I'm back (OP). I fly to Milan six to eight times a year as well as plenty of domestic travel via air. The NW MSP to AMS has been the route I've taken lately. I'm in Omaha so am always connecting to a hub, MSP,ORD,DTW are the usual connections. This gives me UA and NWA. I can fly directly in to Milan from ATL but the flight tends to get a little long when in coach.
I had my sights set on NW but have just found out they don't have complimentary upgrades for Platinum elites. Aparently I still have to cash in miles and usually purchase a higher fare.
BTW I have 140K one pass miles but CO is not working for me any more for travel in the states.