RobotDoctor

The most BIS segments I ever had was 153 in 2001. I would probably have eclipsed 160 had it not been for 9/11. I did 141 BIS segments in 2004. I has one year at 130, one at 129 then the rest between 106 through 119 segments. In all, I had 11 consecutive years with 106 segments starting in 1995 and ending last year, I am at 13 segments for the year when I return from this trip this week. It does not look as if I am going to get 100 segments this year. Thank goodness I am a MM so I have 1P because even 60 segments is looking bleak as well.

RobotDoctor

I did 141 segments in 2004 averaging just under 815 miles/segments (106759 BIS miles).

Kiwi Flyer

88 segments YTD will hit 100 in the next month or so.

RobotDoctor

In Q1 of 2004, UA ran a promotion called the Early Bird promotion. UA offered additional flight bonus for flyers that registered and flew their first 10K miles. If the flyer flew the 10K sometime in January then the rest of the miles in Q1 would be fare a 3X bonus, in addition to actual flight miles and status bonus (5X miles for 1K and 1P). If the flyer flew 10K sometime in February then the Early Bird bonus would be 2X plus actual flight and status miles. If the flyer flew 10K sometime in March then the Early Bird bonus 5,000 bonus miles. I had flights of

Origin...... Destination....Miles

DEN ....-.... SFO ........967
SFO ....-.... PDX ........550
PDX ....-.... LAX ........834
LAX ....-.... DEN ........862
_______________________

DEN ....-.... SAN ........853
SAN ....-.... LAX ........500
LAX ....-.... PDX ........834
PDX ....-.... SEA ........500
SEA ....-.... PDX ........500
PDX ....-.... LAX ........834
LAX ....-.... SBA ........500
SBA ....-.... DEN ........916
_______________________

DEN ....-.... PDX ........992
PDX ....-.... DEN ........992

The first trip had connections in SFO and LAX for PDX. Slight segment padding. The second trip was major segment padding that netted me 5437 BIS miles for a trip that should have been 2048 miles. This itinerary got me over the 10K miles in January so I qualified for the 3X Early Bird bonus. All told, that yielded me an additional 65,640 bonus miles in addition to the BIS miles and 1K status bonus.

Sometimes segment padding has a purpose.

JerseyJoe

I'm also guilty of taking up seats for segment runs. All the years I've made 1K have been on segments (drives Mrs.JJ crazy except when she gets the C international upgrades). This year its been tough with Independence Air demise -- one of my favorites was a Fri-Sat-Sun from IND-ORD-xxx-IAD with multiple round trips but fares recently have been very high. I think I should have "moved" to DEN for a week or so.

mander

Last year did 102 segments and 94K miles. This year it looks like it will be roughly 94 segments and 102K miles. I assure you that miles are the way to go.

debua1k

I have qualified for 1K via segments during 6 different years. Some of those years, I qualified on both miles and segments, other years, just segments. I have yet to qualify based on miles only...

Denverbound

Yep I do the same thing. I will do Tucson to Denver at least 43 times this year (My weekly commute) and then I get sent to Seattle, Palo Alto, Florida, Chicago, Dallas also. I figure 86 segs for Tucson to Denver (tough math there) I get 4 segs generally for the other flights so I only need 5 of those and I get 1K. The Tucson to Denver is 639 miles. No way I could hit anything good just on miles.

shinbal

Yes. I will hit at least 120 segments this year. It's how I qualify for 1K - though my OZ trip this year will also help push me over the mileage requirement.

u600213

I usually do segments since moving to SGF from LAX but last year I qualified on both miles and segs and probobly will this year too since I am at 43 segs and 43K EQM with 1 segment and 500EQM's not yet posted.

tods27

I made 1K by both segments and miles the last few years.
I can't say that I've ever intentially added segments or done segment runs, but this year could be different as I'm not travelling every week.

UA_Flyer

I am sitting here at LGA RCC, and this is my fourth weekend commuting between DC and NY for work. Everyone of flight departing from LGA has been delayed since I started. Last Monday's UX morning flight from IAD was delayed by over an hour. My flight is currently delayed by an hour.

I am glad I got a RCC membership knowing my six-month weekend commuting flights between IAD and LGA would be delayed more often than not.

Having made my first UA MM on over 90% of flights greater than 3 hours and 75% on Transoceanic flights, I am experiencing what "true road warroors" do.... fly 100 segmenets of less than 500 EMS in one year. I have greater appreciation for those who fly short commuter routes.

Mileage Runs and fly C/F on someone elses' dimes are just not the same.... there don't come close to the mental and physical stress associated with short commuter flights.

If you make 1Ks by flying 100+ segements each year. Please identify yourself and tell us your stories. It will be a nice change from hearing those stories of MRs and international F/C travels.

auh2o

I have had over 100 segments and 100K miles (both) for 8 of the last 9 years. Missed the segment mark last year with 90+.

la2jax

I got my 1K doing a weekly ORD-IAD commute. Had to connect thru PIT or MDT a couple times to cover for the segments I missed for a couple weeks of vacation .
I didn't feel any pain getting 1K by segments! Even on my connecting weeks I was able to find flights where the next leg was on the same aircraft, eliminating any chance of missing my connection.

exerda

My only year as 1K, I made it on EQS. I had around 86 BIS segments and did the DEQM offer that year to push me over the top. I can't imagine doing many more than 100 EQS / year.

(That year my trips included a LOT of intentionally-stretched trips, like IAD-LGA-ORF, and stuff like IAD-LGA-IND-ORD, DCA-LGA-RDU, etc. UA running their successful "let's run DH out of business" campaign really helped, as I did a lot of same-day trips for not many $$$.)

I'm taking more nonstop flights these days, particularly on transcons, so my BIS mileage last year (50,003) was actually MORE than when I was 1K on EQS. As often as I have to deal with irrops as it is, I don't know how I survived 2005 with the many more segments and potential for misconnects and irrops. I'm often sick of dealing with irrops even on a 4-segment trip these days, and I was doing 8-segment RTs routinely in 2005.

It does make booking MRs simpler, though, to not have to try to search out just the right connections like I did for EQS. I recall many times spending literally hours with the .bomb multi-city booking engine trying to get that "magic" itinerary to work out. And though I still prefer a connection at the end of my trip (i.e. flying IAD-LAX-SAN, vs. IAD-SAN, for the easy extra mileage), I don't miss those many connections in mid-trip (like ORD-OMA-DEN) just to add EQS. Then again, I do miss seeing airports I've never been to before, adding ICT or LNK etc. in the middle of an itin just to make a quick stop there.