welp, I went ahead and booked another DUS run for 12/30 returning 12/31. nothing like cutting it close but it counts, plus I've been to DUS before and the airport isn't a bad place to kill 3 hours.

I'm not convinced that this is the cheapest way to get that F-class ticket to Sydney next winter, but it's certainly worth $900 I'm not so enamored of the PE status but this seems to be the best way to get the miles (120,000) needed for that ticket.