I was all set to book my last ticket for the year, AMS-YYZ in September, which would get me (with other booked travel) to 1K in December.

But then something came up, and while the YYZ trip is still on, scheduling makes it so I must fly LH metal on the return. I'll suffer in LH Y, but no big deal.

Then I realized that with this change, at the end of Q3 my e500 counter will be at ~41000, and I only have 6k of UA metal flying in Q4. Thus I won't get any CR1s when I become 1K.

I would really like to get CR1s this year, to use to go to my sister's wedding (SFO-JFK/PHL-SFO) in March. I'm told (see http://www.flyertalk.com/forum/11900310-post19.html) that if I earn e500s in the same quarter that I become 1K, then I get the 2 CR1s. I see several ways to achieve this, at varying levels of cost/pain:

1. Fly to YYZ on all-LH metal (in Y). So my counter at the end of Q3 is ~37000 and I get the e500s (and CR1s) with 6k of flying in Q4. Additional cost: $0 + the pain of LH Y.

2. Add 3000 miles of extra (upgraded) segments (a mini-MR) to the AMS-YYZ journey, to make 1K in Q3. Additional cost: ~$200 + extra (upgraded) UA flying (and possibly a mid-con in AC Y).

3. Book half the AMS-YYZ trip in B, to get 1.5x EQM and make 1K in Q3. Additional cost: ~$500.

So what would you do? Pick one of these three, or just forego the CR1's and figure out another way to upgrade next spring?