Like Mr. Vker said...welcome to the neighborhood! I too live in northern Balto. Ct. in Phoenix (yes you read correctly!) MD. Since my job requires travel in the US and to Europe, I tend to favor the various Star Alliance airlines. I can use either US or UA out of BWI to reach various destinations in the US. For flights to Europe I prefer to either drive to IAD or PHL to get a direct flight to Germany on LH (also a *A member). I also use SWA frequently because of their direct flights to numerous destinations. Flying SWA to Chicago Midway is much nicer than flying UA or AA into ORD IMHO. I would really look at the cities you will travel to most and then decide based on those options. Most of the options with legacy carriers will require a connection and that is why I look to SWA more and more often for my domestic travel.