[noemibora]

This was the most horrible experience I have ever had. I was treated like garbage. The middle aged flight attendant from CUN to IAH flight 1019 treated the coach class like garbage, when in fact it is the people in coach that keep the airline running. To top it off, we landed on time and had a connecting flight to ORD flight 1091 and had 1hr 20min connecting, our flight should have left at 6:50, after running across the whole airport, we got to the gate at 6:35 and the plane was still at the gate and they would not allow us on the flight. I was with my husband and another couple, thats 4 people, and there were another 20 people that were coming with us from CUN that had to get on the ORD flight as well. The lady at the gate was so rude as well telling us that we were late and we could not get in, they never even announced that it was the last call for the flight and its not like we were just sitting around. Every continental flight i have had was delayed from takeoff beceause they were waiting for the confirmed passangers to board, but for this one they couldn't wait 3 mintues. What i don't understand is the system that you have because if you have 20 confirmed people why cant they do everything possible to get them on their flight. So we went to customer service and we were put on standby and told if we do not get on that we will be given a hotel room. We did not make the standby flight which was supposed to leave at 9:05. but they did close the gate and when 7 people from Guadalahara came running to the gate they OPENED IT AGAIN until 9:15, that flight waited for 7 people coming Guadalahara, WHY COUDLDN'T THEY WAIT FOR US???? Went back to customer service again and at first were denied a hotel room, finally got one and were told that our check-ins were still in IAH. Got on the 7:20 flight and waiting for our check-ins for an hour and still not there. Turns out they were in ORD on the original flight we were supposed to be on. This is the rudest most unorganized company I have ever been with and i will make sure that i will never fly Continental/united ever again and make sure that i tell every one i know the same thing. I was treated like garbage but i was good enough for them to take my money. This airline is a joke and the people that work with them have obviously never been trained in customer service.
This has been the worst flying experience of my life.

[chriscolombo]

"it is the people in coach that keep the airline running."
You obviously don't know much about airlines.

"To top it off, we landed on time."
Oh the horrors of punctuality. If you landed on time, chances are you were delayed by customs in Houston. The omission of this little detail tells me your frustration is misdirected. No airline, including Continental, controls how many employees are working at customs, the length of the lines, or if someone is going to be questioned. If you were not delayed at customs, then where were you? It does not take an hour and a half to change planes there.

"The lady at the gate was so rude as well telling us that we were late and we could not get in, they never even announced that it was the last call."
What is "rude" by your standard? Blaming someone for something they didn't do (i.e. blaming delays at customs on Continental is pretty rude). If you are not at the gate 20 minutes prior to departure, your seats can be given away to standbys. This is in the contract of carriage. If you have not read it, and continue to blame airlines for being denied boarding due to custom delays, that's pretty rude too. Moreover, if you were not at the gate, then how do you know the agent did not make a final boarding call? Maybe they did, but because uncle Sam delayed you, you never heard it. Or maybe, just maybe, you were so busy blaming employees who had nothing to do with nothing, you could not hear the announcement. Regardless, even if you had heard the announcement, you were still late. The announcement is irrelevant, because it has nothing to do with you not being at the gate on time.

"Every continental flight i have had was delayed from takeoff beceause they were waiting for the confirmed passangers to board."
Every flight? REALLY? You lost credibility with that statement.

"What i don't understand is the system that you have because if you have 20 confirmed people why cant they do everything possible to get them on their flight."
Let me explain. If a flight is filled, and you are not at the gate within 20 minutes prior to departure, your seats can and will be released to standby passengers. This includes revenue and non-revenue customers. You agree to this policy when you purchase a ticket, and is enforceable under the contract of carriage. The job of the gate agent is to get the aircraft out on time. Agents are not mind readers, and have no idea where you are when you are not there, especially if your inbound flight landed "on time" as you said. ou could be stuck in customs, in the bathroom, at the bar, or chatting on a cell phone. You may have decided not to travel at all, or have gotten ill. Did you call Continental to tell them you were stuck? If not, then how would any employee there know? When you did not show, the agent correctly released your seats to standby passengers 20 minutes prior to departure.
There are 150 other people sitting on a plane, and their needs must also be considered. Moreover, the needs of the 150 people in Chicago who are waiting for the inbound Houston flight must also be considered, and everyone scheduled on subsequent flights for that aircraft for that day. This is called the ripple effect. Hold a plane in one city, it is late all day long resulting in hundreds upon hundreds of late misconnecting passengers all inconvenienced because of you. It is not fair to inconvenience the majority for a tiny minority, no matter how unjust it may seem. Similarly, if an airline holds a flight, it runs the risk of loosing its assigned take-off slot. This can result in a lengthly delay or cancellation, all contingent upon Air Traffic Control. ATC is under the command of the government, not the airlines. Lastly, airlines are under enormous pressure to get planes out on time because they are required to report their performance to the government. Because the flying public has demanded on-time performance records be transparent, airlines seldom hold flights as a courtesy to late coming passengers. Since the delay was not the fault of the airline, you are entitled to anything. If you were traveling on a non-refundable excursion fare, which you said you were, then you forfeit the ticket. As a courtesy, Continental allowed you to travel stand-by for future flights. They certainly did not have to do anything. Keep in mind, standby travel means just that. However, as a revenue passenger you were given priority over non-revenue customers. That's pretty darn nice of them considering how disparagingly you've treated Continental.

However, there is an exception to the 20 minute rule on domestic flights. Airlines do hold flights when it is the last flight out of the day. This is because the aircraft is not scheduled to fly any more flights, and will overnight in the arrival city. Resultantly, no passengers will be inconvenienced, except those on the plane who are patiently waiting for late comers to arrive. If the airline opts to hold the the flight, it does risk losing its take-off slot with ATC. If the flight is delayed substantially, it must also report the delay to the government. So you see, you can't have it both ways. If you are late, the airline can not hold the flight, because the public demands on-time stats be made available. Moreover, delayed flights inconvenience hundreds of travelers throughout the airline's system, for they result in a ripple effect of misconnections, delays and cancellations. Airlines are literally pressured by the public and government to NOT hold flights for late comers period.

"We did not make the standby flight which was supposed to leave at 9:05. but they did close the gate and when 7 people from Guadalahara came running to the gate they OPENED IT AGAIN until 9:15"
Exactly my point. The airline held the last flight of the day for late comers. There were no passengers in Chicago waiting to board this flight until the next morning, so only those on the plane were slightly inconvenienced. Rest assured, someone on the plane will complain to Continental about having to be delayed, and the airlines will compensate them thus increasing the airfares for everyone.

"Went back to customer service again and at first were denied a hotel room, finally got one and were told that our check-ins were still in IAH."
You are NOT entitled to a free hotel room, because your delay was not the fault of Continental. In fact, Continental got you to Houston, by your own admission, ON TIME! You must have made some scene at customer service. Resultantly, the cost of your hotel is passed on to the flying public. Regarding your "check-in" federal law requires that you can not check in more than four hours prior to a flight. Therefore, you are required to check in at Houston. If you were confirmed on the next flight, you can print your own boarding pass at any airport kiosk, of which Houston has tons. If you were placed on standby, then you must present yourself no less than 20 minutes prior to departure. Either way, it was very generous of Continental to provide you with a hotel, AND get you on the next available flight. You are not entitled to either. Technically, you should have been forced to purchase a one-way ticket between Houston and Chicago, and fend for your own room.

"Got on the 7:20 flight and waiting for our check-ins for an hour and still not there. Turns out they were in ORD on the original flight we were supposed to be on."
Often bags make a connection when the passenger does not. The 20 minute rule does not apply to "check-ins," but people. However, sometimes bags do not make connections when people do. Regardless, the airline did not lose you bags. When no one claimed your bags, a smart Chicago agent pulled your bags from the belt, and safely stored them for you. Your bags were not lost, stolen, or damaged. I consider this exceptional service deserving of a Thank You!

"This is the rudest most unorganized company I have ever been with and i will make sure that i will never fly Continental/united ever again and make sure that i tell every one i know the same thing. I was treated like garbage."
Indeed, you are the one who seems rude and unorganized. You were late arriving at your departure gate, even though Continental brought you to Houston on-time. As a courtesy, Continental allowed you to travel standby, when you should have been required to purchase a one way ticket between Houston and Chicago. Continental gave you a free hotel room (did you get meal vouchers as well??), when you should have paid for your own. Additionally, Continental safely stored your bags in Chicago when you did not arrive. They made them available to you, and did not charge you a storage fee. All in all, I'd say Continental did an exception job in providing you with outstanding service. You were given First Class treatment on an excursion fare. Moreover, Continental is forced to listen to you B.S. when in fact you should be directing your venom at A.T.C., the government, and customs. Those agencies require aircraft depart on time or loose their take-off slot, are regulatory agencies pertaining to on-time performance, and handle arriving overseas flights.

Although I'm not a fan of Continental (United is a far superior airline), they obviously bent over backward to accommodate you. In return, all you have done is moan and complain. You were not treated like garbage, but from my vantage you are garbage.

[rgpnz]

Originally Posted by chriscolombo

"it is the people in coach that keep the airline running."
You obviously don't know much about airlines.

Im sorry but it is you who doesn't know much about airlines. Most revenue is generated from Y class seats and from ancillaries and if you are not convinced please find the attached infographic taken from a NYTimes.com article with breakdown of revenue by class of travel for three major carriers.

The article I refer to can be viewed here:
http://www.nytimes.com/2011/11/21/bu...ewanted=2&_r=0

Please do a bit more research before you reply, although judging from your harsh reply to a complaint, i doubt you would do. If in case you are working with an airline and in a customer service role, I strongly urge you to remove yourself to the darkest coldest back office room post haste as the attitude you have displayed here is clearly a reflection on your attitude towards customers in general.

Thanking You.

rgpnz.