I got CHO-ATL-SFO for $400 less RT than I would have on a trip originating at any of the three DC area airports. It took me 90 minutes to drive from my home to CHO (long-term parking is $8 per day and is only 5 minutes on foot from the terminal); it takes me 40-45 minutes to drive to a metro station south of DCA, and another 20-25 minutes from my car to the TSA entrance at DCA.
I won three gate lotteries to go 4 for 4 on this trip. I bought my ticket 2 days in advance; I was the only name on the UG list 24 hours out CHO-ATL for 2 F empties; DL actually upgraded me by 1800 the night before the 0550 departure.
On the ATL-SFO leg, which was serviced by an A330-300 with 34 sleeper seats in F, I was #3 for 7 F empties, but 8 hours out I was #5 for 3 F empties. I called the Big D and asked to apply one of my RUCs. The first reservationist did this, but it did not improve my standing on the list; I called back, and the second reservationist indicated that the first person did not property input the "priority code"; when she did, I jumped the line and went to #1 on the list. DL sold or gave away 1 F seat; at 0800 sitting in the E SkyClub I got the happy news, and ended up sleeping horizontally for 4 of the 5 hours aloft.
On the return, I had booked the cheapest routing, which was SFO-DTW-ATL-CHO. There were something like 5 F seats available 24 hours out, but the number went to 0 by 2 hours out. There was only 1 F seat available on both DTW-ATL and ATL-CHO. As it turned out, despite the pilots and FA being at the gate and ready to go 35 minutes before scheduled departure, DL had not towed the DTW aircraft to our gate. I stood there for 20 minutes and realized that I might miss my connecting flight, which would mean overnighting in ATL. I called the Big D and got on a SFO-ATL flight; this one turned out to have 5 empties in F. The reservationist did not get me on the upgrade list. I went back to the SFO SkyClub, where the concierge on the second floor got me the #2 position on the UG list. I easily cleared into F on this flight, and then was #1 on the UG list for CHO and scored the last UG seat.
Good first trip for 2017.