Not the start to his First Class flight that Willard usuially expects, however the hotel shuttle bus is quick and effective in getting him to the UA Premier Check-In area at LAX Terminal 6 (or is it 7 today, we tend to loose track, since they seem to change it so often!).

But after a painless check-in and security experience (and, let's face it, how often do you say that at any US airport thesedays?) Willard sits down in the LAX International First Class Lounge, and sips on some, erm, Californian Sparkling Wine.....

The lounge does offer WiFi access (via T-Mobile, however, the service is free to First Class passengers via a pre-paid card available at the lounge reception), so Willard can tke the opportunity to boot up the trusty laptop and log in.

And here is Willard surveying the, relatively empty, IFL and cannot help drawing parallels between this lounge and the Lufthansa First Class Terminal he was in yesterday. It is a shame that progressive service erosion has taken it's toll, and what was one the pinnacle of service for United Airlines is now a shadow of it's former self. Someone needs to get UA's management to visit the Lufthansa (and even the Swissair) equivalent lounges in equivalent hub Airports and see the huge gulf that has opened up between United and their competitors.

Yeeee-Hawwwww!! Yeeeeeeee-HAAAAWWHH!!! (with apologies to Slim Pickens). OK, OK, this isn't exactly the spirit of decorum for a First Class lounge, but Willard saw the marble statue of the horse, realised it fitted him perfectly, and, well, some pictures just have to be taken!