jsloan

The fact that you're looking at flying domestically means that you're likely looking at spending a minimum of $4500 on airfare if you want to achieve Gold status this year; UA hasn't announced what re-qualification would cost next year. This number can be reduced if you have a United-branded Chase credit card, and you spend rather substantially on it; not sure if that applies or not.

Especially given the uncertainty around travel in 2020, and sidestepping any questions about whether or not anybody should be traveling in the first place, I suggest that you ignore status in this calculation. If it happens, it happens, but it doesn't immediately sound like you'd get a ton of value out of Gold status, and I don't think I'd be planning trips with that in mind.

As far as any avgeek stuff: I'd be looking for plane types you haven't flown and airports that you haven't visited (not that many US airports hold a candle to the best you'll find overseas). You can find the 787 on the transcontinental flights; for a different kind of unique ride, look for the CRJ-550, which is a 70-seat aircraft retrofit to seat 50. Avoid the CRJ-200 unless you're feeling particularly masochistic, or you really want to try some of the more esoteric flights in the UA system, such as Devils Lake, ND (DVL) to Jamestown, ND (JMS).

If you'd like to try something truly unusual, and you're willing to give up credit toward status, you could consider taking Cape Air's flights to St. Louis, with a stop in Quincy (UIN), on the Tecnam P2012 Traveller, which is a brand-new, unpressurized, 11 seat (9-10 passenger, depending upon if Cape Air is letting anybody sit in the copilot seat) twin-prop manufactured by an Italian company. You can buy this flight on United.com, so you can combine it easily with your other flights, but it doesn't earn PQD/PQF toward Gold status.

Or, if you're really feeling adventurous, UA will sell you a flight with Boutique Air from DEN, over the Rockies, to Cortez (CEZ), on the Pilatus PC-12, which is a single-engine 11-seat turboprop. (Unlike the P2012, the PC-12 is pressurized, at least). The Boutique Air leg also does not earn PQD/PQF.

(All of these flights from mid-October flight schedules; UA's schedule for November should be considered a work of fiction at this point. It'll work itself into shape in a couple of weeks).

returnoftheyeti

I flew OAK-MCE-LAX on a PC-12 with Boutique. 10/10, would fly again. The ability to look out the windshield as younare landing at LAX is amazing.

kale73

How about some variation of the Tour de Hub?

fumje

Here is a list of airports UA serves in the contiguous US that have -- in my view, and when the winds are right -- scenic approaches and climb-outs (off the top of my head):

DCA
LAX
EWR
LGA
ORD
SFO
DEN
JAC
LAS
SAN

TomMM

That's an interesting idea!

econ

I like it. But to do it right, you need to take a routing which allows for widebody service on each flight.

Steve Weagant

I will do something or other just to travel. I’ll post a trip report when I do it.

cmd320

You might also find this interesting. The original deal was AA but UA also matched to GRU from some cities. Could do something like ORD-LAX-IAH-GRU-IAH-LAX-ORD by nesting the round-trip international ticket inside an ORD-LAX rt. I know you had originally said domestic, but US citizens can travel to Brazil without any real hassle at this point and the pricing makes it likely a better deal for the miles than bouncing around domestically. Plus there's the added benefit of better service in J on international.