So good to hear from others in my position. I am also a young full-time student, but based in NYC (guess what school) which makes it very easy to get flight miles for cheap (I think). Plus, I have the benefit of the parents' buying a ticket home to SFO 4-5 times per year. I will be going Gold this year because of it. And I'm not even old enough to get approval for a WP Visa card yet!

But can anybody offer advice about upgrading to the extremely-budget-conscious people like myself and the poster? In other words, I understand the situation from the POV of a traveler who can afford a Y/B (NW) or HoKeY ticket overseas every once in a while, but let's rule that option out. For a 20-year old restricted to H/Q/V and lower fares, where are those miles best spent?