Welcome to the board, David.

Keep in mind that you don't necessary have to take the flight within the next two months - all you have to do is book (and pay for) the ticket - so if you already know where you're heading for Thanksgiving or something like that you could go ahead and book the ticket now to use the certificate.

For future reference, the FlyerTalk Community part of the board is used more as a "homeroom", for FTers to discuss meeting in "reallife" and things related to the, well, um, community. Your question might have fit better in General Traveltalk or better still the United forum, where you might get responses from people who've been in a similar situation.

But no harm done by posting in here tho; just keep hanging around and you'll quickly learn what to post where.



[This message has been edited by bokich (edited 05-30-2000).]