Called at 6 AM from UA with automated announcement that my 5:39 PM flight had been delayed until 10 PM or so with arrival in IAH after midnight. I did not check, but it seemed pretty unlikely that I would get a connecting flight to PHX in the middle of the night, so I called the elite desk and talked to a representative who confirmed that the flight was delayed. After I asked, I was rebooked on a US Airways direct, non stop flight that departed BWI at 5:15 PM, but was left wondering if they should have automatically done this, rather than my having to call and ask. I seem to recall with other airlines in the past as an elite flyer being rebooked when there were significant delays and it was obvious that the original itinerary would not get me where I needed to go on the same day.