For the Atlas gateway travelers out there could somebody please explain the travel benefits thru accruing air miles as you obviously don’t have flight benefits like regional airline pilots get.

What are the best programs out there, credit card like AAdvantage (American Airlines) etc plus hotel points etc so that you have enough thru the year for travel, upgrades, family vacation etc.

Any tips and tricks would be very much appreciated, especially with getting commuting tickets and upgrade to business if doing a commute from Australia and which would be the most advantageous base with regards to this?

I heard JFK because hardly any trips start in base so they would be forced to fly you to the aircraft DH to start a trip, any ideas how to make things like that work?