Originally Posted by
mnscout
Call me crazy, but you should begin collecting miles/points first and ask questions later. Since both AA (One World) and UA (Star) offer tremendous possibilities out of NYC, stop thinking one or another and do both. Citi AA cards have 50K bonus for personal and 40K for biz and can be churned right now (it won't probably last long). UA has 50K bonus for both personal and biz with a trick that's easy for many people. Don't forget the US Air 35K bonus; US Air is in bed with Star now but will migrate to One World soon. Apply for best Chase Ultimate Rewards cards (CSP, Ink Bold and Ink Plus), and you'll get 140K Ultimate Rewards points transferable to United among other partners. Get these for starters and you are set for a pretty long time.
However, let me tell you all right away: being in NYC, it's becoming harder and harder to meet spend requirements. So if you despise paying for the privilege of using plastic make sure you can handle the spend.
Actually it is a good idea to ask questions ahead of time to develop a strategy. While your advice about cards and carriers is solid the problem is that many people can't apply for all the cards at once and therefore have to pick and choose. I have elected to concentrate my earning with Star. The reason being is I have been developing a credit card relationship with Chase and I do not want to have my earnings spread out over a number of programs when I go to redeem. That being said after I have gotten the cards I am targeting CSP, Ink Bold/plus I should have enough for my trip. Then I will start over again and will target whatever cards/programs are best at that time. By focusing on a specific program it allows me to get the miles I need for my trip much faster than if I had points all over.