Trip Reports - In Search of Honeymoon Upgrades - A Prequal

In less than a week I will be marrying my soulmate.

Thanks to Flyertalk (and Valuemags) I had the miles for 2 RT standard business awards on UA to Australia for the honeymoon, and also thanks to Flyertalk I have an insatiable appetite for points, miles and upgrades. Here's the plan:

3 weeks, 8 hotels, 11 flights, 24,591 miles.

Goal #1: Get Married.
Goal #2: Score as many upgrades and freebies as possible on Honeymoon despite my low status in the FF programs. http://www.flyertalk.com/forum/smile.gif
Goal #3: Find enough time to write a trip report on my IPAQ as I travel, hopefully upload in in parts as I travel.

Here's the schedule:

10/2 PDX-SEA CO Y
10/2 SEA-EWR CO Y
10/3 EWR-BOS CO Y

Travelling with a wedding dress and a CO Gold may get us upgrades on these flights, I hope we are succesful as I damaged my back a couple of days ago and am drugged up waiting for it to heal, the thought of a redeye in coach with a bad back is not appealing.

Staying (and getting married at) the Belfry Inne in Sandwich, MA., a small wedding of just immediate family and close friends, I'm glad my mother and brother are able to come over from the UK for the wedding; its the first time my mother has flown since the early fifties! (I am working hard to convince her that Virgin 747s are more comfortable than a British Army DC-3 http://www.flyertalk.com/forum/smile.gif ).

10/7 BOS-SFO UA F
10/7 SFO-SYD UA C

The new Lady Mitford and I head off to Australia, I'm still hoping there will be saver F awards released and if that fails I will try to sweet talk the UA staff into an op upgrade (just got married, bad back etc).

Arrive in Sydney and stay at the Westin. Climb the Harbour Bridge.

10/11 SYD-BNE QF Y

No expectations of upgrades on the QF flights due to no status or points.

Relax on the Gold Coast and gamble for a couple of days at the Conrad Jupiters.

10/14 BNE-CNS QF Y

Cairns Hilton, Kurunda Village, couple of days at the Green Island Resort, on to Port Douglas and a 4x4 Rainforest tour.

10/20 CNS-AYQ QF Y

Very quick trip to Ayers Rock (Uluru), staying at Sails in the Desert.

10/21 AYQ-SYD QF Y

Back to Sydney and the Sydney Hilton for shopping, helicopter flight, and a day in the Hunter Valley.

10/24 SYD-SFO UA C
10/24 SFO-PDX UA F

A long flight home, then back to the office the following morning.

Hope you all enjoy the trip report, I know I will enjoy the trip http://www.flyertalk.com/forum/biggrin.gif

Mark.

Have a good trip!

We must be getting married on the same day (the 6th), but we're going to the opposite end of the world on the 8th, to Ireland on *our* award tickets in business class!

Steve

Congratulations Steve!.

I hope you enjoy Ireland. Despite spending the first 20-something years of my life in England I never made it over the water to Ireland (although I should plan a trip there soon as I am marrying an Irish-American).

Mark.

Congratulations to Both of you!!

I hope you have a wonderful Wedding Day, a very enjoyable honeymoon and a long happy life together.

Congratulations to Steve and Mark for each of your own marriage. It's always good to hear people who are committed and willing to share the happiness and tough times of life together as one. I wish I'll have the chance to do the same someday.

Mark, by the way, I will continue my trip report on the South Pacific only in a few weeks because at this time, I am burried under extremly heavy work load (barely have the time to check Flyertalk) but I did read your kind comments on my topic. On a side note, I might be able to provide you a QF Domestic upgrade on one of your segments as a Flyertalk gift. Contact me on/after Tuesday via e-mail and I will see what I can do if you are still interested.

Guava & Pointsgirl: Thank you for your kind words. Guava: YGM.

An update to the upgrade search: even before leaving for the wedding I have a confirmed upgrade to a suite at the Hilton Sydney. The politeness and professionalism of the staff there is a credit to the Hilton organization and I hope they won't all be out of work while the hotel is undergoing its upcoming 18 month renovation.

Congrats and happy Honeymooning. I'm getting married at the end of the year, and still thinking of ideas for the honeymoon. Too many choices and too little time http://www.flyertalk.com/forum/frown.gif