Thanks for the insight guys. Actually, anything I would get from Customer Service would go to the generous FTer who gave me the 40K award in a trade
This was my first and probably last flight on United. I'm a dedicated Skyteam traveler and I didn't experience anything on this trip that would lead me to change to Star Alliance. I will acknowledge, however, that MP is a much more generous program than OnePass or WorldPerks. Enjoy the ride.