Thanks for the information Birdseye. I plan on keeping probably 2 full time credit cards open, but wouldn't want much more than that (except for temporarily building points and cancelling after 11 months). I will read up on the information you provided and come back with any questions about that.
One initial question I have is about the whole airline alliance topic. The first time I heard about this was yesterday. If you choose Continental/United or American, which airlines can you use their points for. I guess if I were to use my miles for more international travel, would there be one better than the other?
Again, thanks for the info!
Brad