Thank you for the response. My situation: I want to acquire miles but am probably not going to do 'mileage runs' if I understand them right: lots of extra travel without real destination - I don't have the time for that. I travel mostly just for vacation; so no paid travel for business. I am a newbie here and trying to figure out the system so I can afford more travel.
The concierge article is very informative. Thank you. Given the comparative (dis)advantages of each program though I still can't quite decide whether I should get an additional program, eg. Starwood; Capital One Venture (anybody have any experience with those?), or stick with AA.