Hello, all. I'm a former frequent business traveller who is getting back out on the road. Back when I used to travel frequently, I thought I was pretty smart about maximizing my miles and points, but after looking at this site, I'm not so sure. Given that, I'm wondering if I could get some basic advice for frequent travellers.

Here are my questions:

1. Should I concentrate on one airline no matter what my status is or switch to another airline after I hit platinum (or whatever)? I always concentrated on one airline because of the bonus miles I was earning. Is this a bad idea?
2. Same as the above, but for hotels. I prefer Starwood, but should I branch out after I hit platinum or concentrate?
3. Are there any basic strategies to get miles/status faster? I have heard of people checking in and out of hotels to get more stays. Are there any other sorts of suggestions like that one that a new frequent traveller should know?
4. I had a bunch of Hilton points expire because I didn't stay at a Hilton enough. Is there any chance of getting those reinstated, especially if I tell them I'll concentrate my stays in their hotels?

Any advice you could provide would be greatly appreciated.

Thanks!
Bill