Departure Airport: EWR
Miles (PQF/PQP/BIS, choose one) Needed: 12 PQF
Maximum Budget: $1000
Available Travel Dates: December 16-18
Required Metal or Codeshares Okay: UA
Route(s) You've Already Searched: Cross-country
Do you have a Chinese Visa (Yes/No)? No

I have the PQPs covered since I did some upgrades on long haul flights but I need at least 12 PQFs to make 1K. I'm pretty sure I'll need to stay overnight somewhere so I am willing to start this journey on Friday and hopefully be back home on Sunday. I'd like to start in EWR and end in EWR.
I've tried mapping this out in Google Flights but there's a max 6 flights in the itinerary. Would it be better to call UA directly to set this up so I have every flight on a single itinerary? Or am I going to have to setup two one-way itineraries.
Thanks for any route tips and help.