Austin: getting there

I'm usually a big fan of flying out of Colorado Springs instead of Denver.  15 minute drive compared to 90+ minutes and very easy security.  And we get to drop by this place on the way to the airport:

But for my first time ever it was quite the shitshow when we were flying out to Austin.  Turns out they overbooked the flight, and $100 and I got bumped.  Two of our group (BLOS and Nacheaux) got on the plane, but the rental car was in my name, and the folks we were crashing with all weekend were my buddies. 

I immediately started texting with a pilot buddy who coached me in what to do.  Ended up getting two $300 travel vouchers (the entire travel cost of the trip, two flights and a car, was $420), a $250 taxi voucher to get to DIA, and two $10 drink vouchers.  And we were only two hours later getting to Austin.  Worked out pretty well, though there was a short period where we wondered if we were going to get there at all.

Did I mention COS has an airport bar?

By the way, $20 in drink vouchers BARELY covered the cost of two pints of New Belgium brews at DIA.  I think each beer was $9.80.