I used to chase miles/points but got burned out... want to get back to doing it. Alaska Airlines is great for Seattle based people so I buy EVERYTHING using my Alaska card and pay it off every month. When I chased points a bit, it's amazing what you can get. For opening a Sun Trust bank account with multiple debit cards, I got 150,000 miles which got me a Business Class ticket to Dublin/London when I went a few years ago. Opening credit cards can get you a couple free flights, etc. I'm leaning towards getting a card where you can transfer points into any airline but haven't taken the time to figure out the best one yet. The best deal I got when I was on travel forums, was kind of a glitch on Expedia. It was meant to offer Canadians $300 credit when booking a trip to Vegas. It worked for Americans so I got a free flight and hotel to Vegas simply for booking. But you need to check those sites daily for deals like that. I don't take the time anymore...
Oh, and I realize good cash back cards are the smart play sometimes, but I never use that cash for "bonuses" and I never treat myself. With airline miles, I'm "forced" to use it for pleasure.