One thing I really like about AA is that all miles count towards lifetime status and that all fares are upgradeable. You can't upgrade with miles really cheap fares on most other airlines.
You can also earn miles with the Citi AAdvantage card - it is available in Germany. If you do choose AA, I would recommend the card so that you can start to maximise your miles.
More details are available at
www.citi-aadvantage.de
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I Love New York