As mentioned below, we're scheduled to fly from Seattle to Denver to Honolulu tomorrow in First Class on UA, earning 4380 qualifying miles plus our 100% bonus to get there. From there we face two five-hour flights in Hawaiian Airlines, sitting in the back of the bus. The return flight is a red-eye - don't worry, we expect no sympathy.
The only way possible to keep our flying eggs in one basket via Star Alliance (as we generally try to do) would have required going through New Zealand, and not even we are quite that fanatical. More important, we'll have flown nearly 80,000 qualifying miles on UA so far in 2010 and we won't really "need" the miles from the HNL-PPT leg or its equivalent to requalify for our 1K status on UA.
For those of us who are "Up In The Air" types, the question answers itself.
Kathy and Brian
Two retired educators alternating joyfully between seeing the world and enjoying our eight grandchildren (in order of birth), Jake, Avery, Taegan, Lily, Peyton, Riley, Blane, and Jace.
Kathy and Brian met in the clarinet section of the University of California (Santa Barbara) Symphony Orchestra several decades ago.
Brian's Western Canadian roots and Kathy's Colorado ties resulted in their making beautiful music together along with producing a cross-border crop of descendants.
Kathy spent a year studying in Vienna at the Institute for European Studies and the University of Vienna.
Brian started the school band program in Hope, British Columbia, and later became the high school's vice-principal for 6 years and subsequently principal for 15 years before retiring in 2001.
Kathy, in between raising our three children, taught kindergarten and first grade, middle school, and high school - mathematics, computer studies, ESL, and her first love, band, before retiring in 2001.
We enjoy sharing our travel experiences and providing the odd travel tip to friends, relatives, and visitors.