Contiental Airlines

[Hawaiibarb]

When I receive especially good customer service, I believe in spreading the word. But this time I'm spreading the word babout really poor customer service on Continental Airlines.

We've probably all had itineraries changed at one time or another, but usually it's not too major. I'm flying non-stop from Honolulu (overnight) to Newark, NJ. Then I had a 4 hour layover before their flight to Burlington, VT (my fall trip to the Trapp Family Lodge). I wasn't happy with the 4 hour layover, but I was resigned to it. NOw I've gotten the dreaded email that they changed my itinerary, and they have simply cancelled the flight I was on to Burlington and put me on a 9 pm flight to Burlington, which gets in at 10:30, after which I have an hour's drive to Stowe. You can imagine how lively I'm going to be feeling.

So I talked with Continental, hoping they could re-route me so that I would not arrive so late and exhausted. The agent I spoke to was named Andrea, and she was courtesy personified, but she couldn't help me; she suggested I speak with a supervisor.

In a nutshell, she couldn't have cared less. Lectured me that airlines have a perfect right to cancel flights; every respose she made sounded "canned", i.e. this is what you say to an angry customer. When I asked if a re-routing was possibile, since Continental had made my trip so much more difficult, she reluctantly checked, and found out that there was another way to get me there earlier, but she was unwilling to do so unless I paid over $300 for the change.

So.....I informed her that, as a matter of principle, I was not willing to pay that amount of money for something which I considered Continental's responsibility. She responded that I did have a choice of airlines, and I assured her that this was the last time I would fly Continental, barring a true emergency when I had no other choice.

So don't expect Continental to honor their reservations or expect that they will work with you to retain you as a satisfied customer.

And yes, Continental Customer Service will also be hearing from me.

[BMWguynw]

Barb, I feel your pain. Been there, done that, many times. But before going to all that trouble, wouldn't it be possible to call Continental back and see if you can get a different result by speaking with a different supervisor?

Sort of like the games we play with RCI: Their staff is as varied as the places they won't let us vacation to...

Dave

[Dave M]

What you have experienced has become relatively common on the big U.S. legacy airlines: significant schedule changes and the resulting disruption of carefully made flight plans. You could change "Continental" to any of the other major airlines and hear numerous stories like yours, some of which have been reported on this forum in recent months.

You have some options. Take a look at page 33 and 34 of CO's Contract of Carriage, the document that amounts to a legal contract between you and CO. CO is supposed to reroute you at no additional cost to you. It sounds like they offered to do so, but for a routing that isn't acceptable to you. As you will see at the link, it is “at its election” (CO’s) as to how far they go in offering a better schedule for you. However, I would call and try once more, asking if the rep can get a supervisor's approval for an override for any additional charge (if one is proposed).

Before you call, be sure you know what your options are. As specified under "Schedule Change" on page 34, one of your options is to ask for a complete refund of what you paid (without any penalty, even if the tickets are non-refundable) and reschedule on another airline (e.g., HNL-Cincinnati-BTV on Delta or HNL-Chicago-BTV on United). If you go that route, be sure you know what those other fares will cost before you take that option.

Be sure to have a smile on your face and in your voice throughout your call. A customer service rep is a lot more likely to want to help you if you take a positive approach. I take about 30 round trips on planes each year. Thus, your experience has happened to me more often than I care to remember. It happens and I’m used to it. One of the first things I do after explaining I'm calling about the schedule change is to cheerfully say, "I'll bet a lot of people talk to you about these schedule changes as though it's your fault!" I go from there – positively, never demanding, and the result is that I have always felt they are busting their whatever to help find an acceptable solution for me. Sometimes there is no good solution. When that happens, I chalk it up as something I simply couldn’t control.

[kellest1]

one of your options is to ask for a complete refund of what you paid (without any penalty, even if the tickets are non-refundable) and reschedule on another airline (e.g., HNL-Cincinnati-BTV on Delta or HNL-Chicago-BTV on United). If you go that route, be sure you know what those other fares will cost before you take that option.

Could you cancel as stated above & then rebook with CO on the new route thus avoiding the $300.000 penalty?

Steve

[Hawaiibarb]

Thanks for all these suggestions. I did write customer service and requested the update. The re-routing the supervisor found would have been fine for me, but not at a high additional cost.

I've often had my itinerary changed, but never to this degree. The previous ones I just went with the flow, but I would never have made a reservation with such a long layover which gets me to my final destination so late (actually, not my final destination, because I still have an hour's drive from Burlington to Stowe).

I will follow through on the other suggestions you offered.

Many thanks!

Barb

[Hawaiibarb]

I promised an update when I had more news. I never got an answer from customer service, so on to the next step. a fellow TUGger gave me the email address of the CEO of Continental Airlines. I sent him a brief email, attached the letter I had sent to Customer Service and asked for his assistance. I said I had enjoyed flying Continental in the past (true), but that I would not fly them again if we could not resolve my problem.

To tell you the truth, CEO's and I generally do not rub shoulders, but I figured he should be concerned about poor customer service. Today I got my answer......the re-routing I requested! I was sure I'd be squashed in the middle of a row of seats, because it is late for seat selection, but all my seats are very satisfactory!

Mr. Kellner, if you see this, I thank you again.

And to all who offered suggestions, and especially the person who helped me out with Mr. Kellner's email address, many thanks!

Barb

[UWSurfer]

It's a shame it took going to the top for what amounts to a simple re-route change waiver, but often the big companies systems don't provide for the people working within them to behave like smart business people.

Congratulations. How's that shoulder feeling now that it rubbed up against a CEO?

[Hawaiibarb]

It feels really great! I didn't think it would turn out well, but he now has a cheerleader instead of a very unhappy camper! Now if I just make it through all my connections!

Barb