+1 on the feelings of regret for missing out on that fare.
On a slight tangent, if anyone needs to go to ADD and flies Star Alliance, you can fly Turkish Airlines on either JFK-ADD or ORD-ADD roundtrip for $890. It books into class G, which I believe earns 100 percent EQM and RDM for UA.
I'm not sure how that compares to the companion flights, but it works out to under 6 cpm.