tcook052, Mwenenzi, maverick17, MSPeconomist, thank you all for the information. It was most helpful. And it also made me realize I am a small fish in a big pond compared to some of you folks! Ill be lucky to get 25,000 mileage in a year on one of my bigger travel years! (I wish I could fly more but u know.. money haha)

Reading through this thread, it was a lot of useful infromation answering a lot of my question, but also gave rise to a few more. Before I ask those, here is the general information answered from the original OP when my thread was merged in:

(1) What is most important to you in a FFP?
I'm not too sure, I was just told I should be using a FFP if I travel as much as I do. Upgrades on travel (Business/Firstclass?)? Free airfare?

(2) How many miles do you usually fly each year & in what class? How many flights/sectors?
Miles per year: 16k in 2 flights Or 1k in 2 flights.
Economy (I go with the cheapest or least agonizing via hipmunk.com generally)

(3) What types of fares do you usually buy ?
Economy or cheapest

(4) Can you choose your airlines and/or class of service? Do you travel for work and/or pleasure?
Yes I choose my airline. For pleasure travel

(5) Which routes do you fly most often
US Domestic, Transpacific, Asia

6) What is your home airport?
ORD (Soon to be Australia, either BNE or SYD)
(part of the reason I am looking so much into an FFP is because of this move and the new region Ill be in, I want to make sure I can take advantage of those miles ill be earning)

(7) Do you have FFP status of any kind in an airline? What is it? Do you have any miles banked in a FFP?
None.

(8) Preferred Airlines
JAL / AerLingus / Luftsana / (I need a GOOD Australian Airline) I usually pick cheapies so JetBlue / TigerAir / Spirit / etc

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Some more questions I have:

It looks like almost everyone is telling me to use either Alaskan or American Airlines. I think American Airlines is my best bet.... It looks like Alaskan I can get status easier, IF i fly only Alaskan (But they dont fly out of ORD, so only if I visit west coast states).

Just so I understand I am comprehending this all... Can you help me with my scenario?

I am booking a roundtrip MKE-> LAX. Looking at the American Airlines Options. <link to route on external site deleted by mod -- OP should simply spell out the route> Not sure how to spell it out... So here it goes.

Outbound:
MKE-> DFW via AA 248 in Coach on McDon. Doug. MD-80 Vers. 1
DFW -> LAX via AA 2499 in Coach on Boeing 737-900 Vers. 1

Return:
LAX -> DFW via AA 2450 in Coach on McDon. Doug. MD-80 Vers. 1
DFW -> MKE via AA 2306 in Coach on McDon. Doug. MD-80 Vers. 1

How do I tell what my Booking Class is?

Using the mileage calculator <at webflyer> it comes out to 1600 (Ord<>dfw) + 2460 (dfw<>lax) = +/-4060 (Without including the multipler) or 2030 to 6090 (with the multiplier range included for economy tickets). Lets say its 4,060 miles accrued.
>What can I do with that 4,000 Mile?
>>Nothing until I hit 25,000 and qualify for a Gold Statues with AA?

When I hit 25,000 Miles, what can I do? Looking at <AA award chart>, I get an upgrade from Economy to a business class seat? (If booked in Classes Y or B).

>>Taking it a step further, I can use this upgrade across ANY of the Alliances's airlines? How do I figure out how many mileage points I need to upgrade to a Sleeper Seat on a JAL / Cathay Pacific from LAX -> BNE/SYD.

>>>It looks like American Airlines has a 2 year expiration policy on points. That means I MUST take a flight before expiration to renew my point totals. I read somewhere that I could apply for an AA Rewards credit card, make a purchase with said card, and that will also renew/refresh my mileage points expiration date. Is that true?


I just want to make sure I am understanding all of this before I spend my extra time trying to book around certain airlines if its going to increase the cost a lot.

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To the posters who had questions

Im not fit with the lingo yet What do you mean by this sentance? I think your saying... American Airlines, United / Delta charge 25k somethingsometing something for the 48 states (not HI / AK?)

I am a coach flyer, anything cheap. But I might spend more if I have a reason too.. I am a single mid 20s guy, I only buy the cheapest since I dont know any better? Although, I would like to use a sleeper sleep on a trans-pacific flight

Yes, I'm sorry. I didnt give the full detail's. I have been scraping hipmunks carrier info for the past few months and have been recording it in an excel sheet to judge my prices.

I'm moving to Australia on a 462 Working Holiday visa and plan to do a bit of travel during and after my visa around SE Asia (indo / sg / malay)... So I am trying to find the best Frequent Flyer Program thatll work in that region of the world, while still being able to take advantage of my points when I return to the states. ... Im thinking OneWorld is the best with American being based out of ORD (my home), but still offering QF / JAL for my airfare needs when flying to and from home.

My route is one of the following, pending my decision on a frequent flyer program:
(Its really open ended, as I have no timeline for this trip. Its probably easier to look at this as 2 trips.
One: Milwaukee to (some hub before Australia) Los Angeles or Dallas FortWorth?
Two: LA/DFW to Australia (Sydney or Brisbane)... I can spend a day in LA/DFW before, if required)


1) Broken up into two trips, Milwaukee to 1st hub (LAX)

MKE > DEN > LAX via Frontier $170
MKE > MSP > LAX via DL $190
MKE > ORD > LAX via AA $210


2) LAX to BNE

LAX > AKL > BNE via NZ $807
LAX > BNE via VA $1032
LAX > BNE via QF $ 1082

2.1) Or LAX into SYD (roughly the same prices, just more flights)

LAX > AKL > SYD via NZ $807
LAX > BNE via VA $1032
LAX > BNE via QF $ 1082
LAX > BNE via DL $ 1109


3) Alternate hub route: Broken up into two trips, MKE to 1st hub (DFW)

MKE > DFW via AA $305
MKE > MSP > DFW via DL $168
MKE > ORD > DFW via UA $163


4) DFW to BNE

DFW > BNE via QF $ 1194
Not very good options here when I checked today... Lots of 26+ hour flights with ridiculous layovers... Pass



4.1) Or DFW into SYD (less flights then LAX, more expensive it seems too)

DFW > SFO > SYD via UA $1296
DFW > ICN > SYD via KE $1500
DFW > BNE via QF $ 1194


Full Route MKE to SYD: (prices on 4/15)
$1240
MKE > DFW via AA
DFW > SYD via QF

$1299
MKE > MSP > LAX > SYD via DL

$1319
MKE > MSP > LAX via DL
LAX > SYD via VA


Full Route MKE to BNE:
$1240
MKE > DFW via AA
DFW > BNE via QF

$1299
MKE > MSP > LAX via DL
LAX > BNE via VA

Something that doesnt make sense to me, is when I look at MKE > DFW the price is 305$, and DFW > BNE is $1194 = 1500.... But if I look at a straight shot all in one, $1260. MKE > DFW > BNE. Why? lol.... Maybe my idea of flying in a day earlier into DFW / LAX is not going to work out if the price is going to be that much out of 'sync'



AFAIK DL doesn't fly nonstop from ORD to LAX, so you would be connecting somewhere. This adds risk of missing connections, lost bags, etc. Why not take a nonstop on UA to stay within the same alliance for this trip?
In the past I tend to transfer a lot because they are cheaper tickets.... I have never really missed a flight due to my own fault (i dont mind being the crazy guy running down the halls with 10 minutes before check in)

Note also that whether you use DL or UA, you need to go land side and change terminals at LAX so be sure to allow lots of time.
Thanks I didnt know, I have yet to go to THRU Lax




Thanks everyone for your time and understanding.