The 47,000 mile pre-christmas mileage run (report)
Dec 8, 2010, 6:38 pm
#31
Join Date: Feb 2008
Location: SFO/SJC
Programs: UA 1K, NW forever
Posts: 1,390
On second thought, maybe I should wait until the kid is more than 0 years old.
Dec 8, 2010, 6:42 pm
#32
Join Date: Feb 2010
Location: LAX
Programs: UA-1K, Hertz-Gold, Marriott-Gold, PC-Platinum, SPG
Posts: 2,777
Congrats on your lucky SFO-SYD upgrade! Keeping my fingers crossed for yor MEL return.
Dec 8, 2010, 6:51 pm
#33
Original Poster
Join Date: Jul 2002
Location: Victoria, BC
Programs: UA 1k, AA Exec Plt 2MM, HH Diamond, *wood Gold, disgruntled Amex Ex-Centurion
Posts: 584
At that age, they just eat and sleep, no matter where. Now (10 year old boy and 8 year old daughter) I find family travel way more daunting than back then.
As to your wife not wanting to make that mileage run for 1K: either one has the FT bug or one hasn't. It is contagious, though - if conditions are right!
Dec 8, 2010, 7:09 pm
#34
Join Date: Dec 2009
Location: COS
Programs: UA Gold/1.5MM (several years running now!), Marriott LTTE, Hertz Prez
Posts: 1,899
My hat's off colonius! I have nothing to aspire to in terms of 2011 status but I'm still angling for 1MM before the merger of FF programs. I recently contemplated a COS->LAX->OGG MR using an e-cert but it would have required that I fly to HI and back the day before an actual HI vacation. I decided that it would be too much of a risk and too much of a life-sapping hassle and so went with a much, much shorter MR routing (e-cert expires 12/31 and requires 7 days advance booking, so my back was pretty much up against the wall to in some way use it or lose it). Reading your itinerary makes what I declined to do look like mere child's play!
Dec 8, 2010, 7:49 pm
#35
Join Date: Nov 2010
Location: California
Programs: United Airlines, Virgin Atlantic, Continental, Delta, Southwest Air, Malaysia, Air India
Posts: 11
Brilliant story. I laughed uproariously over the description of 1st class Breakfast. I was in France two weeks ago and my return on United featured the infamous breakfast. I had been so spoilt on REAL croissants that I just flipped when handed the floppy ersatz version on United. Really, United, rock my world and cook us a decent breakfast.
Mind-blowing. And I thought my 50 K run in Q3 and 4 has been wild. I am gearing up for 2011 with a return flight on Jan 1 and plan to get the 1K thing out of the way early so as not to nauseate myself next December.
Mind-blowing. And I thought my 50 K run in Q3 and 4 has been wild. I am gearing up for 2011 with a return flight on Jan 1 and plan to get the 1K thing out of the way early so as not to nauseate myself next December.
Last edited by iluv2fly; Dec 11, 2010 at 4:05 am Reason: merge
Dec 8, 2010, 8:02 pm
#36
Join Date: May 2007
Location: Crystal City, VA
Programs: United Mileage Plus 1K 2 MM, HHonors Diamond, Hyatt Platinum
Posts: 2,627
Why am I getting a deja vu feeling reading the first post of this thread...
Dec 8, 2010, 8:03 pm
#38
In memoriam
Join Date: Mar 2000
Location: Seattle WA
Programs: Kimpton IC, Hyatt Diamond, Gold Marriott, Lifetime Platinum Starwood
Posts: 8,665
We all need to get to a support group (let's meet on a 777 somewhere for our first FTA meeting *FlyerTalker Anonymous).
This looks to be an interesting trip you are posting. Enjoy!
This looks to be an interesting trip you are posting. Enjoy!
Dec 8, 2010, 8:34 pm
#39
Join Date: Dec 2010
Posts: 3
Nice reporting colonius. I will keep updating on your report. 
Dec 8, 2010, 10:08 pm
#40
Original Poster
Join Date: Jul 2002
Location: Victoria, BC
Programs: UA 1k, AA Exec Plt 2MM, HH Diamond, *wood Gold, disgruntled Amex Ex-Centurion
Posts: 584
The mayhem has started!
Right now, instead of sitting on my flight to SFO, I am sitting in the RCC in LAX again. When I called the 1k desk earlier and asked them if there would be a problem with my 1-hour connection in SFO, they said "No Problem". I checked the flight status, everything is fine. I board, sit down in 2D (another UDU that came through) - and nothing happens.
Dead silence from the flight deck. Departure time of 8.20pm comes and goes. Finally, the captain comes on and tells us that we now have a wheels-up time of 9.00pm due to bad weather in SFO - and asks the purser to take care of people with connections. Actually, it is 9.00pm now and the flight is just pushing back (you can see gate 70A from the club).
Anyhow, I am now booked on the LAX - SYD - MEL flight. And for good measure, United has now thrown in the upgrade for the small hop from SYD to MEL. Probably out of sheer gratitude that I didn't have any checked luggage to unload.
More as the story develops.
Dead silence from the flight deck. Departure time of 8.20pm comes and goes. Finally, the captain comes on and tells us that we now have a wheels-up time of 9.00pm due to bad weather in SFO - and asks the purser to take care of people with connections. Actually, it is 9.00pm now and the flight is just pushing back (you can see gate 70A from the club).
Anyhow, I am now booked on the LAX - SYD - MEL flight. And for good measure, United has now thrown in the upgrade for the small hop from SYD to MEL. Probably out of sheer gratitude that I didn't have any checked luggage to unload.
More as the story develops.
Dec 8, 2010, 10:10 pm
#41
FlyerTalk Evangelist
Join Date: Nov 2009
Location: Northeast Kansas | Colorado Native
Programs: Amex Gold/Plat, UA *G, Hyatt Globalist, Marriott LT Gold, NEXUS, TSA Disparager Unobtanium
Posts: 21,605
Right now, instead of sitting on my flight to SFO, I am sitting in the RCC in LAX again. When I called the 1k desk earlier and asked them if there would be a problem with my 1-hour connection in SFO, they said "No Problem". I checked the flight status, everything is fine. I board, sit down in 2D (another UDU that came through) - and nothing happens.
Dead silence from the flight deck. Departure time of 8.20pm comes and goes. Finally, the captain comes on and tells us that we now have a wheels-up time of 9.00pm due to bad weather in SFO - and asks the purser to take care of people with connections. Actually, it is 9.00pm now and the flight is just pushing back (you can see gate 70A from the club).
Anyhow, I am now booked on the LAX - SYD - MEL flight. And for good measure, United has now thrown in the upgrade for the small hop from SYD to MEL. Probably out of sheer gratitude that I didn't have any checked luggage to unload.
More as the story develops.
Dead silence from the flight deck. Departure time of 8.20pm comes and goes. Finally, the captain comes on and tells us that we now have a wheels-up time of 9.00pm due to bad weather in SFO - and asks the purser to take care of people with connections. Actually, it is 9.00pm now and the flight is just pushing back (you can see gate 70A from the club).
Anyhow, I am now booked on the LAX - SYD - MEL flight. And for good measure, United has now thrown in the upgrade for the small hop from SYD to MEL. Probably out of sheer gratitude that I didn't have any checked luggage to unload.
More as the story develops.
Did they keep you in C for LAX-SYD? If not, ouch!
Dec 8, 2010, 10:24 pm
#42
Original Poster
Join Date: Jul 2002
Location: Victoria, BC
Programs: UA 1k, AA Exec Plt 2MM, HH Diamond, *wood Gold, disgruntled Amex Ex-Centurion
Posts: 584
Probably I was not making too much sense because the "complimentary" "beer" the bartender offered, was "Bud Light". Come again? I was asking for beer, not for foamy lemonade. At first I thought he was offering a proctological exam (Butt Light....)!
Anyway, there are some Aussies at the bar chucking back one Bud Light after the other... do you folks know no shame?
Actually, brewing something akin to Butt Light carried the death penalty in Bavaria, at least in the 16th century...OK, off to gate 77!
Dec 8, 2010, 10:40 pm
#43
Join Date: Jan 2006
Location: San Francisco
Programs: United/Star Alliance - 1K
Posts: 2,176
Given that Bud is made from rice, it's cheap, brewed sake. Yes, it would have violated the Reinheitsgebot. ^
Dec 8, 2010, 10:45 pm
#44
Join Date: Jun 2003
Location: LAX
Programs: UA Premier Gold, AA Platinum (but I also just pay for upgrades if I want them)
Posts: 636
very cool to read as you go along...looking forward to the next several days.
Dec 8, 2010, 11:10 pm
#45
Join Date: Feb 2010
Location: LAX
Programs: UA-1K, Hertz-Gold, Marriott-Gold, PC-Platinum, SPG
Posts: 2,777
Oh, yeh! I should have seen it coming and warned you earlier that I heard on CNN weather report this morning that SFO has a 2-hour incoming delay due to rainy weather. But then all these surprises are just part of the MR fun, isn't it? Have a good sleep in C and will see your next report in 15 hours or so.
Hopefully, after a couple changes to C for the transpac flights, your booking class no longer says NC and thus will get you the 50% bonus EQM. ^
But then all these surprises are just part of the MR fun, isn't it? Have a good sleep in C and will see your next report in 15 hours or so.Right now, instead of sitting on my flight to SFO, I am sitting in the RCC in LAX again. When I called the 1k desk earlier and asked them if there would be a problem with my 1-hour connection in SFO, they said "No Problem". I checked the flight status, everything is fine. I board, sit down in 2D (another UDU that came through) - and nothing happens.
Dead silence from the flight deck. Departure time of 8.20pm comes and goes. Finally, the captain comes on and tells us that we now have a wheels-up time of 9.00pm due to bad weather in SFO - and asks the purser to take care of people with connections. Actually, it is 9.00pm now and the flight is just pushing back (you can see gate 70A from the club).
Anyhow, I am now booked on the LAX - SYD - MEL flight. And for good measure, United has now thrown in the upgrade for the small hop from SYD to MEL. Probably out of sheer gratitude that I didn't have any checked luggage to unload.
More as the story develops.
Dead silence from the flight deck. Departure time of 8.20pm comes and goes. Finally, the captain comes on and tells us that we now have a wheels-up time of 9.00pm due to bad weather in SFO - and asks the purser to take care of people with connections. Actually, it is 9.00pm now and the flight is just pushing back (you can see gate 70A from the club).
Anyhow, I am now booked on the LAX - SYD - MEL flight. And for good measure, United has now thrown in the upgrade for the small hop from SYD to MEL. Probably out of sheer gratitude that I didn't have any checked luggage to unload.
More as the story develops.
Sorry for being unclear. I am now in C all the way from LAX to MEL (instead of doing SYD-MEL in coach). I would have chained myself to the service desk across gate 70A if they would have tried to take that upgrade away from me.
Probably I was not making too much sense because the "complimentary" "beer" the bartender offered, was "Bud Light". Come again? I was asking for beer, not for foamy lemonade. At first I thought he was offering a proctological exam (Butt Light....)!
Anyway, there are some Aussies at the bar chucking back one Bud Light after the other... do you folks know no shame? Actually, brewing something akin to Butt Light carried the death penalty in Bavaria, at least in the 16th century...
OK, off to gate 77!
Probably I was not making too much sense because the "complimentary" "beer" the bartender offered, was "Bud Light". Come again? I was asking for beer, not for foamy lemonade. At first I thought he was offering a proctological exam (Butt Light....)!
Anyway, there are some Aussies at the bar chucking back one Bud Light after the other... do you folks know no shame?
Actually, brewing something akin to Butt Light carried the death penalty in Bavaria, at least in the 16th century...OK, off to gate 77!
Last edited by iluv2fly; Dec 11, 2010 at 4:06 am Reason: merge