I had a similar experience the year beofore. I was waiting in the National Airport President's Club, with my gold elite upgrate taken care of. Half an hour before take off, the lady at the front desk approached me and informed me that the flight was canceled due to mechanical problems. However, she had already booked me on a Delta flight and will actually get me home 1 hour ahead of schedule. When I walked out the door and saw how long the line of angry/anxious passengers of the canceled flight in front of the customer service counter, I realized being the top elite, and paying for the lounge surely made the difference.