Hi everyone, I've been enjoying reading everyone's advice for others, and I wonder if you could offer some for me. I'm about to have a job that involves travel for the first time in several years (used to be on US), and a lot about my situation has changed since the last time I did this.

(1) What is most important to you in a FFP?
The experience of flying is the thing I'm most concerned about. Upgrades, priority security lines, being treated well, etc. Award redemptions are nice but secondary.

(2) How many miles do you usually fly each year & in what class? How many flights/sectors?
Not a huge amount. 50,000 miles/year is my best guess at the moment. Flying is all or mostly economy.

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

(4) Can you choose your airlines and/or class of service? Airline most flown? Do you travel for work and/or pleasure?
I can choose my airlines, but probably not class of service. I travel for both work and pleasure. My most common airlines lately have been Delta, JetBlue, American, and Aer Lingus, but I'm not tied to anything.

(5) Which routes and airlines do you fly most often?
Very common with the new job: NYC–LAX, NYC–LHR/BHX, NYC–BOS, NYC–DCA, along with various other domestic routes.
Fairly common for my personal life: NYC–SNN, NYC–DUB, NYC–PWM, NYC–BHB.

(6) What is your home airport?
I live in Brooklyn. JFK and LGA are closest. EWR is slightly farther off.

(7) Do you have FFP status of any kind in an airline? What is it? Do you have any miles banked in a FFP?
No status anymore. No significant number of miles banked with any one airline, but I do have a sizeable number of American Express MR points that I've been using for Aer Lingus redemptions. (I have a Platinum AmEx, also, that I can use for Delta lounge access.)

(8) Preferred Airlines
I haven't flown constantly in the past few years, so any strong feelings I have are probably a little out of date. Here's what I've been thinking, though:

• American (solid, esp. the Aer Lingus connection, but not great for the Maine flights)
• Delta (good for a lot but not so much for the Europe flights)
• JetBlue (maybe just give up on the upgrade idea?)
• United (do I really want to trek to EWR all the time?)
• Alaska (would hardly ever be able to fly on their metal though)

Any thoughts much appreciated.