There is plenty you can do to start that does not involve your credit. search through the airline forums, look for the threads like the one that gets 500 AA miles for likeing them and filling out a shrt survey on FB. or the united backstager dela that gets you 1000 UA miles for signing up and linking your twitter, foursquare,FB account. then even more for a few tweets. download a toolbar from aa, and hook it up to your account, ask you parents if they purchase online to gothrough the shopping portal linked to your account, or just set it up on thier computer with their permission with the toolbar that will automaticaly register it to your AA account, ask you grandparents if they shop on line and if you can add the toolbar to their computer so you can get miles, you can explain it costs them nothing extra and will reward you for purchases they would already make. get a topguest account and start doing "checkins" at hotels near you, Priority Club converts to many airlines at 10k to 2k i think. many ways to nicle and dime the poits system until you have a job and established credit.