s_harp: Good choice. Do be careful to abide by the cautions Steffo raises, however, because there are virtually NO EXCEPTIONS to the rules. Try to concentrate your son's flying on just one airline, too. That way, he will accumulate miles in that program more quickly, since "free" tickets purchased for your son by NEA/MBNA do, repeat do, earn mileage in that airline's program. While you cannot combine your NEA credit card miles with individual airline miles, that's O.K., since even if it takes several years to earn a free ticket in say, American's program, those miles don't expire as long as there's account activity within 36 months.

Also....be sure to pay the full NEA card balance each month, because the interest rate is punishing!

That said, happy charging!!!

Captain Mike