I would disagree about AA being better than US. US hasn't devalued their awards yet, and while they're still part of *A, this is the best way to get to and around Europe. Granted, their awards are somewhat more restrictive (i.e. no one way awards). Oneworld is relatively weaker as far as networks go. Adding AA or BA as a secondary choice is one thing, as diversification is never bad, but I wouldn't rush to eliminate US.