[aagalindor]

After solving nothing by calling and emailing Continental Airline's Customer Care, below is the letter I sent to Continental's CEO more than a month ago to receive no response yet. Today I called customer care again only to have them deny reimbursment of my money.

Tuesday, January 5<SUP>th</SUP> 2010


Subject: Reimbursement of unfairly charged amount due to Continental’s negligence to talk LIVE to customer when airline made itinerary changes.
cc. Continental Airlines Customer Care
<O></O>
Dear Jeffery A. Smisek,
<O></O>
Back in July 2009 I purchased 2 Continental round trip tickets from XNA to QRO with departure day December 22<SUP>nd, </SUP>2009 at 3:15PM and return date of January 4<SUP>th</SUP> 2010 at 12:10PM for $1,484.36. Yesterday (Monday, January 4<SUP>th</SUP> 2010), the day of my return, my husband and I showed up at the Queretaro airport at 10:10AM only to be told that our 12:10PM flight had been changed to 7:00AM of that morning and that unless I paid an additional $956.80, I would not get back home!! Worse yet, I would not get back home on that same day, but the next day (today), which meant for my husband and I to lose a day of work each (and its corresponding SALARY loss of course!).
Out of humiliation and desperation to get back to work, I paid the asked amount. Paying nearly an additional $1,000.00 to get on the plane when I am not at fault is NOT LOGICAL NOR FAIR, but rather an ABUSE and thus I ask that you refund the full amount. Furthermore, we also incurred additional taxi expense ($450 Mexican pesos = $36 US dollars) and lodging; not to mention losing 2 full days of salary (about $2,250 between my husband and me). I understand that sometimes airlines have to make changes, but the agents (both, the one in QRO and the one in Houston) nor I understand why nobody from Continental ever bothered to call me on my mobile phone (email is not good enough) to let me know of this VERY significant schedule change. As you can see from the attached purchase confirmation, Continental has my mobile number, which I ALWAYS carry with me.
From your own on-board Continental magazine (see attached copy of page 84), you can read that the number one recommended helpful travel tip is for the passenger is to provide the airline with reliable contact information. Quote: “We strongly recommend providing your mobile phone as your primary contact when making your reservation…………..” From the attached purchase confirmation you can clearly see that Continental does have my mobile number. Why then, didn’t anybody from Continental have the courtesy to call me LIVE and confirm that I was aware of the schedule change?
Attached is the receipt for the extra amount I was forced to pay to get on the plane ($956.80), please refund the full amount to my American Express card. Also, attached are the receipts for the 2 extra taxis I had to take. Please refund via a check in the amount of $36 US dollars ($450 Mexican pesos divided by $12.50 pesos/US dollar).
I trust that you value my business and your reputation and that you will reimburse the unfair additional charge of $956.80 to my American Express credit card before the payment becomes due (January 28<SUP>th</SUP>). Please also send the check for the extra taxis (receipts attached) within the next 2 weeks.
Looking forward to a satisfactory and fast resolution of this very disruptive experience with Continental Airlines,
Ana A Galindo<O></O>
<O></O>
<O></O>
Can someone tell me who to contact to make the airline do the right thing and reimburse the extra money they made me pay?

Thanks

[jimworcs]

Try to DOT, but you may fall foul of the outrageously unfair terms and conditions of many of the airlines. They often have "catch all" terms about checking the schedule 24 hours before departure, or checking emails. It is ridiculous, your letter is clear and articulate and explains the situation. You may only have one recourse, stop flying with them and try and get political support to re-regulate the airlines. They are out of control.