Trying to start collecting miles with the hopes of getting a couple of free flights to Japan. My home airport is Chicago. From what I gathered so far, my best bet is to try to pile a bunch of points into one program. Because Chicago is my home base, I was thinking AA would be the best. However, I have heard from other members that this may not be the best route. I know BA is good for international flights and have been told that star alliance has a better selection for award flights. I'd appreciate any advice that you give me to point me in a direction of which frequent flyer program I should join. Thanks in advance.