Flight availability can and does change frequently. If the flight went out with empty seats then of course an agent will be able to tell you that after the fact. You were inquiring about the status of the flight prior to departure. It's very likely the flight was sold-out in coach when you called but at the airport there were no-shows which resulted in a less than full flight. That's just the nature of the airline business. They know historically that a certain percentage of confirmed reservations will be "no-shows" which is why they overbook. Also keep in mind that they will oversell the coach cabin but not first class. This gives them options as they can give discretionary upgrades to first class to alleviate the oversale in coach.
As for the schedule change was your ticket booked through Continental.com or a third-party? If you booked through a travel agency or website such as Orbitz, Travelocity, etc. then it was up to the agency you booked through to inform you of the schedule change. The Continental agents you spoke with probably just assumed you were aware of the change. You say in your post you have been booking the same flights for some time now. Guess what...times are changing. Airlines have over the last several months made major adjustments to their overall capacity and flight schedules. In the end it's your responsibility to re-confirm your flights before you travel.
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