(newbie; first post)

Great thread. Spent about $1000 so far. Here's my question. I usually just travel 1 or 2 times a year from the US, but always overseas (singapore, hong kong, etc). I earn 20-25,000 miles each time but I haven't stayed on one carrier long enough to earn a free ticket yet.

I am intrigued by the AA 1-million mile lifetime level, but after reading lots of older threads I am not sure if is something I should strive for. Gold status for life (of program/airline) sounds okay, but it looks like one round-the-world trip each year would get me close to gold status.
Basically I'm torn between putting my forthcoming miles in NorthWest or AA. I'm in Texas, so I'll probably fly AA much more whenever I start doing more domestic travel. But Northwest offers a free trip overseas at ~54,000 miles, while I imagine AA is closer to 80k miles(?).

So a question - 2 RT overseas on Northwest and I'm close to a free ticket. It would take 3 RT overseas trips on AA to do the same thing. But with AA Gold Status, would
that narrow the gap between AA and NW
(25,000x150%[gold status] x 2 trips = 75,000 miles)?

In the short term, 250,000 FF miles would get me 5 RT oversea trips on Northwest, but only 3, I think, on American.

I have many more years of travel ahead. Should I sacrifice now and go with AA and shoot for 1 milion miles, or more instant gratification and feret away miles with Northwest giving me 5 rt trips for the next few years?

Last question - Do million mile flyers get yearly upgrade passes, or is it one time when you join the 'club'? And would the passes be good for domestic only or perhaps international flights too?

Thanks!
Midnight

[This message has been edited by midnightio (edited 12-23-2001).]