At the United Club @ DEN

At 11:27a, the wheels of the Lincoln Navigator Avis assigned us began turning as Mui backed out of the driveway.

There was no sign of the forecasted 60-80 mph wind gusts as we drove north to DEN. By 12:45p, we were pulling up to the West Terminal. Mui unloaded the bags and a United Airlines skycap brought over a cart to take them inside. While I dealt with the formalities, Mui went to return the rental vehicle. By 1:30p, he was back and we were ready to go through security.

We arrived at the airport earlier than usual in anticipation of potential delays at the TSA security checkpoints due to the FY2026 budget for DHS being held hostage by the legislators.

Our timing was good, however. As it was mid-day, we encountered no lines … none whatsoever. It took us seconds to go through the TSA Pre✓ lane, which was reinstated within hours of the announcement two days ago that the program was being suspended in order to redirect resources to the regular security checkpoints.

By 2:00p, having taken the train from the Jeppesen Terminal to Concourse B, we were at the United Club at Gate B44 … enjoying beverages and snacks. We now have several hours to kill … in comfort … with a view of airport operations through the glass wall that our seats overlook.

The UA app tells me that the aircraft that will be taking us across the pond to London arrived two minutes early from Frankfurt. A good sign for an on-time departure for us.

Our travel day is off to a smooth start. 🤞🏻 the rest of the trip runs as smoothly.Read more