Gosh, old memories of my first credit card. Like a lot of US students, I got my first credit card when I did my junior semester abroad, in which case Amex was really nice to have (they had offices where you could pick up mail and get money, etc...). The world of student travel has changed since I was a student (postal mail, what's that?) but I found that Amex was a good choice for overseas. You had to pay off your balance every month, but doing that helped me establish my credit rating.

I am now on the west coast of the US (Bay Area) and Amex is definitely less widely accepted than Visa or MC. So if you can only start with one, maybe you want Visa or MC.

The most important thing -- pay off your balance!! I know that credit card companies have great "transfer your balance" deals, but this is a clever marketing ploy to get more of your money. CC interest rates make credit cards THE most expensive form of borrowing money, short (but not by much) of your local loan shark. You are establishing a history which will stay with you for a very very long time -- be smart about your money. That will help you more than any extra airline points. [/lecture]

Good luck!