thanks for your responses....oh, and I am a lady, btw.

Excuse me for not being clear in my original post. I'll try to answer your specific qs so we can maybe narrow down some choices.

Ask yourself what you want to get...
-Miles? Yes
-Upgrades? Yes
-Lounge Access? No
-Better seat selection? As long as I have a window seat, I am fine!
-Cheap tickets? Yes
-How often per year are you flying to Europe? Right now it's less but within the next year or so I would average it out to 3-4 times minimum per year. There is even the possibility of relocation to Europe.
-What class of service are you flying (First, Business or Economy)? I normally fly Economy, which is fine for domestic flights, but when I fly to and from Europe, its almost unbearably uncomfortable. Thus, If I can find the right program, I would be interested in flying first or business class.
-Do you pay for the flights out of your own pocket? I charge my flights with my credit card most of the time.
-Where in Europe do you fly most? France and Italy.
-What do you want to redeem your miles for? (Upgrades? Flights in Economy, Business or First)? Upgrades would be nice...see comments above.
-What is your home airport in the US? My home airport in the US is Hartsfield in Atlanta.