I too am one of the dreaded "newbies" who heard of this site via the Time magazine article. I am very excited by what I've seen thus far though, and hope to become a vaued, active member ASAP! I'll have to try that UA credit card that was mentioned previously.

I'm just starting to get the hang of all these opportunities for free flying, but am learning fast. Whenever I fly anymore, I always make sure I elect to be "bumped" for vouchers (just got a $600 one for being bumped by USAir in Rome), and have a free RT ticket waiting for me in my own zone from MBNA TravelMax at the moment. Presently, I use my CapitalOne Miles Plus Visa card for all purchases though. I believe the yearly fee is $20 or so, and I'm trying to get enough points to be able to travel to Australia within five years. So far, I'm right on track.

Looking forward to "learning the ropes"!

Thanks,
Wayne