Don't trust online award booking engines. They're quirky at best. They don't always show all possible routings, and the time/date combinations entered may limit the scope of searches. If you don't find the flights you want for award redemption, always call. And when you call, always ask the agent on the phone whether an airline's partners have award availability -- most websites don't check partner awards, and many phone CSRs don't without a request either.

Carry an American Express, a Visa, and a Mastercard. Bonus mile promotions are frequently funded in part by different credit card companies, and you need one of each flavor in order to be eligible to participate (and don't count on applying/getting a new card in time to take advantage of a future promotion). Hyatt's lucrative Fly Free Faster requires payment with a Mastercard. Marriott has done promos with both Amex and Visa. Starwood, though it partners with Amex for its own U.S. co-branded card, has done Mastercard promos as well (such as for American Airlines miles).