I may need to relocate my family to the Denver area in the next couple of years, but I would continue to work in Austin. If that comes to pass, I'd be flying from Denver to Austin at the beginning of the week, and for Austin to Denver at the end of the week probably 40 times a year. We have been SWA flyers for the past decade or so, but the experience with SWA is wearing thin - I've had a lot of delays on recent trips, the pre boarding abuses (google Jetway Jesus if you want a chuckle), and a general decline in customer service.
I know there are a lot of Tex-pats who live in Colorado on this board, so I thought this would be a good place to ask.
Which airline is the best for this type of travel? Bonus points if it would earn me a status that makes the inevitable delays in the airports more tolerable and maybe work my way into more comfortable seats on many trips, and/or could be used for international trips with the family. I'm not averse to credit card hacks as well, as I usually run all my expenses through one primary card for points/rewards anyway.
What says the surly travel connoisseurs?