1K captivity
 

Sort of a :D. Also a :mad: but in a good way. My doctor client invited me out to Milwaukee for Labor Day weekend 105th Harley anniversary - he highlighted my favorite band playing. So I looked to price SFO-MKE. Not good, esp. for decent times, so I dithered and it got worse. Anyway, there were other airlines with better: routes, times, and fares, but I need to requal 1k and have a $200 off cert. So I'm stuck with UA. :D:mad: Did find a $365 fare for SJC-DEN-ORD-MKE-DEN (on an E145 :mad:)-SJC. Actual cost $165. Getting to Caltrain on time to schlepp down the peninsula, priceless.

Any other horror stories about sticking with UA over better options?

I would just fly into ORD and then rent a car or take the train to Milwaukee

I get that same "I don't know how to quit you" feeling every time I fly my CMH-ORD short hops, even as a low tire elite, though I am defecting to WN with all my newly booked travel, starting in Jan.

I recently went to SAT and schlepped 90 miles to a near-by airport so I could fly UA over F9. UA was $160 more expensive than F9 out of my home-town airport. The things we do for status...

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I'm not planning on being sober (or awake). :D

At least there is a 500mi minimum for ORD-MKE... oh wait...nevemind. :rolleyes:

Let us know when your ORD-MKE get's cancelled. Seems pretty regular. It is definitely quicker to driver IME.

[QUOTE=CMHFlyerOH;10154759]I get that same "I don't know how to quit you" QUOTE]


Boy that is so so true. OP if this makes you feel any better...I live in Conta Costa County and will fly from SFO (just to fly UA) even when other carriers may have a better schedule and occisionaly cheaper fares then drive 20 miles less each way to fly from OAK. I have done only 3 of 79 segments to/from OAK this year. In the past I did fly from there more frequently something like 70-30 (OAK), but w/ such severe cutbacks by UA at OAK all I can do there is ticket e-certs, they are not competitive and the frequency to DEN is not good.

Much worse ones: because of a tiff I had with Lufthansa, I flew SIN-ZRH on UA several times within a year :o ...

Wow. OP sure has a lot of color in his posting....

I am still loyal enough to UA to achieve at least Premier Exec for 2009 but I am now seeing way too large of a gap between UA and other airlines on many routes. I have future itineraries on Delta and Southwest as well.

What's your cutoff point for driving? It's really interesting for me... CVG is my "home town airport" yet is only 20 minutes closer to my office than DAY is. If CVG was right next door, I think I'd pay the $160... especially if I had to leave work early or something like that.

I used to work for UAX and NRSA'd ORD-MKE and vv. I had many problems with that flight. Even took the chartered mini-bus to ORD a few times.

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Guess Abraxis and I got lucky on our 1 day turnaround MR a few months ago. :eek: Any 1K protection if it's canceled?

I've only flown ORD-MKE-ORD once (part of a longer itinerary of course) and must have pleased the travel Gods on the days I traveled. BOth flights were as punctual as a Swiss train. Go figure. ^

OP, I share your pain! I drive either 90 mi. (BHM) or 150 mi. (ATL) to fly United. I pass up good fares to places I would like to go because it is not United. I go places I don't really want to go because I rack up the miles on United. When you're hooked, you're hooked!