I'm just back from my HKG-JFK mileage run...USD 500 (after a USD 150 coupon) for 60,000+ miles and 20,000+ status miles, not bad...wanna do one more before the promotion (double miles for HKG-JFK for ex-HKG tickets) ends by the end of June, but my schedule probably won't allow it...

anyway, on my LAX-HKG flight today...at least in Y, I think the load probably is only about 20-30%...everyone had a whole row of 3 or 4 seats to him/herself...and even so some rows were still empty...it was such an empty flight, I am so glad that I didn't pay 25k miles for an upgrade...

how usual is it with a transpacific flight ? from what I saw I think C and F are not that different...

but, even with such a light load...when I got to my exit row aisle seat, I saw someone had been assigned to the middle seat next to me (again !!)...I can understand a lot of people want exit row seats, but with such a light row, does UA ever think about not assigning someone in the middle seat ?? at least it's considered the "premier zone", but the middle seats in exit rows are still assigned almost 100% of the time, even if the flight is not that full...needless to say, today I just went ahead to occupy an empty row by myself...but I am just a bit irritated that they never keep the empty-middle-seat promise they made...