When you introduce deleting a column, you open a whole new can of worms.

set rng = Range("A:A,Q:Q")
? rng.Address
$A:$A,$Q:$Q
? columns(2).Delete
True
? rng.Address
$A:$A,$P:$P
columns(1).Delete
? rng.Address
$O:$O

Test out some of your ideas in the immediate window and perhaps you will
find a solution.

--
Regards,
Tom Ogilvy


wrote in message
ups.com...
Thanks Tom,

Insightful lesson!
If I understand you correctly, relative references on a union of ranges
will not work if the position these ranges (in relative to each other)
changes.

E.g. if column B to P are deleted, the two ranges become

"A1:A10" and "B5,B23"

and the reference identification, or offset will refer to a wrong cell,
or in this example, invalid.

If this is so and there is no way around it, I will have to change my
approach and not using union.

Thanks,
pac