I've flown over 40,000 miles and 45 segments so far this year, all domestic. Last week I was thinking about how tired I was getting of CO. The I took an America West flight.

Things started off great. We got out of our meeting early enough to catch the 3:30p flight, 3 hours earlier than originally planned. My colleague is a Plat with them and got us both upgraded.

Seats 1A and 1B, feet on the bulkhead, plane taxiing to the end of the runway, plane turning for take-off, thinking about the hard earned cocktail we're about to have...but, wait. Pilot comes on with the "unfortunately we're going to have to head back to the gate because of an indicator light...".

They tell us 15 mins. Then they tell us to get off, but leave our stuff. We try to get back on our original 6:30p flight, they say we can't do that. They won't let us, even if we pay (no explanation). They give us another 15 mins, then another and another. Then they say they are putting us all on the 6:30p (our original flight).

Now we're on the plane, 3 hours later, in seats 187Q and 188Z or something way back there. They close the door. But, oh...wait. Sorry, indicator light.

An hour later we push back. Ten minutes into flight they announce, "We're having a problem with the coffee maker in the back. Please discontinue use of the coach lavatories and only use the one lav in First (yes, full flight).

First looked like heck - leather dye scuffed off the seats, carpeting stained, walls scuffed. Coach was worse....

Pitiful....