That's a bit misleading. The OP doesn't have status anywhere. You didn't explain that you only get SWUs on AA if you reach EXP status, which requires 100k EQMs or 100k EQPs. Also, the OP says they fly a "lot" internationally, but didn't explain how much. The SWUs you earn as an EXP only are enough for 4 international flights per year.

Meanwhlie, until/unless you're EXP, AA does let you use miles on any fare, but charges $$$ co-pay to use those miles for upgrades. Now, given the miles upgrades usually aren't guaranteed ie confirmable at booking time, that's financially better than other airlines in that you don't have to pay co-pay if you don't get upgraded (while at other airline you have to buy the more expensive fare first, and then if you don't upgraded you get nothing for that).

The OP didn't explain what kind of travel this is (remimbursed/paid by work, or not). If it's totally personally paid, the OP may find that outright business class award may sometimes make more sense than paying for a fare, paying for the co-pay, and then still using half the miles (that you'd use for an outright award) to upgrade.

By the other thing the OP has to figure is: How likely are they to have any of these upgrades confirmed? That depends on lot on how far ahread they book, whether they have flexilibity to choose a flight that has better upgrade possibilities, etc.