Welcome to FT! There are many good people and many resources here, as I have spent insomniac hours discovering! In addition to the excellent advice given to you thus far, I would say to get a credit or debit card, affiliated with either an airline or hotel (or both) with the absolute intent to use it for EVERYTHING; and pay it off each month. This is accumulation, even McDonalds lunch starts adding miles to your account. There is IDINE, a dining rewards program that registers your cc and credits the airmiles to the airline you prefer when you dine at a connected restaurant. This community is active, informed and very generous with information, provided you do your own "due diligence" and use the "search" key to inform yourself; as there are many levels of enlightenment to frequent flyer benefits and status maintenence. I wish I'd had this resource at 21!