silver preferred.

  this morning as i was checking in for my flight back to arizona when andru noticed a special button on the check in page

it said:

COMPLIMENTARY UPGRADE

"what?!" 

we clicked it. and i was upgraded. for free.

i later learned that

  i am now a

yep. since i have a balance of over 32,500 miles, i have achieved silver status with us airways.

i now have benefits such as:

first class upgrades:

when an upgrade is available, i'm automatically upgraded

first and second checked bags free

reserving preferred seats

priority check in, boarding and security lines

priority stand by and standby fee waived

companion benefits:

all passengers flying with me get the same silver treatment

i had never sat in first class. 

in the beginning i felt bad about it. 

i felt like in a knights tale when all the rich folk sat together, with the bigger seats and their own bathroom. and the peasants had to sit in the back, packed in like sardenes. 

but after i was given glasses of wine in real glass, and was actually comfortable for once, i started getting used to it. then they served dinner... now im hooked. i don't know how i'll ever fly again.

thank you us airways for giving me some back!

i'm proud to get the silver!