Welcome to FlyerTalk.

There's some good introductory material at www.frequentflier.com.

The annual fees aren't unavoidable, but the benefits should outweigh the cost. If you charge only $5,000 a year, I think you'll still come out ahead.

If you sign up for an airline's credit card, check to see if they cap the maximum number of miles you can accrue annually. Consider carrying more than one card, e.g. Diners Club as well as an airline's affinity MasterCard/VISA. And don't be put off by "limited acceptance" claims. Sure, I could pay for my groceries with AmEx, but DC works just about everywhere in the U.S. that matters. (And from personal experience, I can tell you it's a great card to use in Australia!)


[This message has been edited by EPS (edited 03-16-2001).]