Hi folks,
I'm not quite sure if this is the correct forum, as I intend it to be a series of trip reports, but I am putting it here because it is solely United travel.

This story hopefully lends a different perspective to mileage run tails. I fly a lot, yet this is the first time in about a year and a half that I'm actually a paying traveller. I work for an airline, so I normally fly as a "non-rev." There have been a lot of promotions in the airline industry recently, most notably the Double Elite Qualifying miles promotion put out by a number of airlines.
I was quite interested when this came out, as I had recently booked a trip to Rome on United ($212 roundtrip!) and with that trip worth close to 20,000EQM I would be just one transcon leg short of earning Premier Elite status.
As I started reading more into the forums here, I realized there were more deals to be had...for example the Boston-California Triple miles special, as well as tons of extremely low fares. I had also been interested in taking a trip to Asia, and put this altogether I got to thinking, why stop at Premier...why not shoot all the way to 1K.
So thus began my quest to 100,000 EQMs on United. My plan is built around the trip to Rome (20,000EQM) and a trip I then purchased from LAX-SIN (with all of the connections it should be worth around 36,000EQM). I plan on filling the gaps with transcons to push me to 100,000.

My first flight on the quest is JFK-LAX. The day before today I decided to meet up with some friends in LAX for dinner, and United still had seats for $118 one way (as a consumer I love it, as a member of the airline industry I cringe!), so I went ahead and purchased on united.com. The flight I purchased was actually a bit later than I was hoping for, so I went ahead and checked in online and also put myself on the standby list for an earlier flight. I arrived at Terminal 7 about 45 minutes before the flight and waited at the gate for a seat assignment. Once my name was up on the board as cleared I went up to the counter and got my seat assignment. The agent informed me only middle seats were left, so I asked her for the "best" middle seat, and sure enough I sat next to a pleasant older, and, most importantly, small lady (yes conicidence I know).

This was my first time onboard a United PS service plane. Of course it is not your average looking 757. The coach cabin is only 12 rows, which I think gives it sort of an intimate feel. Legroom is decent. I liked that there was a fresh blanket on every seat. The interior itself does look dated, old seats, old style overhead bins, and Verizon airfornes in the seat that don't seem to actually be hooked up anymore. In flight entertainment is solely overhead monitors, no personal tvs, and no wireless internet of course as American offers on this route. The one piece of IFE that United does stand out with is channel 9. The captain mentioned ATC communications would be available to us in his introduction. I'm not sure why other airlines don't add this. It's great to listen to, especially on a 45minute taxi out of JFK.

I would give the service an above average ranking. The flight attendants were very pleasant, and after food and beverage service, they came around multiple times offering water and coffee. I purchased the turkey asparagus wrap...at $9 it is a rip off, but you can't exactly pop into Steak Escape at 38,000 feet. I watched whatever movie they were showing (which differed from the announced movie and what the in flight magazine said the movie would be). We arrived into LAX about 15 minutes late due to the long taxi out of JFK.

Positives: Legroom, aircraft configuration, pleasant flight attendants, channel 9^
Negatives: Other IFE, rather old interior

Just curious -- what's the motivation for doing this if you work for the airline and can travel non-rev?

I had dinner in Long Beach and spent the next morning with some coworkers before heading back to LAX for my return trip. Again I had purchased the return flight a day prior to departure for $129. For the return I had manage to book a connection through SFO in order to grab some additional miles. I had checked in the day before in LAX using the kiosk, so I arrived about 35 minutes before flight time and headed straight to the gate, stopping to look at the 747 flight headed to Tokyo that I would be flying on in June.

The flight to SFO was on a regular 757. I was in the very last row, which I had to myself. Legroom seemed significantly smaller than on the PS 757 so I was glad I wouldn't be on this plane for five hours. Channel 9 wasn't turned on, but I ended up sleeping for most of the 58 minutes flight.

Connection time was 80minutes in SFO. As I was stuck in a middle for the return I asked the gate agent about getting out of that seat, and she said she would hold my boarding pass in case anything opened up. The one thing I noticed about the gate agents is they don't really seem particularly excited to talk to you. Nobody was nasty and they did attempt to fulfill any request I had, but I kept getting the feeling that coming up to speak with them was a burden. While I was waiting a grabbed some soup in the food court - I think SFO has some of the better food options of any airport in the country. After eating I spent a few minutes exploring the terminal and almost stopped for a beer in the Anchor Steam Bar, but opted against it.

I got back to the gate a few minutes after boarding had started and was quite disappointed to find that I'd be stuck in my middle seat. The row was empty when I got to it, and a larger gentleman came and joined me in the aisle seat. I was worried about being sardined into the middle, but to our great luck the window passenger never showed and I ended up with a window and open middle next to me! Flying time was scheduled at about five hours today, and Channel 9 was turned on and announced by the ca. Service was much the same as the flight out, and I passed on the buy on board options. I was disappointed when I ordered a cranapple juice and found out that it's a juice drink, only 10% juice. Seems picky maybe but why make a sugar based fruit drink? That's a bit off topic though.

Looking ahead this will probably be my last flight until my trip to Italy in two weeks. I'll be squished in the back for the 8 or 9 hour flight but I'll have a travel companion on this trip, so hopefully we'll be in a pair of two on the 777 (flights are full both there and back in Y, maybe a bump opportunity?) That roundtrip will put me to about 30,000 EQMs and into Premier, which doesn't get much, but at least I'll be ensured E+ seating, and I won't be sandwiched in a tiny seat on my eleven hour flight to Tokyo.

Positives: On time flights, SFO terminal
Negatives: Standard 757 legroom, LAX terminal, no channel 9 on the first flight.

It's a shame that UA has taken the p. out of p.s. in Y, but I suppose the cuts had to be made somewhere and better in Y than C or F.

Good question...I would say for the challenge, for the opportunity to travel some places I couldn't or wouldn't want to non-rev (for example, I wouldn't want to risk 18 hours on a plane in a middle seat to Singapore), and the miles and benefits I will gain can be used for other family members who semi-regularly pay for premium international flights.

While that is very noble of you, isn't there any even more likely chance that you can get a C or F seat, rather than a middle seat in Y? Can't you also bring a family member along?

Non-rev travel isn't always "free" per-se, often you are still paying, but at a discounted rate. With international travel, the fees and taxes can add up. Sometimes you are lucky enough to get an upgrade, but it really depends on the airline you're flying on. Immediate family members only are included on benefits.

Yes, the fees & taxes certainly can add up on international travel. Nothing is "free" anymore, even for non-revs.

Thanks. Good luck on the quest!

thanks for the "insider" info, always great to get a new perspective on things!

Continued the trip last week with a quick four day hop over to Rome. Flew NY-IAD-ROME for slightly over $200...we had jumped on this in February when the fare was temporarily out there. The flight down to IAD was noneventful - it was on a CRJ with those awful windows. We were late an hour due to weather, so we ended up with about an hour connection in Dulles. Just quick enough to buy a burrito and then head onboard the 777 to Rome. We were unable to get seats until online check-in, I was able to then get a twosome in the very last row of the plane, I believe row 42.
It was a good flight over, just over 8 hours, channel 9 was on so we got to hear some interesting ATC. Food was bad, other than the brownies, which the flight attendant was kind enough to get about 5 of for us.
Upon arrival in Rome we zipped through immigration (you just wave your passport and look through, I had to request a stamp.