I made sure to use miles on an afternoon IAH-SFO flight on 2/16 and an SFO-IAH afternoon/evening flight back on 2/23. I heard there was almost zero chance for an EUA on this route during normal flying hours.

Usually right around now (very end of the month). Probably on the 29th or the 30th at the outside edge of the range. But does it really matter? There will be a fish, a beef, a chicken and a pasta. Sure, the devil is in the details, but I'm happy to wait until I get to the plane for that surprise moment to decide.
It isn't just you. I always used to feel a little dirty when I got the upgrades with a Y-Up instead of the EUA. It didn't stop me from doing it when that was what I needed to book for work, but they were so rare that I didn't have many opportunities to do it.

Perhaps the Ultimate Redneckistan Airport
 

Not only did I add the MD-90 today, I also added LCH as a new airport. Like its neighbor to the west, BPT, LCH has been making do with a temporary terminal for over three years since Hurricane Rita destroyed the old terminal. At BPT this meant putting the really old terminal back into commercial airline service 30 years after it had been replaced. At LCH this meant converting a small metal building to a terminal, and then adding a temporary structure that looks like it's built out of steel pipe with canvas stretched over it to the metal building. The whole thing looks like a circus tent. And inside, well, it's just about the most ghetto excuse for an airline terminal, temporary or not, I've ever seen. There are little rooms with windows that serve the various rental car companies, a couple of benches, a "bar" (yes they serve beer in this godforsaken excuse of an airport terminal; it is Louisiana after all), and the lone ticket counter for CO (which is staffed by AA Eagle employees even though that airline hasn't served LCH in years).

And then there's the restroom facilities. **If you're squeamish skip this part**. The mens room door has no lock and no automatic door closer. When you open it, it flies open, exposing the waiting area by the bar and rental car counters to a nice full view of the sinks and a urinal. And if there's a man using the urinal, well, he's pretty exposed to the outside as well. I discovered this first hand when I walked into the restroom after getting my luggage and got a view of a man's junk while he was doing his business, as did a woman sitting on a bench outside who snickered and turned away after she realized I saw her looking. This isn't a onesy, single customer restroom either. It has multiple sinks and a couple of stalls. But you'd think that someone would have designed this thing better and at least put in some kind of divider between the universal male-only restroom fixture and the door! And that's not even the worst of it. This restroom facility, both male and female, was carved out of a corner of the "tent" and the walls only go up about 10 feet, and then just stop. There's no ceiling directly above the restroom facilities. Instead, there's at least five or six feet of open air, and then the "tent" roof. So while I was picking up my rental car at the National booth a few feet away, we were all treated to the sounds and smells of a unfortunate woman who had eaten something for breakfast that did not agree with her. :eek::eek::eek: I felt really sorry for this woman, because we've all been in that situation before, but this was worse because it wasn't just the restroom that getting this experience; it was the whole darn terminal! And I feel really sorry for the employees who probably have to put up with this stuff all day long.

LCH does have a new terminal under construction next to this disaster of a temporary terminal. It appears to be pretty far along, but has at least a year of construction to go, which means that it will have been at least four years after Rita when LCH finally gets a nice terminal again. The new terminal is HUGE for an airport served by one airline, but I'm sure they're hoping they'll get AA or DL back at some point in the future.

Wow - what a story! Sounds like an interesting place...

For the curious - a picture of the lovely temporary terminal building compliments of Flickr.

:eek: Wow, I thought nothing could be as bad as TXK.

I might be able to trump any bad airport...my mother's Rotary Club is considering nominating me to go to Cameroon. Anyone have NSI on their FM map? :D

Yep, that would be it. The circus tent giving birth to a mobile home.

Not yet.

Yep. And I bet the lady at the car rental counter at TXK didn't have to keep a can of Glade strategically placed by her computer like the one at LCH had.

Seriously, for those of you who remember the glorified mobile home that COEX used for years at EFD, this terminal makes the old EFD terminal look like IAH Terminal E. And it's far worse than some of those random middle of nowhere airports that are on my FlightMemory map.

Add me to that list. I'd go in a heartbeat if I had a decent fare or a good reason to make the trip.

My wife decided to let me know yesterday that either we're going to visit her parents for Thanksgiving or they're coming to see us. And I need to figure out flights. Nothing quite like waiting until the last minute to make that sort of decision. :mad: I may end up cashing in points instead of paying the ~$600 each for the tickets at reasonable times. Arggghhhh!

After a conversation we had last night, it now appears that our big vacation in 2010 may involve Africa.

Where are her parents located ?

I haven't missed an EUA on 1743 this yr. (knock on wood)

I would only admit this in the box, but I'm sitting here in my hotel in Albany cracking up. Yes I'm pathetic. I personally think that fart noises could actually improve the experience in some airports. At least liven it up a bit, and the kids would have a great time. :D

I have been keeping track of upgrades on my Dec MR flights for the last month or so and yesterday 776 went 16 for 16 upgraded! And the day before that 15 of 16. Of course it is a weekend but still.