Hi Matt, and welcome to FlyerTalk! Ah 15 years old, I'm very proud of you for being interested in frequent flyer miles at this fine age! I recall myself being the same age as you were when I started questing all this frequent flyer miles stuff.

First off, having 1,000 miles on US Airways is really worth nothing. Secondly, while others might disagree, I would not suggest earning mileage in their program because I have a real good feeling that this airline will become defunct in the coming year. I may be wrong, but I wouldn't feel comfortable accumulating mileage in a program where I'm not sure if the miles will be there for my use in the near future.

As for your 13,000 Delta miles, now you're getting somewhere. You mention that you will probably travel at least 4 times per year, depending on distance, you may or may not be able to obtain "elite" status on an airline. To obtain the entry elite level status, most airlines require you to fly at least 25,000 elite qualifying miles (EQMs), which is butt-in-seat miles, and accumulate each calandar year, January 1-December 31. A person's EQMs resets to zero upon each new calandar year. As for which program is ideal for you to earn elite status with, whether it be Delta, Continental, Northwest, or even American, United, etc. that would depend on your travel patterns and priorities. There is extensive information located on the various airline forums regarding the different elite programs offered to frequent travellers.

However, if you are not concerned with elite status or will not be flying enough to worry about obtaining elite status, then the ability to accrue and redeem miles is top priority for you. With having 13,000 Delta SkyMiles already, you're best bet is to keep Delta as your primary program. This way, anytime that you fly Delta, Northwest, or Continental, along with any of Delta's other SkyMiles partners, you can earn all your mileage into one program, this being your SkyMiles account. Keep in mind 25,000 SkyMiles is good for a free domestic ticket on Delta or its partners. It doesn't hurt to necessarily have a secondary/back-up program in case your travel plans might not allow for you to utilize your Delta SkyMiles account. Chose that secondary program based on the airline that would be an ideal backup. That generally is based on an airlines schedule which would provide the greatest convenience.

You might want to look into Southwest Airlines as well. If you do fly at least 4 roundtrips per year, Southwest will earn you a free ticket most likely after 4-5 roundtrips. They are the only airline to award you based on credits (not miles), which means they award you based on how much you fly, not how far you fly. So if scoring free travel is top priority for you, then Southwest would be a good way to go. Keep in mind with Southwest, you do have to earn 16 credits (one-way flight is one credit, regardless if nonstop or connecting, a roundtrip nets two credits. There is also a 2 credit sign up bonus, 4 credits if a college student) within a 1 year period. I would only advise the Southwest approach if you can earn 16 credits in one year, and of course, Southwest flies to the places you wish to visit.

Lastly, no airline will simply match your mileage balance. If they did that, we would have tons of happy people on this board travelling in every way possible, especially those who have account balances that are in the millions. Airlines will generally match elite status levels one-time only, however, that is simply a status match and nothing to do with your mileage balance.

Hope this is of help to you. Feel free to PM (private message) me if I can answer any other questions for you. I wish this board was around when I was 15, so you're in for a real treat (and an addiction!) browsing through all the forums here on FlyerTalk. This is the ultimate place to learn and stay up to date on all the airline, hotel, car rental, etc. programs and promotions out there today!

Welcome aboard!