For this reason, we participate in two separate programs: AAdvantage, because when DH was traveling a LOT for business, he was allowed to use our own card and get reimbursed. So he ended up a lifetiime million-miler elite member from spend alone (no longer possible), from all the hotels and restaurants.
He was using AAdvantage because he was a member of AA then, and we thought the travel miles would be helpful. But the spend is what gets us the points for travel.

And from ages ago, we've had Amex.

Each of those has their own group of network partners, and there's not too much overlap. Between the two networks, we have access to almost any airline we'd want to use.

And the awards services (Jasper, in our case) has on occasion come up with unexpected routing or airlines to get us where we want to go, when we want to go. We probably would never have thought to investigate some of those.

And of course, it's very helpful if one can be flexible a day or two outbound and return.

Alas, we haven't gone anywhere again since the before times.... yet...

GC