Continental airlines sucks...

[Eric 951]

flew them for the first time this past weekend.
outbound itinerary--Pit-Cle-Houst-Lubbock.

had left time for connections during my itinerary. Upon check-in in PIT, the idiot counterboy first tries to get me to use the kiosk--which I have done many times in the past on other trips, but I was checking a gun case with 2 shotguns, and wanted to purchase 2K worth of insurance on the case. He insists, start with the kiosk, I get 1/2 way through, and ask why they are trying to charge me for the gun case being over-sized, as shooting equipment and fishing/ski equipment are exempt. He looks, and says, just cancel it out, I will do it manually.
I again state I would like to purchase 2K worth of insurance on the guns/case--idiot boy is on the phone for 20 minutes, trying to figure it out, calls over other girl to help, no help--forthcoming--finally I give up,as there is 2,800 worth of combined coverage on both bags--and I had a plane to catch.
My Cle-Houston flight is delayed by 45 minutes. Jet is full--crappy movie Elizabethtown is shown. I LAND in Houston, quarter till, my plane leaves at 6:00 taxi, taxi. get to the jetway and literally have to sprint through the airport to make the Lubbock flight--all the terminals in Houston are connected via trams--waiting at the tram--catch tram..more sprinting--get to the gate, door is shut. I stand there, ticket agent opens door as she walks up from the jetway and lets me on--made it. Sweaty and had to endure stares from passengers who thought I was holding up their flight as I walked to the very last seat in the back corner of the plane.
Get my luggage in Lubbock--one of the hinges on the aluminum gun case is broken off--didn't notice this untill I get to my rental car,--hell with it--proceed to destination.
have a great hunt--carry-on cooler full of quail to take home to PA.
Yesterday, itinerary is lubbock to Houston to Pittsburgh arriving in Pit at 11:30 PM. Get to Lubbock airport--waiting for 4:05 flight--delayed. They announce flight won't leave Lubbock untill 5:30--hour and twenty minute flight to Houston, my Houston plane leaves at 7:05--not good. Go to counter agent with others who have connections--for my scenario, the best they can do is have me take this flight to Houston,and then they will put me on the first flight to Pittsburgh--which leaves at 1:20 PM on Tuesday(today) and arrives at 5:30 Pm (today). No other airlines have seats, no other destination cities are earlier--tried Cle, tried canton/akron, tried to get to Dallas then out--no go.
I inquire about compensation,a s the flight was delayed becasue they were waiting for a crew, they say, you will have to ask a customer service rep in Houston--nothing they can do in lubbock--so I would have to get a hotel, lose an entire day of work(and probably my cooler of quail)--because of their screw-up and possibly get nothing for it.
Plane arrives, board plane, get to Houston jetway at 7:00--hell with it, I will try--once again--sprint through airport--get to gate--sweet, they are still boarding. Sweaty...full jet...crappy turkey sandwich served as "dinner". Arrive in pittsburgh at 11:30--thinking my ordeal has ended. Guess what? bags didn't arrive. So now I am awaiting a call for when they will deliver my guncase holding 2 shotguns, and my suitcase holding boots, gloves, vests, and all my field equipment--if it shows at all.
I have flown every airline--even JetBlue when they were around--and I have never had a combination of incompetence and aggervation as I had on this trip.

Lesson learned--Continental sucks ass

[slakjaw]

damn dude, that sucks!

[red-beard]

The Problem is you flew through Houston at a time busier than Christmas. It was the NBA All Star game on Sunday. Monday at IAH sucked big time, but I had no trouble checking my extra bag with, uh, toys inside....

The first thing you should have done was told the 'boy' you need firearm declaration tags and usually that gets you attention.

I just flew from IAH to Midland without a problem.

One question. Why did you fly Continental? 3 connections? That is crazy! AA would have been Better with only 1 connection through Dallas and a lot less wait time. Even PIT to Dallas and rent a car to Lubbuck would have been shorter than 4 connecting flights.

[Eric 951]

Originally posted by red-beard

One question. Why did you fly Continental? 3 connections? That is crazy! AA would have been Better with only 1 connection through Dallas and a lot less wait time. Even PIT to Dallas and rent a car to Lubbuck would have been shorter than 4 connecting flights.

late plans. wasn't sure the trip was happening untill Tuesday. Cost also factored in. Ultimate destination wasn't Lubbock--drove further West from Lubbock. Dallas drive was too far to fit in with our schedule.

[legion]

You've never flown Metroject/U.S. Airways?

Then you'd know truly abysmal service.

Coming into a landing (in good weather) at Midway back in 2000, the pilot was swinging wildly from left to right 10 feet over the runway. Midway has two runways that form an "X". I saw the halfway point go by and we still hadn't landed...then all of the sudden, mid-swing...TOUCHDOWN! And then the reverse thrusters were full on. I'm surprised that flight didn't crash through the fence onto the street...

[Eric 951]

Originally posted by legion
[B]You've never flown Metroject/U.S. Airways?

]

Actually the majority of the flights I have taken have been USairways since their hub is here, but I have flown just about everybody except Alaskan: Southwest, Northwest, American, TWA, Piedmont, Jetblue, Valuejet, Americawest, Lufthansa, Hawaiin, etc. etc.

and never have I had so many screw-ups in so many different areas than on this freakin' Continental flight: delays, lost baggage, problems checking-in, and damaged bags. Just horrendous

[Tobra]

They all suck, Delta is much worse, in my experience

[masraum]

I've flown a ton of Continental since this is there hub. I've never had a problem. No lost luggage, no weird crap. I've had a couple of delays which are usually because of weather in some other part of the country, and every time they've ended up working something out so i got there on time.

You just got the one in a million ****ty days.

[singpilot]

I love hearing these stories. I do empathize, every once in a while I have to fly commercial.

I never wonder why my clients pay $25K for a one way ticket LAX to NYC in my airplane anymore. I leave when they get there. Their luggage (as much as they want) never gets left behind. The food is prepared aboard, and is all first class. How I fly makes a difference, and they know it. My repeat business has me booked for the rest of the year.

Every time I fly commercial, I know I'll have a job in the private jet business as long as I want one.


Sorry to hear about your ride. At least the guys you were hunting with didn't 'pepper' you.

[Tervuren]

Continental has never messed us up. Our family at the Charlotte airport, has gone from puling up at airport door, to parked and on the plane in just 12 minutes.

I think you just got bad string there.

Only air that has ever misplaced our luggage was Air Portugal.

[GDSOB]

I hope Delta goes belly up. They've had us by the balls with 80% of the routes out of Cincy. We need some competition.

[red-beard]

Seriously, the 4 legs with minimal connection time and flying through Houston during the NBA All Star game is extraodinary issues. Don't blame it all on Continental.

I was standed in Newark last week, mostly because my Travel Agent system put me through Newark instead of Cleveland (Houston to Buffalo), to save a couple of bucks. It happens, and this was a weather situation (serious wind storm in Newark).

Try 14 Hours from Charles de Gualle to Boston Logan! About 5 hours of that was in serious turbulance. We were diverted to Syracuse to re-fuel so we could go back to circling Logan!

[bigchillcar]

And then the reverse thrusters were full on.

speaking as a former learjet captain by profession...full thrust reversers are the norm, they ease the job of the brakes..and it beats going through the fence as you say!
ryan

[bigchillcar]

lol..procon. good one.
ryan

[bigchillcar]

lol..i saved it immediately, too.
ryan