All good advice, and thanks for the welcome!

One of the reasons AA is so attractive to me, is the price on non-stop flights LAX-MIA. They have a Q fair that is $149 each way, which beats just about everybody. But research shows that during my Challenge Period and for EXP status, Q fairs count for .5 points toward qualifying. So what is the trick to getting the best price, plus points, plus upgrades on AA? Do you guys just keep trying fares and seeing what code it is and the associated points? Is there any way to get full miles on deep discount fares? If I only got .5 points for my miles, I would not make EXP, but the difference in fare and cost of upgrading is about the same.