United is once again holding its annual Family Day Open House for employees and their friends & family. And for the past several years, United has graciously opened up spots for a select few enthusiasts on Flyertalk and MilePoint. Yesterday, the great folks at United again extended an offer to attend this year’s event: We’re…
My travels/observations
Category Archives for My travels/observations.
United Premier Gold Elite Status Wins Over Platinum, Unless…
Last month I wrote a post questioning if I should aim for United MileagePlus Premier Platinum elite status over simply holding Gold for 2014. And I’ve come to a decision. As I mentioned: Whether or not to strive for a higher (or any) elite status really comes down to two considerations: Your planned flying in…
Jumping the Upgrade Queue on United Airlines
As I mentioned earlier this week, I flew a mileage run on United this past Saturday from Reno to Washington Dulles and back. Having a couple of Regional Premier Upgrades (RPUs) that would otherwise have gone unused the remainder of the year, I decided to apply them when I booked the ticket last month. The…
Random Notes From My United Mileage Run on Saturday
This past Saturday I flew a “simple†mileage run on United from Reno to Washington Dulles, connecting in San Francisco in both directions. It was a long day with flight 1 of 4 departing at 5:30 a.m. and flight 4 of 4 arriving back in Reno at midnight. I had Regional Premier Upgrades to burn,…
Confessions of an Elite Status Junkie: Part Three
[This is my third post in a series dedicated to revealing the thoughts, behaviors and actions of an elite status junkie – namely, me. You can read the first installment here, and the second one here.] DYKWIA Begins With a Double Upgrade from Coach to First Class Having locked in United’s Premier level for two…
Confessions of an Elite Status Junkie: Part Two
[This is my second post in a series dedicated to revealing the thoughts, behaviors and actions of an elite status junkie – namely, me. You can read my first installment by clicking here.] The Quest, the Challenge, the Addiction Begins If you follow me on Twitter, you know that in the past week I’ve tweeted…
‘WE Party Airlines’ Takes Off This Saturday in New York City: NSFW?
But it’s not what you think… maybe. “WE Party Airlines” is a dance event to be held this coming Labor Day weekend at the Hammerstein Ballroom on Saturday, August 31 in New York City. And while the following video might be NSFW for some, it’s nonetheless pretty amusing for all with its classic Airplane! clips…
Confessions of an Elite Status Junkie: Part One
I’ve experienced quite a few life events during the past year… well… the past 14 years to be completely honest, which have significantly changed who I am as a person. But the happenings of the past few months in particular have been instrumental for a major change in my identity composition. And they’ve altered my…
Hotel Review: Washington Dulles Marriott Suites
I’m beginning to alter my hotel selections since I’m no longer gunning to earn elite status in any one particular chain (sorry, Hilton). And earlier this year I spent two nights at the Washington Dulles Marriott Suites. It’s a property I hadn’t been back to in a decade, and with a $50 off discount code…
Using Premier Accelerator as a Fast Track to United Elite Status
As I mentioned yesterday, I’ll be about 11,000 Premier Qualifying Miles (PQMs) short of Platinum status for 2014 after flying what I have booked for the rest of the year. And I’m currently debating whether to go for Platinum, or settle with lifetime Gold. At this point, my travel plans on United Airlines and Star…