we didn’t realize United had fixed us up with an alternative flight to LA on a competing airline until we got to the airport in Des Moines. These airline mergers are hard to keep straight. But United merged with Continental and American with USAIR. We were supposed to fly United to Denver to LA but our flight was two hours late so we would miss our connection. I stayed calm and called United and soon we were flying us air to LA via Phoenix, out of frigid subzero Iowa to sunny warm LA. And here is my sweet breakfast companion in Burbank!