[FootWedge]

Today I arrived in Houston from St. Louis in the midst of a huge rain storm, the pilots did a wonderful job of landing the plane. However, we then disembarked onto the tarmac to walk roughly 50 yards in a massive downpour. I am a frequent flyer with Continental, Platinum, so I sent an email to Larry Kellner CEO. I am attaching the letter I sent him as well as his response, excluding my name of course.....UNREAL:

Sent: Monday, May 05, 2008 12:43 PM
To: Kellner, Larry
Subject: My Experience Today
Dear Mr. Kellner,
My name is "" and my One Pass number is BF******, I am a Platinum member of your one pass club. Today I arrived on my usual Monday morning flight 5981 from St. Louis into Houston George Bush in a driving rain storm. Upon arrival we exited the plan at gate B84, there was absolutely no cover from the tremendous downpour. To put it lightly I was completely soaked from head to toe, including my computer. To make matters worse when I walked through the terminal I noticed that both gates B85 and B85a were empty!!! If either of these gates were used I would not be writing to you.
Upon seeing these empty gates I approached the customer service desk in that area of the B terminal and asked the service representative why neither of those gates were used versus having your, and her, customers scatter through the rain. I was quickly instructed that it was not “her responsibility to park planes”, it was quite obvious that she didn’t park planes but I feel the question was fair. I then contacted the elite desk and was told first by the phone representative that because it was a Chautauqua Airlines plane that it could not park at the gates with jet ways. I then spoke with her supervisor who called the ground transportation people and she instructed me that the plane could not use the jet way because it didn’t fit! Below is the plane Chautauqua uses as well as the Continental Express Jet’s plane:
ExpressJet Airlines, Inc
Flight: CO2734
Aircraft: Embraer RJ145
Chautauqua Airlines,
Flight: CO5981
Aircraft: Embraer RJ145
As you can see both planes are RJ145’s, yet one can pull up to a gate and the other leaves its customers on the tarmac in the rain.
Mr. Kellner, I fly weekly from St. Louis to Houston. Roughly 43 times per year, last year I paid an average of 348.51 per flight, to date I have completed 35 segments this year. I have endured countless delays and cancelations, but to dump your customers out in the rain with their belongings is completely ridicules!!!! I have shown your company a great deal of loyalty, you are not the only airline that fly’s directly from St. Louis to Houston, I pay a premium to fly on your jets. But no more!! Below is a comparison for my next purchase of a ticket to come down to Houston between your company and Southwest Airlines:
Continental
Flight Details:
Depart: 5:50 p.m. Mon., May. 26, 2008
St. Louis, MO (STL) Arrive: 7:59 p.m. Mon., May. 26, 2008
Houston, TX (IAH - Intercontinental) Travel Time:
2 hr 9 mn OnePass Miles/
Elite Qualification:
679 /100% Flight: CO5849
Aircraft: Embraer RJ145
Fare Class: Economy (M)
1 Adults (age 18 to 64) $347.00
Additional Taxes/Fees $16.50
Total Price $363.50

Southwest
Depart May 26 Mon Nonstop STL-HOU 1402 Depart St. Louis (STL) at 8:40 PM
Arrive in Houston (HOU) at 10:35 PM
Return May 29 Thu Nonstop HOU-STL 225 Depart Houston (HOU) at 6:00 PM
Arrive in St. Louis (STL) at 8:00 PM

Total $271.50
By flying Southwest I will:
1. Save 90 + dollars.
2. Almost certainly be on time, definitely not cancelled.
3. Will receive courteous service, from all their members.
4. Fly a 737, versus a regional Jet.
5. Deal with satisfied employees of the same Airline as the name on the plane.
6. Not have to walk in the rain with my luggage!!!
Thank you for making my choices easier.

HIS RESPONSE:

Dear Mr. "" – I apologize for the gate selection and lack of cover – we clearly failed you and even though we have lost your business, I appreciate the feedback as working to resolve this will be helpful for future customers.
I appreciate the business you have given us over the years and apologize again for our failure this morning.
Best
Larry

[Corbel]

ok, this is stopping you from flying continental ever again? same thing could happen with UA or Delta etc. would i be unhappy if i had to walk in the rain? of course! I have done it as well on an express jet flight with CO. but maybe the other jetways were going to be used in the next 20 min for incoming flights and they couldn't use them. and maybe chautauqua airlines pays more for the jetbridges to use than express jet so they get priority. i know it sucks to see 2 empty jet bridges not being used, and your right there not being able to have one, i have sat on an airplane for an hour waiting for a gate when there is an empty one there but we couldn't use it, it was for a different incoming plane.

[Silent Bob]

A similar situation happened to me on United going into Narita where we had to take a bus to the main terminal. On one occasion it was raining and I ended up getting wet, but i don't blame United nor would I stop flying them. I understand you feel slighted, but your taking this way too personal as to make it seem as the airline singled "you" out eventhough you don't say it in so many words. Good luck with Southwest, i have to make a note to try those guys out as I here they have a lot of fun on their planes.

[ChrisH]

FootWedge-

Some of Chautauqau's ERJ145's cannot be parked at the gate, because they have stairs in the door. Did the aircraft you flew on, have portable stairs pulled up to the door, or were the stairs on the door itself. If the latter was the case, then it cannot be used at the jetbridge.

[FootWedge]

ChrisH,

You stupid *****, I get on this plane via a jetway. Nice answer from an airline *****!!!

[pattis]

Originally Posted by FootWedge

ChrisH,

You stupid *****, I get on this plane via a jetway. Nice answer from an airline *****!!!

Footwedge....if getting rained on is the worst thing that happens to you on any given day, maybe you just count your blessings. What a rude and immature comment to make to someone who said nothing rude to you at all. I have a pretty good hunch you get horrible customer service every where you go. Gee, I wonder why????? Get over yourself!!!

[Butch Cassidy Slept Here]

Pattis,

Judging from that rant you sent me, by e-mail, I'm begining to think you're about as thick-skinned as an aging matronly librarian. Accordingly, you may be in the wrong line of work. So, hopefully, this post will not send you into, yet, another, tantrum.

You may be shocked to hear me say that I think your comments, to Footwedge, were, entirely, appropriate. The same sentiment could have been expressed in, substantially, less crude language.

As to my "problem" with you, Pattis, is that your posts--intentionally, or unintentionally--seem to, consistently, project the image that all airline workers are something along the lines of innocent choir girls and boys. In your private message to me, you acknowledged this is not the case. So, why, do your posts not include the same kind of disclaimers??

In said private message you ranted-on, at length, about how I do not know you--as if my knowing what you eat for breakfast is, somehow, supposed to change how one reads your posts!

When I was flying on DC-9s, 40 years ago, there were a lot of people around like Footwedge. The difference then was airlines knew how to deal with these people without calling the cops all the time. Because 9-11 happened, and because airlines are, now, allowed to go bankrupt, airlines don't have the customer service staff, anymore, to deal with people like Footwedge. The pathetic "response" is, now, to declare people, like him, as a Category One security risk, and promptly summon the SWAT team.

So you don’t have a clue as to why people, like myself, have little to no respect for those who work for US-based airlines!

[pattis]

Okay.....Butch Casidy...you are entitled to your opinion as anyone else and personally I don't really care what u think of me. It's just sad that you have this "guilty by association" attitude. Anyway...in regards to one of your comments....how's this? Customer service SUCKS!!!! Everywhere. Not just airlines, everywhere in general. I call HP to discuss a problem with my computer, lucky to get someone who speaks english. Credit card company to dispute a charge ....get some rude jerk. Where I work, there are a few agents that may not be outwardly rude, but won't go out of their way to help someone. I hate it when there is a weather cancelation and i know ther is elderly couple probably barely maing ends meet that have to pay for their own room. I am no saint and have never claimed to be. I have brushed off people at times, and let some real a$$.... get away with crap. Point is, I feel better about myself when I try to help people. I know enough that when I get someone who is really irate and I feel like I'm say somthing inapropriate, I walk away and get another person. Better than saying something stupid. Sure, there are alot of things about ALL airlines that suck....some rules and regs are really anal. I did'nt make them up. I just try to do my best. Your point about flying 40 years ago when times were different, I am sure is very true, but then again keep in mind that so have peoples attitudes about how to have a civilized conversation...instead of screaming obscenities. So don't make generalizations about a person just because they work for an airline. That is just as stupid as the comment about all people from the east coast being jerks. Generalizations such as either of these just breed anger and hatred. There is way too much of that already in this world.

[Leatherboy2006]

seeing that footwedge had to resort to calling Pattis a w#### shows a lack of maturity level for footwedge. Just because you boarded via a jet bridge in one city doesn't mean that the city you arrive in has jetbridges equipt to handle the type of airplane you are on or that the airport/city were airport is located is willing to lease the jetbridge to the airline and will only give them tarmac space. Anyone that flies around Europe knows how this works.

[ChrisH]

Originally Posted by FootWedge

ChrisH,

You stupid *****, I get on this plane via a jetway. Nice answer from an airline *****!!!

Chautauqua's ERJ145's, that have the stairs 'in the doorway', cannot be pulled up to all jetbridges. That is a fact. And all I did was ASK you, if that was the type of airplane you were on. Real smart, mature response on your part. I am an ex-Continental employee, and have dealt with Chautauqua ERJ145's on many occassions. They are peices of junk, as they just came out of the dessert about a year ago, or less. Some cannot be pulled to the jetway, because they cannot fit on ALL jetways.

All I did was ask you a question, in my original post, which didn't warrant your response, by any means!!

[Leatherboy2006]

I messed up I thought it was Patti that footwedge called the nasty name. Still ChrisH did not deserve that remark....footwedge needs to grow up and learn some maturity

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