well, here is what I decided to do. If I get approved for AA(I applied today and got the we'll get back to you message) I will cancel my amex delta and use my AA card exclusively for EVERYTHING since they have a direct flight to nashville, which is where I will travel the most, whereas delta has a layover on every flight from lax to nashville. If I don't get approved for AA card I will use the delta card for a year, rack up a flight and then apply for the citi AA card again and cancel the delta. Oh, quick question, can I use AA pts to fly to Italy(rome) from LAX and how many points would I need, somewhere around 60,000? Thanks for all the great advice!