sgopal2: No, I did not realize ORD is an AA hub. I feel really dumb now. But yes, after one trip on AA in my life, I'm a big fan of MRTC; it helps a bunch since i'm 6'1".

ElmhurstNick: What do you mean by "free business class seating on the one daily 767 flight to LA and to SF and the one daily 777 to Dallas"? I can't find anything about this on the AAdvantage web site. Is this an unpublished perk? Is it guaranteed or based on availability/priority?

hindukid: Small world. :-) Yes, many places will book your travel, but some law firms let you book it and be reimbursed.

Everyone: Thanks a bunch for your insights. Flyertalk is truly a wonderful thing. I haven't seen anyone really discuss why AA is better than UA. Any program details, or just their CS problems?

Anyway, I booked a trip in July on AA, since I don't have very much experience with them at all. If I decide to do a Gold challenge at some point, would these segments count? How do the challenges work?

Thanks again everyone! This is really useful.