I agree: churn those cards. The credit card forums, here on FT, are very helpful on the issue of timing. How long to keep the card before cancelling, how soon to reapply for same card, how many cards from same provider, etc.

I also agree about favoring Airline A while getting a card for the signing bonus of miles for Airline B. Let's say 50,000 of your 75,000 BIS miles will probably be on AA. That means you'll eventually be PLT which means every single mile of travel gets you 2 AAdvantage miles. Which gets me thinking...

Maybe you should do the PLT challenge as soon as your travel schedule allows. There's a lot to read about it before you decide to take the plunge, but I think for your situation it might be worth it, because you're in DFW and because you're projecting well over 50,000.

Getting Elite status early will help you with your stated goals, because of the double miles. Imagine: one trip to Bangkok or Seoul or Mumbai and you'll get 35,000 AAdvantage miles. Two trips to Asia and you've got the next one free. Priority seating, lounge access, tiny little comforts along the way make the experience endurable in economy. Especially the choice of seating.

Meanwhile, if you obsessively and addictively seek out credit card signing bonuses, you'll probably be able to get a quarter of your trips for free. Fellow addicts in the Credit Card forums will be happy to serve as enablers ;-)

You're right to assume AA should be your preferred carrier. I live in Toronto, the epicentre of the known cosmos for Air Canada, but I'm a loyal PLT on AA. It's hard living in the wrong hub and I don't recommend it. For me, AAdvantage is so good that I feel it's worth it.

Good luck and enjoy paying for your trips!