[jimworcs]

I am normally highly critical of airlines, but to be honest, I think this posting should be headed "In praise of Continental". Airlines cannot possibly have a "back up" plane in every single airport they operate out of. Can you imagine the cost of the literally hundreds of idle airplanes that would be needed to achieve this. Killeen is not exactly a throbbing metropolis...

The Continental staff did everything in their power to get you to your destination after the mechanical problems developed. Many other carriers, Delta in particular, would almost certainly have treated you far worse. I think in the circumstances you were treated very well..