Arriving at Boise Airport this morning I checked the board for my flight. While it wasn't listed yet something surprising was. US Airways has a flight listed on the board from Boise to Boston. How could I have missed this?

Immediately thoughts of being able to get from Boise to Boston in a matter of four or five hours sprang to mind. Gone are the stopovers and hours in the airport lounge. All with a simple change of airlines. And since both United, my frequent carrier, and US Airways are in the Star Alliance the benefits of accrued mileage and accruing more miles will all be transferrable. What good fortune.

While doing some work in the airport I looked it up and sure enough US Airways flight 224 leaves about 1:30 each afternoon headed to Boston. Then the rest of the story came out. It isn't the dreamed about direct flight. In fact it is a flight from Boise to Phoenix to Boston but the route carries the same flight number the whole route. Far from the four to five hour nirvana I briefly dreamt of it too is a ten-plus hour slog through an airport with a layover.

Guess I'll keep my Denver connections thanks much.