I am making the switch from UA to AA, so my CSP is sadly no longer highly valued. It looks to me that I should replace it with the SPG due to the transfer to AA. Do you guys have any other recommendations for CCs to use with AA besides the AA co-branded card? I like bonuses in the travel and dining category since those are my primary spending categories. I also do a lot of international travel, so no forex fees are a big plus, but I noticed that the SPG and the AA co-branded card charge forex fees.

Side note: It's too bad I can't transfer to AA from CSP since it is the perfect card for me.

Your CSP can still be helpful for UR -> BA transfer to use for short hop AA flights (to position for a MR for example).

Thanks for the suggestion, but I rarely do MRs. Also, spending miles to position for an MR makes the MR cost more since those miles could have been used for something else.

The AmEx Plat is an option. The annual fee is hefty ($450), but you can recover $200 of that on AA fees. Also includes access to AA lounges. Additionally, I've used it for free Global Entry enrollment. I don't know your travel patterns, but I've found MR points to be useful for transfer to CX, a OW partner of AA.

I fly AA and I use the CSP. Dining and travel are my two biggest spend categories as well, so it's perfect.

I already earn lots of AA miles from flying, so UR points help diversify.

I also have 2x Citi AA cards and an AmEx Platinum (benefits are great and I generally put my non-travel/dining purchases on it).

Ok, but let's go beyond that thought... You're in Chicago. Do you have opportunities to use BA Avios for non-stop AA flights? If you redeem in economy, it's as low as 4500 points each way.

If you're not familiar with the program, you might want to explore it. Incredible redemption possibilities out of ORD if you make short hops - especially if you'd otherwise be spending cash on a captive market. (I'd trade 4500 points for a $200 ticket any day.)

I found their chart and those redemption options are really good, but I don't see myself using them. I pretty much only travel internationally. The only domestic trip I have taken in the last 2 years was to NYC. Other than that, it was all international.

I will probably look into the AmEx Platinum since it has been mentioned a few times though.

I guess there are pros and cons to diversifying, but one reason why I am looking to pool with AA is because I don't have want to have miles in 2 or 3 programs and not be able to use any of them due to not having enough in a single one. My CC spend per year is low and will only net me 30k points/miles max, so it would take a few years just to earn enough to use them if they were divided among 2 or 3 programs. I pretty much view miles earned on CCs to supplement what I earn from flying.

Have you considered signup bonuses? All of your yearly earning would be eclipsed by a single signup. (That's how most of us diversify, as we're left with enough miles in several programs to be useful, within a few months/a year.)

I use SPG with the intention to transfer AA though I never have had to. The Citi AA card is well worth it for the 10% back on redemptions. Other than that, I am a big fan of transferable cards (UR/MR) and cash back cards. There are times where I do use Avios for short expensive AA flights but my EXP status helps with that (get MCE, free snack/drink in coach). I also have the Amex Platinum for lounge access (which also gets me into Delta and Alaska).