I’ve concentrated my earning to 4 or 5 legacy airline programs and 1 hotel program. More that that seems impractical for me. We read here of people who have accumulated miles and points, usually via credit card bonuses, in many more programs than 4 or 5. Curious how they manage things.

I’m a rare business flyer and single without children and do not own a business. I’ve maintained the 50K elite level in UA for about 7-8 years via bona fide travel with occasional double/triple EQM promotions and a sporadic domestic MR or 2. Although I spend about 40-50 days away from home each year, only about 15 - 20 are in a points earning hotel, others are a week or 5 nights (with family or friends) in a condo or a resort hotel not offering points. At this point in my life I tend to be more of a saver (several million miles across 4 or 5 programs) than a spender; in the future (just like a retirement plan) that will change. Other than one time (first BA 100K a couple of years ago) I’ve never paid a credit card annual fee just to accumulate bonus miles in a program in which I had zero miles. I get cards with no annual fee or fee waived for 1 year and I much prefer (almost require) cards with reasonable spend thresholds. With about 15 open credit card accounts, I feel like I’m at the max I should have.

I’ve never pursued miles in many other programs; for example Jet Blue, Southwest, Alaska, Hawaiian, Citi Thank You, Capital One (not picking on any of them, just “for examples”). I realize we each must decide what’s “worthwhile” and what’s not. To me it doesn’t seem worth the dollars or the credit pull to spend $79 to get a 35,000 bonus in Hawaiian Airlines or 50000 in Southwest Airlines. Even a no annual fee card for a program in which I’m not active makes little sense to me. These days I only travel on award tickets for premium international travel which generally requires more than 35,000 or 50,000 miles. My domestic travel is paid travel in order to maintain status. I think that if I did get 35,000 XYZ Airline miles I would have to manage them only to avoid their expiration and they would eventually go unused.

I am most definitely a miles (near) fanatic, I just concentrate on a handful of programs and those other programs which allow me to transfer to my preferred programs. I’m wondering if I’m shortchanging myself. It doesn’t seem that I would be able to use and/or manage points and miles in 8 different airline programs and 3 or 4 different hotel programs. But perhaps I should expand my horizon and have miles in 3 or 4 other programs that are just waiting for a good use and perhaps I should have another handful of credit cards. Should I be accumulating miles just to accumulate miles, without any plan as to how to maintain and/or use those miles? I’d appreciate reading what others think, especially those in similar situations to mine. Thanks FT.

(To the moderator(s): This is absolutely all about earning miles. I respectfully request that it be allowed to remain on the MilesBuzz forum. Thank you.)