I would suggest the oneworld alliance, which includes AA. Heathrow is oneworld's major hub.

AA has a strong international operation at JFK, which would be perfect for what you're looking for. You will be able to make easy connections to SFO. You would have the option of connecting in any of these cities: JFK, BOS, ORD, and LAX. You could also make a connection to SFO in DFW if you depart from Gatwick. As you can see, AA will give you a lot of options for your trips to the US.

For Tokyo, all you'll have to do is hop aboard one of AA's partners: BA or JAL. You will also be able to hop aboard Cathay Pacific if you elect to connect in HKG.

No matter what seat you get on AA, you will always receive MRTC (except 757s and A300s which are not used trans-atlantic).

AA offers a plethora of special meals. To see their options, visit http://www.aa.com/content/travelInfo...ialMeals.jhtml .

Lastly, the AAdvantage program is one of the best in the industry. Just take a look in the AA forum for more suggestions here.

Seeing as you live in London, I'm surprised you aren't giving BA a shot. AA and BA are best friends. People from the Americas tend to use American and people from Europe/UK tend to use British. I would think you would get more out of the BA Executive Club than you would the AAdvantage program just due to your location. They offer a comparable product to AA and will fly you non-stop to all the destinations you plan on flying to.