guv - I can charge 1-2k per month. My credit score is 725 according to creditkarma. I don't care where in the states I leave from. I live on the east coast but would happy to take a cheap flight to visit friends on the west coast if it made sense to leave from there.

benze - Thank you for the quick and detailed response. I don't know what most of that means, but I'm googling now.

redtop- Thanks for the tip, I'll look in the AC option. Does that mean that any AMEX card signup bonus would transfer 1 to 1 onto AC or is it more complex than that?