Trip Reports - Marathon MR: UA SFO-LAX-BOS-IAD-JAX-IAD-SFO for 14,584 EQM

Background: Back in August, it became clear based on planned travels that I would needed one beefy mileage run to push myself over the top for United Premier Executive for 2010 (I would have been 3,870 miles short of 50,000 EQM). This would be my first year to ever reach Star Gold. Deeming the effort completely worth it, I began mapping out various MR scenarios for late September on United.bomb, with the help of ITA and FareCompare (http://www.farecompare.com/search/flyertalk.html) (especially the latter).

While I could have done a simple transcontinental or even mid-continental round-trip, I intentionally sought to enhance the experience by pushing the limits of what my mind and body are probably capable of handling in one day. Yes, a truly insane MR was in order. :D I figured that if I'm taking an entire day to do this, I should fit in as much flying as humanly possible.

FareCompare showed many cheap published fares between SFO and various Florida destinations. However, with UA's weak presence in many cities there, it was tricky to find an itinerary that allowed for a same-day return and did not involve any segments on US. I also determined that the best way to optimize the schedule and maximize miles would be to try to reach the extremes of the Eastern Seaboard. With UA's decent presence and fares in BOS, that would be my northernmost point. I ultimately found a United Express flight IAD-JAX that immediately returned to IAD (same plane, same flight number), which fit perfectly.

Using the multi-city function on .bomb, I booked the following:

28SEP09 UA0807 SFO-LAX 2028-2200
28SEP09 UA0166 LAX-BOS 2240-0709 (+1)
29SEP09 UA0205 BOS-IAD 0830-1009
29SEP09 UA7365 IAD-JAX 1216-1409
29SEP09 UA7365 JAX-IAD 1443-1633
29SEP09 UA0975 IAD-SFO 1713-1948

Voila, I had a beautiful itinerary locked up, yielding 7,292 EQM in the span of less than 24 hours. Even if I missed any of my connections (and the danger was real with so many segments), I knew I could request credit for the original paid routing regardless of how I wound up going. The trip set me back $321.60 (all segments were in the bargain-basement L booking class). Even though some consider 4.4 cents per mile to be a mediocre value, for the purposes of making 1P with room to spare and having an extreme MR experience it was a great deal.

To sweeten the deal, two weeks after I booked, UA announced it was matching AA's Double EQM promo, which would also apply to previous booked tickets. ^ That meant that I would get 14,584 EQM for my effort and make 1P immediately instead of in a few months. This trip would also set the stage for a few other planned MRs that will get me to 1K by December. :cool:

Even better, I came into a few CR-1s (confirmed regional upgrades earned by 1Ks) from another FTer. He sponsored me for the outbound portion of this trip, which UA considered to be all segments SFO-JAX. That meant I could be in F for four of the six segments, deplaning from F nearly 15 hours after first boarding F! I'd like to think this is the best possible use of a CR-1 within the Lower 48 that could ever be conceived.

Unfortunately, the LAX-BOS upgrade waitlisted, which was to expected with a transcon red-eye on an A319 (with just 8 F seats). The other segments (all A319s and a CRJ-700 with 6 F seats) cleared immediately. I obsessively checked .bomb every day to track the LAX-BOS situation, fretting about how UA's mysterious upgrade algorithms might work for or against me (http://www.flyertalk.com/forum/12401323-post38.html). At 120 hours before departure, no Global Services members cleared at their upgrade window. I spotted NF1 (one upgrade seat) in the flight inventory, immediately called UA, and got the upgrade pushed through (http://www.flyertalk.com/forum/12429338-post40.html). ^ It then occurred to me to call back and order a special meal, since I don't eat red meat and knew LAX-BOS would be a deli plate. So I ordered a Hindu Vegetarian meal, knowing it would probably be more flavorful than other special meals.

The Pre-Trip: I slept very well the night before and tried not to exert myself too hard at work. After shaving, showering, and donning crisp but comfortable button shirt and jeans, I set off with a lightly-packed backpack of essentials: A light jacket and sweater, several magazines, snacks, gum, iPod, and eye mask. I also brought deodorant, wet naps, a toothbrush, and toothpaste to stay maximally fresh throughout the trip. As well, I also packed with hydration in mind, bringing artificial tears, saline nasal solution, and Curel lotion, all for regular use to counter the extremely low humidity I would be spending a full day in. Finally, in case I was to become stranded, I brought my PDA charger and emergency underwear, the true essentials in life. :p

I set off for SFO on Bay Area Rapid Transit (BART), arriving with plenty of time to spare. I walked a full lap around the airport, stopping first at Terminal 3 to reprint my first four boarding passes from the Easy Check-In ("Mr. Chicken") kiosk (the two return segments were not available even though I had already checked in online). I then walked past the renovations in progress at T2, stopping at T1 to mail a letter and enjoy a dinner of curry chicken, potatoes, and veggies over rice at Sankaku, with a view of the tarmac between T1 and International Terminal A. On UA's mobile site, I noted that an earlier SFO-LAX flight had been canceled and that an extra section was running with a three-class B777! That would have been an awesome experience for such a short trip, but the flight departed too soon for me to try to get on it.

I then went to the Continental Presidents Club (access via Amtrak Select Plus status), which is groundside, allowing me to use it regardless of my departing airline. I enjoyed a gin & tonic, charged my PDA for a while, and read a few magazines.

The Trip (or, 24 hours in the sterile area): The Premier security lines at T3 had just shut down for the night, so I went to the single priority line that stays open next to the regular queues. As soon as I was directed into the line, a UA agent announced that the Premier lines would be re-opened simply to handle overflow. She pulled about 20 people who were in front of me out of regular line and invited all of us in the vicinity to follow her to the Premier lines.

I was through security around 1845, and noted on the departure board that an earlier flight to LAX, 931, would be departing at 1930. I figured 'why not?' and went to gate 75 to investigate. The gate agent (GA) said he could put me on standby for F and I could keep my original flight worst comes to worst. After F boarding started, he handed me a boarding pass for the last F seat on the flight. ^

UA 931
SFO-LAX
1930-2100
337 miles (500 base miles earned)
Airbus 319
Seat 1A

My seatmate made a back-slapping "Got the last upgrade, eh?" congratulatory remark. I explained to him that I successfully stood by and that it put my mind at better ease regarding the connecting flight. He pried a bit and I spilled the beans about my crazy MR! He laughed and said he maybe would have done the same thing "when I was your age." He lamented that he made 1K every year the hard way, on segments, flying SFO-LAX-SFO weekly. Amazingly, he was not aware of the DEQM promo.

The purser served pre-departure water or orange juice. I enjoyed a glass of white wine in flight and resisted the purser's numerous offers to refill. No video program was shown, but the captain had Channel 9 engaged. We entered the approach pattern to LAX coming onshore at Santa Monica, affording beautiful views of my childhood stomping grounds (Hollywood, the San Fernando Valley, and Downtown LA) before turning around for an on-time arrival via runway 24R That's the farthest runway from T7, so I got a nice view during taxi of all the international flights parked at Tom Bradley International Terminal, including a QF A380.

I was the first off the plane, and walked to T6 to visit the other CO PClub readily accessible during this trip. After some club soda and snacks, I returned to gate 74 to await my red-eye segment.

UA 166
LAX-BOS
2240-0709 (+1)
2,611 miles
Airbus 319
Seat 2D

I was the first to board and immediately went to the lavatory, noting that the purser prepared it with a few touches, such as a cloth napkin elegantly tied around the grab bar (for aesthetic reasons, to class it up, I guess). After everyone in F was seated, he took drink orders, offering full pre-departure bar service. ^

I thanked him for going above and beyond, ordered a Bailey's, and documented this not-frequent-enough occurrence:

http://i2.photobucket.com/albums/y26/goamtrak/pdbbaileys.jpg

The captain had Channel 9 engaged already. We pushed back a few minutes early and, after a quick taxi to 25R, departed behind a QF B747. We climbed offshore, coming back ashore at Seal Beach. The purser soon came by with the late-night snack plates, confirming my special meal before bringing it out:

http://i2.photobucket.com/albums/y26/goamtrak/hinduvegmeal.jpg

I had lightly-spiced rice, beans, corn, and tomatoes, on a bed of romaine lettuce. It came with a small piece of bread that felt a bit too spongy to be naan, as well as a packet of Doti "sweet, spicy vegetable spread." I washed it all down with a gin & tonic, and seltzer water. I then got a solid 2 1/2 hours of sleep, waking up in time to see the twinkling lights of the Albany-Rensselaer, NY area, with the Hudson River leading to the distant light ball of New York City. I read and drank Diet Coke for the duration of the flight, enjoying my first-ever approach into BOS (all my previous trips to or through Boston were on Amtrak). We landed on runway 22L and were at gate C17 before 0700.

Upon deplaning, I saw that the next flight from C17 would be my very IAD flight, and I'd even have the same seat! I went to Boston Beer Works and enjoyed a reasonably fresh and reasonably priced breakfast of a cheese omelet, potatoes, and coffee.

UA 205
BOS-IAD
0830-1009
413 miles (500 base miles earned)
Airbus 319
Seat 2D

The GA announced in the boarding area that we had less than 40 passengers on the flight and anticipated a very quick boarding process. She also invited anyone who would like a whole row to themselves to present themselves for a new seat assignment. ^ I asked her if such a light load was common; she said it fortunately was not. Just before boarding commenced, two Federal Air Marshals checked in with the agent, one sitting next to me in 2C and the other across the aisle in 2B. The purser served water and OJ.

Soon after everyone was boarded, mechanics boarded the plane and the captain made the dreaded mechanical delay announcement, indicating that the fuel gauge needed what she hoped would be a quick fix. As departure time approached, the GA announced that, due to the fortunately light load, we could all be accommodated on the next flight to IAD an hour later. She said, "I know many of you have connections to make. None of them are before noon and you should all be fine arriving an hour later." She was confident the later flight would depart first and invited everyone to deplane and stand by the gate C17 podium. (The FAMs looked bewildered and ultimately decided to stay on their originally assigned flight.)

After we deplaned, the GA announced that we would be on flight 897, departing from gate C19, and that her colleagues would call us up with our new seat assignments. She added, "For our First Class passengers, please understand that First is already full on this flight and we will have to accommodate you in Economy." But when my name was called, I was given seat 1C! ^^^

UA 897
BOS-IAD
0930-1109
413 miles (500 base miles earned)
Airbus 319
Seat 1C

By the time my name was called, the boarding process was already in seating area 2. That was my first time to ever take advantage of the "at your leisure" function of red carpet boarding. I reflected for a moment as I walked down the jetway at C19, which is adorned with a US flag in memory of the lost souls of flight 175, who perished on 9/11 after departing from there. (I had already visited the temporary Flight 93 Memorial near Shanksville, PA, another site of 9/11 historical interest as it relates to United.)

The purser served OJ and water, and soon enough we pushed back on-time, indeed ahead of the still-stricken flight 205. I enjoyed hearing the unique New England accents on Channel 9, and we soon departed from runway 15R (IIRC). I read through the flight, noting incredulously that the video entertainment included a reality show about competitive dog grooming called Groomer Has It! The dogs were cute, but the graphics (and, I'm sure, the dialogue) looked super cheesy!

The purser announced that, as United's official coffee supplier, Starbucks was providing samples of its new Starbucks VIA instant coffee. She distributed samples to whoever wanted it, and I took one home just for the novelty factor (though I certainly don't enjoy instant coffee).

We arrived into IAD on-time, with still nearly and hour-and-a-half to make my connection to JAX. I took the mobile lounge from the C gates to the A gates, and walked up through Concourse B to admire all the foreign planes and grab a sandwich to have on my next flight.

I was surprised to see that many ground staff in Concourse A were Air Wisconsin staff. Even though UA dropped AWAC as a United Express carrier, it appears they retained their services to provide ground staffing, at least at IAD. About 25 minutes before departure, I was the first to board flight 7365.

UA 7365 (operated by GoJet Airlines)
IAD-JAX
1216-1409
631 miles
Canadair Regional Jet 700
Seat 2A

There were two flight attendants in this two-class CR7, which I was the first to board. It was a fairly new "next-gen" CR7 with light-emitting diodes throughout the cabin, giving it a somewhat brighter feel (though it's still putting lipstick on a pig). I introduced myself to the FA and let her know that I would be joining them again on the return segment. She was amused (and thankfully not creeped out, at least not visibly!). We departed on-time, and the FAs provided efficient service (I refused the salty snack mix and enjoyed my sandwich instead).

JAX was the second airport of the day that was a first for me, and I was struck by how far it appeared to be from downtown Jacksonville. Upon deplaning at gate A4 about 15 minutes early, I told the FA, "See you in 20 minutes!" I was struck by how modern and spacious Concourse A was. I went to Starbucks and successfully procured a mug of the local city's skyline, which my girlfriend collects from every major city she or I visit.

Returning to the gate, there was no one lined up on the red carpet and I asked the GA if I could upgrade using my 500-mile certificates. She was a bit annoyed that I asked at the last minute, and I indicated it was an impulse buy! She gave me the choice of anything in row 1, and I took 1A. Looking at my upgrade balance, she never pulled the two 500-milers. So, I enjoyed an op-up, keeping me in F for five of the six segments of this trip! ^

UA 7365 (operated by GoJet Airlines)
JAX-IAD
1443-1633
631 miles
Canadair Regional Jet 700
Seat 1A

I was again first to board and greeted the FAs anew. A UA captain took seat 2D and introduced himself to the purser, indicating that he was deadheading to his thrice-monthly assignment to GIG. We pushed back on-time and got in line behind a DL B757 to depart runway 25. But first, we waited for three fighter jets (http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Jacksonville_International_Airport#Military_Facili ties) to land in quick succession, which was very neat to watch.

While the FAs still provided good service, I took umbrage that they allowed two parents to each bring their toddlers to the front of the plane. First and foremost, the seat belt sign was illuminated. The FAs also played with the kids in the galley and the area right next to me. One kid climbed on seat 1B, drooling all over it (which an FA later wiped up). After the kids and parents reseated, an FA made a reminder announcement about the seat belt sign, but I found it very odd that she did not reprimand the parents for letting their kids run around. In fact, she obviously rewarded such behavior. I also think kids are adorable, but had I paid full F fare I would have been very annoyed that such good money bought a front-row seat to a kid drooling all over the place. Ultimately, it was a very minor indignity, but certainly a more crucial safety issue.

Our return flight path to IAD provided a lovely view of Savannah, GA, an apparently charming city I'll get to visit for work next month. The approach pattern into IAD afforded a somewhat distant but still wonderful view of Washington, DC (another old stomping ground of mine) and its landmarks. We arrived a few minutes early, thankfully into the D gates, so I didn't need another mobile lounge to get to my final flight.

UA's mobile site indicated an estimated 30-minute delay to flight 975, which I suspected might mean an equipment swap. Sure enough, when I got to the gate, I found a chaotic scene of dozens of people lined up to get new seat assignments on the B777, which had changed from a two-class domestic configuration to three-class international. I had been assigned seat 18H and dreaded what I might get instead. I turned around and walked to find a Mr. Chicken machine, asking an agent at an empty gate where the nearest one was. She instead just printed my new boarding pass on the spot.

I was given seat 23D, a middle seat. But I knew that I could tolerate it, since it was in Economy Plus, and even the economy seats on that plane are fairly comfortable. I also knew I would enjoy the personal video monitor. Plus, I had it coming to me in a karmic way after my op-up. :p

UA 975
IAD-SFO
1713-1948
2,419 miles
Boeing 777
Seat 23D

The four GAs and Service Directors handled the chaos in the gate area and the numerous cranky passengers as well as could be expected, and I made the best of my middle seat situation. We eventually departed about an hour late. I enjoyed the movie State of Play, an engaging political thriller that was being filmed around Washington at a time when I lived there. During the movie, I ordered a $9 vegetarian Caprese Sandwich off the "Choice Menu" that UA offers on select domestic flights between hubs and major cities. It came with a bag of Kettle Classics potato chips:

http://i2.photobucket.com/albums/y26/goamtrak/caprese.jpg

I took an hour-long nap on the home stretch, and we pulled into SFO gate 82 at about 2045, or over 25 hours after I had first departed! I exited the realm of TSA control for the first time in over a day and reveled in satisfaction, having executed my first serious mileage run so successfully. I felt masochistically accomplished. :D I took BART home (even running into a friend along the way) and called it an early evening.

Yesterday UA ran a DEQM sweep, and I watched my status turn from 2P to 1P for the first time ever. :cool: I'd like to extend a huge "thank you" to FT and its members for being such an awesome resource that empowers me with so much great information to make the most of my travels. Everything about this trip, from the routing, to the upgrades, to the DEQM, would not have been possible without FT. ^^^

Wow it was a long day for you.
Excellent report thanks.

Was C full on the IAD-SFO leg?
Also how come your IAD JAX and JAX IAD flights have the same flight number?

Wow it was a long day for you.
Excellent report thanks.

Thanks! I'm quite confident that I could endure that same kind of grueling itinerary again if need be. Six flights is a lot (even most long international itineraries won't have more than three flights each way). But it helped to be in F most of the way and not have a suitcase.

Was C full on the IAD-SFO leg?

Every seat on the whole plane was taken, since the equipment swap meant 90 fewer seats available. Not sure if anyone had to be denied boarding, since the flight wasn't completely full to begin with. There was certainly no plea for volunteers.

Also how come your IAD JAX and JAX IAD flights have the same flight number?

Some United Express flights are operated in this manner, as round-trips from hubs to outlying stations with immediate return. I guess it makes operational sense on paper to operate it as one flight number, especially since it's the same crew staying on the same equipment.

Thanks for the great report!

JAX was the second airport of the day that was a first for me, and I was struck by how far it appeared to be from downtown Jacksonville.

You're right, it's about 10 miles north of downtown Jacksonville, and about 35 miles north of the Southside of town where I'm originally from. For better or for worse, Jacksonville is the largest city in the continental US land area-wise.

I was struck by how modern and spacious Concourse A was.

The old terminals were really pretty dim and ugly, but they did a great job with the new terminals (completely new structures, not just renovations of the old ones), and I agree, even though it's a relatively small station, I'm impressed with the appearance of the new Terminals.

Glad you enjoyed your MR and brief time in JAX! Congrats on the successful upgrades!

Great MR and post. I'm surprised that UA uses a 319 for a transcon, and not a 757

Great TR. I also enjoy UA's Hindu meals and always order them on redeyes. They sure beat the fruit/cheese/deli plate.

Very nice TR, I've done this kind of trip many many times for status. I think maybe 5x this year. Flying in F really makes the trip tollerable. I must say that I would not be so happy in any E+ middle seat even on a 3 class 777 w/ entertainment.


Good luck on getting to 1k it has changed my life and travel patterns, you'll really appreciate it.