S. based airline. I have lifetime Gold status on United and it’s helpful but only somewhat. I qualified for Alaska Titanium status in 2025 and will have that status through 2026.

I’ve been trying to decide if I should pursue status in 2026 and if so, on which carrier. Part of me likes the idea of the long game, getting lifetime 1K status on United at 3 million miles. My current lifetime mileage is a bit over 1.7 million miles, so I need to fly another 1.3 million. That is a lot of miles but if I dedicate my flying to United I could probably get it done in 5-6 years.

On the flip side, I love having quite a few non-stop options on Alaska out of Portland and the flexibility that allows. Alaska’s IT and app aren’t great and some of the partner integration isn’t thought out, but I do like OneWorld’s reach around the globe. I booked a ticket on British Airways for January and the whole process for upgrading and getting my frequent flyer number was extremely cumbersome. This is where United excels in my opinion, their integrations with partners is so much simpler. United also has a lot more reach on their metal and much more straightforward pricing on partners. Alaska’s lack of participation in the British Airways/American Airlines joint-venture across the Atlantic and the Japan Airlines/American Airlines joint-venture across the Pacific, which allows revenue sharing between the airlines, makes pricing a number of itineraries on Alaska very unattractive. Alaska only has access to some of the highest fares on British Airways and some itineraries aren’t even bookable on their website.

It’s a tough call, non-stop domestic flights and a less than stellar partner experience or more domestic connections but really amazing partner integrations plus the ability to get a really high lifetime status. What would you do?