Hi all,

I am very new to this forum and have been having a blast lurking and reading the various threads. I actually would like some advice.

First off, and correct me if I am wrong, I understand that if I am looking to qualify for a frequent flyer program's elite or preferred status, the time period is Jan 1-Dec 31. Assuming so, I will be able to choose the potential airline with which to make a push in the coming year, as I will likely be traveling often enough to achieve some status or get a free flight or two.

Some core issues to keep in mind:
1) I am very new to the frequent flyer thing (i.e. benefits, restrictions, etc.)
2) I am based out of Indianapolis

I travel mostly to NYC and D.C. but also have the occasional mix of the southeast and west coast, etc. I have found that I often am choosing from 4 or so options for the cheapest available flights. They include:

1) Northwest
2) US Airways
3) Southwest/ATA
4) Airtran/Frontier

Now, because Northwest/USAir frequent flyer programs are more mileage based, I'd like to try to book those for longer itineraries, whereas since Southwest/Airtran are just segment based, I rather don't mind booking them for shorter itineraries (the catch is, Southwest/Airtran don't seem to fly nonstop or conveniently to my regular destinations (NYC/D.C.) so this method has proved difficult). Does my logic make sense?

Now, my question is, realizing that I've not laid out many parameters, what are the pros/cons of the various frequent flyer programs out there? What should I steer towards in the coming year? I will probably fly about 4 segments/month (2 round trips) on average, so I am somewhat of a light-mid level traveler.

Thanks for all the help, and if any clarification is needed, please let me know.

All the best!
Jared