seems to me like a lot of frequent buyer programs want you to buy something of average value about ten times before giving you one of those free. Not just airlines, but the local yogurt place, best buy, sporting goods store, my grocery store, etc.

Nice thing about AA is you can redeem your miles a long time before you've spent that much money on things like hotel rooms, one way trips, and merchandise. But yes, to get the best rewards, the program is designed to have you buy FREQUENTLY from them. (Or at least a lot)