Here is my suggested path for you:

1. Sign up for EK Skywards and fly exclusively that
2. Once you are in the US and can build up credit (or if you have it already, good for you) you can get the SPG Amex card and get bonus miles transferrable to EK (among other airlines)
3. Within 1 year you can get EK silver status that should give you lounge access in Dubai (and very rarely) a comp upgrade - you probably need to be be EK Gold to even have a chance at comps these days.
4. They not only fly to the US but also to Europe, Australasia, Africa and the Middle East so future trips are also counting towards miles.

Trust me, this is the right thing for you. Just do it.

Hi Folks, interesting thread running here. Am nn a similar situation here as well. Have a trip lined up to DTW in June. I'm based in MAA (chennai) and so was looking what best options i'd have for this run to the states. I on the other hand might do a maximum of 2 trips a year to the states. Have transited in the past thru SIN while flying SQ. Only hassle being you don't earn any miles when flying on the highly discounted economy fares and hence don't think SQ is a good bet for me at this stage.

Am already Silver in Jet Airway's Jet Privilege program and so was wondering whether to carry on with Jet or do get some miles on another carrier. I do a fair bit of domestic travel in India as well and so shouldn't be a problem retaining my Silver status on Jet..

Any advice folks..??

I think Jet sounds like a better plan for you. COnsidering that you can use your privileges while traveling in India. If you pick US-based or European programs, then, you may not get to enjoy your elite privileges, since your travel is largely in India.

I am presuming you dont have other travel (based on the way you have written) other than several trips within India and two trips to the USA.

Do a fair bit of travel thru South East Asia as well, all flights originating from MAA though; do at least 3 trips to SIN a year. Also have an extensive S.E. Asian run to do later in the year, that should be taking me thru Singapore, Malaysia, Thailand, Indonesia & Hong Kong. All this probably post the US trip.

Jet airways covers many of those destinations as well. Unfortunately you may have to connect or BOM or DEL sometimes.

however, that is still a good deal I think.
If you are considering Singapore airlines, as you rightly pointed out, the lowest fares do not earn miles...so you have to consistently buy higher fares.

Cathay Pacific is one more option. But, it has a non-stop to HKG only twice a week or something like that...and therefore you have to plan all your travel on those days.Similarly, Thai will not work for you....
MH (Malaysian) may work....but its FF program is not the best either.

As for the South East asian destinations thru Jet, like you rightly pointed out some of them are covered but out of DEL, BOM, MAA & CCU.. Once in SIN, looks like my itinerary would take me from one destination to another, without getting back to India. So based on that was also trying to see which Asian carrier it would make sense to route it on, without burning a hole in my wallet.