Originally Posted by
_flatline_
To the rest of you - thank you. Part of the problem is I don't yet have a 'preferred' airline/FFP, so I was looking for a generic "start here" thread. Per the advice above, I looked into the United/MP thread; I think I have a decent grasp on the different fare classes now, although I'm still trying to crack the whole upgrade thing (which isn't super important as I fear it will be a long time before I'm eligible for any).
I think part of the problem is that while there are many similarities between airlines, there are very few set conventions that a single "start here" page or thread could correctly address.
For example, some airlines hand out upgrades to anyone with status, whereas other airlines will fly with a first-class (or business-class, if applicable) seat empty if not enough people pay for the upgrade with some sort of instrument (voucher, certificate, mileage, money, etc.). Heck, the world can't even standardize whether to label business class "C" or "J," and some airlines stop at business and don't even offer a first-class product!
It takes lots of careful analysis of the various airline programs to figure out which one will work best for you. I've chosen AS by default due to my location, but if I were to move elsewhere, I still have yet to settle on which program to put my business into, despite having been thinking about and [casually] researching that subject for well over a year now. And there's tons about UA/CO/US/DL/AA that I don't know, despite being members of all of those programs and being on FT for, what, six years now. And there is no single "best program," since the program that gives you the best reward for your type of activity will be dictated by your home base, where you fly, fares, routings, frequency, and the like. AS works best for me here because AS has ~25 out-of-state flights a day out of ANC (versus a total of 5-10 or so for the other carriers), so they're the only real option. Fortunately, it so happens they're a pretty decent (if expensive) option. BWI and the whole WAS area (not sure how close to other airports you are) offer more opportunities for choice, but each carrier has its regional strengths, and so you may find yourself flying one carrier more than another simply because it has the best (and cheapest) options for where you want to go.
Another thing is that this website is mostly run by volunteers. A small staff (headed by our gracious Host, Randy Petersen) manages the administrative functions, but the content is all user-generated. As indicated above, most forums have some sort of FAQ thread which tries to help newer users understand the dynamics of that particular airline's program, but again, these are written and edited by the users themselves in their spare time.
But in any case, welcome to FlyerTalk!