More than ten years ago, just after the Lockerbie incident had tighted security, I lacked a couple hundred miles of making Premier Executive on United. Other obligations held me back from making a mileage run of any sort until December 31.

I was living in LA, so I bought a cheap roundtrip to someplace close (was it SAN?). I checked in with no intentions of actually flying. But they were making ominous announcements about security and baggage being linked with passengers and the like. So I felt compelled to board the plane to be counted as someone who actually made the flight. I sat in a seat that was not mine for a few moments to evade detection if I was missed later. Ten minutes before the door closed I hustled off the plane saying something about a phone call I had to make and that I would be right back (cell phones had yet to become common). I lingered near by until the plane blocked out, telling myself that I was not a criminal, that I had paid for the flight. I suppose that the only thing embarassing about it was that taking a phantom flight was my excitement on New Year's eve.

I had a happy new year as UA gold, and have been Premier Exec ever since. I've done a bit more planning since then so that my mileage runs aren't delayed until December 31.