See, this is exactly what I'm talking about... you're stressing out too much about the situation! So your flight is cancelled... by all means, try to negotiate the best solution to the situation. But if the best solution ends up being... you don't get there 'til tomorrow... what are you going to do? Cry about it all afternoon? I'm just telling you that instead of spending your time trying to figure out what the airline "owes" you, just go and enjoy your time. Yes, your client meeting is an unfortunate casualty, but are you going to keep stressing about it all day? Please don't, for your own sake! Give your client the call, and gee... my clients are usually pretty understanding about delays that are totally beyond my control. And if they're not, well, you take some abuse, maybe lose their respect or even the order... okay, I'm sorry then, but again... don't dwell on it. Go on to the next one. Stuff happens, to everyone, and if we spent less time on the blame and compensation, IMHO we'd be a happier society.

Also, <sarcasm> means "sarcasm on" and </sarcasm> means "sarcasm off" a la HTML. Sorry I got a little too techno-junkie there. And if you'd read all the way to my third paragraph, I did point out what I thought you should ask for in your situation, so I feel dissed that you think my post was totally useless to you.

I should note that I'm in the exact same boat you're in right now (and have been many times in the past). My flight tomorrow morning was canceled, and the only flight that I've been able to confirm is Saturday morning. I'm waitlisted on every flight out tomorrow. I'm going to the airport in the morning, cell phone in hand, to standby for those flights. I'll have my laptop so I can take care of some reports and e-mail. I'll also have some paper and a pen with me so I can catch up on some letters I've been meaning to write. If I don't get out of here... no big deal. I'm not going to hold United responsible for anything.