I'll be NW gold (just barely) by the end of November and am toying with the idea of doing a couple mileage runs to get NW platinum for 2004 (I'll need between 15,000 and 20,000 miles). I don't mind too much sitting on a plane and working/reading/watching movies on my computer (even in coach on long hauls) if the plane isn't loud and packed or there's a good chance of getting upgraded to F, i.e., when the flight is not full.

What routes/approximate times on NW, KLM, AS, or Continental (all of which could provide EQM to me) have you noticed tend to be relatively calm or uncrowded, especially on weekends, which is when I'm considering doing my runs? Or has everything since 9/11 with all the flight cutbacks gotten pretty packed?