Flew back to LAX this morning on VX 920. I very much enjoyed leaving from the SFO International Terminal. It is clean and spacious, and it only took us 8 minutes to push back, taxi to Runway 1L and takeoff.

This morning's experience was smoother than Friday's. Because of the early hour (7:15a departure), the plane was on the ramp overnight. I arrived at SFO about 5:45a and it took me only 7 minutes to get through security.

Boarding began at 6:40a and passengers were asked to board in the following order:

1. First class and special needs. I again upgraded to First Class for $50 when I checked in online (I just can't help myself). Assigned to Seat 1F.

2. Main cabin select (VX's version of E+)

3. Coach Passengers w/o carryons (excluding purses and briefcases). The gate agent proactively announced that persons willing to check their bags at the gate before heading down the jetway would receive this priority boarding.

4. Everyone else by group letter

This system seemed to work well. There were no significant delays getting everyone on board (flight was sold out) and we actually pushed back from the gate at 7:08a, which got us into LAX well ahead of our 8:30a scheduled arrival time.

The quick service in F was good -- coffee/drinks and warm coffee cake.

Unfortunately, the IFE for seats 1D/1F was broken. Bummer. Not horrible on a 52 minute flight, but I would have been pissed if I was going Transcon. I've heard from others that the system has its quirks.

Again, no bags checked, so I was off the plane and on my way in no time.

Here's my thought -- VX is a solid airline with great metal and a good staff. I can see why it has so many fans. However, the 1K status and the perks described in my original post are valuable to me. I receive good service and frequent upgrades --even on long flights. Priority boarding, security and baggage service, the * Alliance Network, and the flexibility to change my plans at the last minute are worth their weight in gold.

To make a fair comparison, I should try VX's coach product, which I will do before the end of the year. I expect that one of these days I will lose my UA 1K status and many of my favorite perks will be gone. At that time I may become a more frequent VX flyer -- until that time United has my loyalty.