It is with extreme frustration that I write to record the unacceptable and disgraceful level of treatment that Continental gave to my wife and me during a recent trip. Here are the details: Here is an extract of my letter to Continental on 9/3/11:<O:p</O:p
Flight – Orlando - Ireland – <?xml:namespace prefix = st1 ns = "urn:schemas-microsoft-com
Shannon</st1:City>, <st1:country-region w:st=" /><st1:State w:st="on">New York</st1:State> –<ST1:p<st1:City w:st="on">Orlando</st1:City></ST1:p<O:p</O:p
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My wife’s departure flight on 8/1/11 CO36 was diverted to <ST1:p<st1:City w:st="on">Greensboro</st1:City>, <st1:State w:st="on">NC </st1:State></ST1:pdue to “weather conditions en route”. She missed her connection to <st1:City w:st="on">Shannon</st1:City>, <st1:country-region w:st="on">Ireland</st1:country-region> at 7.30pm from <st1:City w:st="on">Newark</st1:City>, was rebooked on a later flight that evening to <ST1:pShannon</ST1:pl and also missed that connection due to “time out for crew”. She had to spend overnight in <st1:City w:st="on">Greensboro</st1:City> and was rebooked on a 7am flight to <st1:City w:st="on">Newark</st1:City> next morning and had to spend
10 hours hanging around <st1:PlaceName w:st="on">Newark</st1:PlaceName> <st1:PlaceType w:st="on">Airport</st1:PlaceType> to eventually get out to <ST1:pShannon</ST1:place that evening.
<O:p</O:pOne would have expected that at least Continental would have the decency to offer her complimentary Presidents Club for the day. After all it was a continental issue (time out) that caused her this inconvenience and misses a full day of her planned vacation to <st1:country-region w:st="on">Ireland</st1:country-region></ST1:place at her cost!<O:p</O:p
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On her return trip matters got worse:<O:p</O:p
Due to tropical storm Irene her flight from New York/Orlando (CO057) was cancelled. She was notified by email in which she was asked to call 800-525-0280 or rebook on line. When called by phone the recorded answer was “due to the high volume of calls, we cannot take your call. Check on line and thank you for choosing Continental”. Her attempts to reschedule online were not possible as your web site would not allow that. WHAT ARROGANCE! Is this what Continental thinks “customer service is”?<O:p</O:p
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She subsequently got notification that she was rebooked to Orlando at 7am on
Saturday 9/3/11 – 5 days after she was scheduled to travel. Where was she to stay for these 5 days and at what cost?<O:p</O:p
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She was able to go online with DELTA and book a flight to <st1:City w:st="on"><ST1:pOrlando</ST1:p</st1:City> on 10/30/11 without any problems but at a cost of $260<O:p</O:p
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I, myself had gone to New York to be with my wife that weekend – also on Continental – -and was scheduled to return with her on CO67 to Orlando on 10/29/11. As above this flight was cancelled, but I was rebooked next day on CO1194 to <st1:City w:st="on"><ST1:p</st1:City>My wife tried but could not be booked on this flight with me in spite of the fact that there were
17 empty seats in economy on this flight? <O:p</O:p
I will post the Continental Response on this blog if they will reply.