Fed up with Continental !!!!!!!! (long)

[SAKPEG99OKW]

The US airlines have us all by the ba**s........

I purchased ticktes for my DW and I back in December for our upcoming may trip. I purchased early for two reasons. Fairly cheap price 200.00 rt from ewr to mco direct and so we would be sitting together near the front of the plane. Well, we got assigned seat 10A and 10B. All was fine.

Decided to check our flights today with Continental and low and behold our plane had been changed. Since the plane was changed, everybodys seats had to be re-assigned. Well they kept me in 10B and put my wife and 16month old son in 29B. How could they be so stupid and ignorant. The operator told me the flight was almost booked that there were 8 seats left and none of them were together. So after calling the corporate offices and asking for the CEO (did'nt speak to him and never expected to) my wife and I are in different rows next to eachother.

This whole situation is totally unexeceptable, but what can I do!!!!
The dam plane is full. Like I said the have us by the B***s.

What do you think..........


Scott

 

[apagano]

I think that on the day of your flight you should politely ask the flight attendants to find somebody sitting in the vicinity of your wife and child who might be willing to switch seats. It's unfortunate that this happened but it's more common than you think. Somewhere in the small print it probably explains that seat assignments are not guaranteed no matter when you book.

On the other hand, when your kid starts screaming on the crowded plane you might be thankful that you're 19 rows away

 

[supergoofy]

**** continental i called on the second of april to postpone our trip because my mother died well i waited 20 or so minutes to get a customer service rep and i ask for either a refund or see about rebooking and was told i can rebook for a fee and i must rebook prior to our departure day which was the 4th of april and i ask if there is any way to postpon it farther give me some time to rebook my vacation with work, juggle school and am told by the fourth so i am angry now so i ask for the supervisor and he tells me i did not ask the right question and his agent thought i wanted a refund on a nonrefundable ticket. i explained again i needed a longer extension and finally after an hour and half call i got a thirty day waiver. next instead of billing me on my credit card they billed my old bank card to purchase the tickets the first time and now refuse to issue a credit what they don't know is that card is void and the bank is stopping all funds. i have a feeling this is going to be a headache with them all the way till we return home. i refuse to fly continental anymore their service is horrible.

 

[jel0511]

SAKPEG99OKW - What has happened to you has happened to me multiple times on US Air. We always bought a seat for our children when they were under 2 and they once had all 4 of us scattered around the plane!!!! One in row 6, another in row 11, then row 16, then row 29. You get the picture!!! Well, I was told there was nothing they could do, check with the gate agent, flight full!! So, check with the gate agent, and she told me she'd "fix it". Well, they start boarding.... I then ask this FA if this had been fixed. She said no!!! Well, I held up boarding until they had us sitting with our children, who were 3 and 4 months at the time. The FA had the nerve to tell me that no one would want to sit next to an unaccompied child and I'm sure they'd switch. I was NOT going to strap my 4 month old DS in, stand there and pray the person didn't want to sit next to him!!!! Ended up 2 and 2, but better than scattered!!! This was pre Sept 11th, I think I would have been arrested if this was post Sept 11th. I wrote a letter to US Airways, and they responded they they can not guarantee seats together for any party due to schedule or equipment changes. I now constantly re-confirm my airline reservations about once a week to just make sure there have been no changes and can catch an equipment change or schedule change quickly.

 

[seashoreCM]

As Delta began changing some of their Delta Express flights to Song flights, the seat maps for the Boeing 757 planes as shown to ticket purchasers were at first compatible (common denominators) both with the old Delta seat arrangement and the new Song seat arrangement. So they could have saved everyone's seat position. But later they decided to make another seat map change and renumber the rows making the seat maps incompatible. When I checked several flights (at random) I noticed that eveyone was re-assigned, filling in all rows starting at the front. Gradually people started making new seat requests. Of course, no one could move closer to the front until someone else made a seat request further to the back.

It will take some time for the refurbished planes with the new seat arrangement to be readied for Song. I can expect an old plane to show up for on a flight with the new seat plan from time to time resulting in a sudden massive seat re-assignment at the airport on departure day. If they had kept the compatible seat plan this problem would not happen and only the small (large for United) number of late booking customers told to get seats at the airport would be affected.

If you charged the tickets to an expired or cancelled credit card and you have a new credit card from the same bank, the charge will probably catch up with you.

(copied from another post)

YOu really shouldnot have too much trouble as a family of four seated 2 in one place and 2 in another. Have one parent sit with each child. Also feel free to get up and check on the children. This latter is sometimes enough to get other passengers to switch with you in the middle of the flight.

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[ls1222]

Why do they switch seats around when there is a plane change? Shouldnt the plane be similiar in seating arrangements? We usually fly Continental so I guess I'll be checking our flights often. I just bought for our September trip. I guess I just don't understand why 10B couldnt remain 10B?

 

[CarolA]

I hate to be the bearer of bad news, but the ticket you purchased only gurantees you a seat. That would be ANY seat! It does NOT guarantee you a particular seat no matter how far in advance you booked. I think you did pretty good that the first seating change did not have your 16 month sitting by himself!

As for the changes due to deaths, you will find that this is not just Contential. ALL the majors (not counting SW and Airtran) have gotten that way. NO exceptions including death. I hate it, but.... they claim they needed to do it to make money.

 

[maggiew]

I understand that the airlines can't guarantee a seat - that they are only obligated to get you from Point A to Point B - but putting a 4 month old by themselves!!!!!!!!!! That is ridiculous and I would have done the same thing as Lori and thrown a fit.

Maggie

 

[NotUrsula]

I've done a fair amount of research into the rules that govern how children fly on US carriers. I've spoken to FAA representatives about it, and I've got an FAA letter interpreting the rules about the onboard use of child restraint systems. I'll issue a disclaimer here to say that I don't work for an airline, but I've flown with a young child on nearly every airline still flying. When I first started flying with DS, I got conflicting info from airline personnel about seat assignments for children, so I went directly to the FAA to find out what the rules, if there were any, really said.

A child under age 5 cannot fly unaccompanied on any US carrier. According to the info I was given by the FAA, the reason for the rule has to do w/ the oxygen masks; a child younger than that is presumed to be unable to understand how to put one on without assistance. (BTW, the masks are also the reason why 2 lap children may not be seated in the same row; there is only one extra oxygen mask in each row.)

If a child under 5 flies without an accompanying adult sitting within reach, an FA will have to oversee that child's behaviour to make sure that the child is not doing anything hazardous to himself or other passengers. They do not want this responsibility. They have it in their power to make passengers move, and I guarantee you, they will force someone to move if it comes to that. It is true, however, that the airline does not promise that 2 adults will be seated next to any child, even a really young child. One adult is presumed to be able to handle the responsibility.

If you are flying with a young child, the best way to keep an adult next to that child is to use a carseat, and to tell the airline at the time of purchase that you will be using a carseat. There are FAA restrictions governing the placement of carseats, so if a whole flight is changed, seats flagged for a CRS should get reassigned first. The rest of the party normally gets reassigned at the same time.

Just FYI: carseats (aka "CRS") must be placed in the window position unless the aircraft is a widebody, in which case they can go in the center middle seat. They cannot be placed in exit rows, and they also cannot be placed in the row immediately in front of an exit row. These rules insure that the seat will not block anyone's path in the event of an emergency evacuation.

 

[SAKPEG99OKW]

Guys thank you all so much for responding. It is a comfort to know I am not the only one. Although it still burns me up that the airlines have this much controll over my vacation. I only hope that the gate attendent can seat us all together.

Everybody have a safe and uneventfull flight.

Scott

 

[Mskanga]

Tha happened to us too going to Florida in 2001, they placed the four of us in different seats all scatered, my youngest was 4 years old then , my oldest 8. I did not understand why they would separate us if the four of us had purchased the tickets at the same time, the four of us had the seats assigned at the same time and the four of us have the same lastname.
Needless to say that I did the same thing, I refused to board the plane until a solution was reached. Still with that guess what they did?? they put dh and myself together and the children together 10 rows away, so we switched seats with one child and we both sat down with one child.
I cannot understand why after having seats assigned , people have to be moved to other seats and split groups or families. If anything happens to that plane, who is going to help my child ?

the airline does not promise that 2 adults will be seated next to any child, even a really young child. One adult is presumed to be able to handle the responsibility.

Now THAT is wrong, I travel sometimes overseas alone with my two children and I would not feel comfortable putting my now 10 yr old 10 rows away from me.

 

[Nathan's Grandma]

My husband thinks I am obsessed , but with three time changes and one cancelled flight with Delta, I check several times a day. We have nine in our party with one being a 10 month old I am not taking any chances. We are not all together now but the baby is not by himself.

One good thing came out of it, we are now on a direct flight out of a different airport.

Kathy

 

[Baileymouse]

Being a frequent user of the EWR-MCO route, I always look for an airline other than Continental. I had major problems with them in the 80s, flew them again in the mid 90s and had more problems, and was stuck flying them again in early 2001. They NEVER respond positively to customer complaints. Therefore, they don't receive my business.

When the tickets are assigned the infant is coded so that they know a baby will be on the flight - it's sheer lunacy for them to break up a party which booked well in advance. Continental dropped the ball and they should rectify the situation. To me, it's more of the same from them - they never admit their mistakes.

 

[prncess674]

I think you need to take a deep breath. If I am reading your post correctly you didn't purchase a seat for your child. Your child is a lap child, therefore your child will not be separated from a parent. The airline does not have any reason to make sure two grown adults are sitting together unless you are siamese and attached literally at the hip.

Aircraft changes and minor flight time changes happen all the time. There are not evil agents ploying in the background trying to mess up your vacation. Most reassignments happen automatically in the background by computers.

If you are not happy with your seat assignments I recommend that you check with CO 5,3, and 1 day prior to your flight. This is when CO upgrades there elite passengers to First Class. Platinums at 5, Golds at 3, and Silver at 1. This will usually free up some seating in the main cabin. (I am a Platinum CO Elite)

MCO is not a very profitable route for the major airlines. People generally buy very cheap tickets and plan well in advance. It is estimated that only 10% of the plane is really "paying" for the full cost of the flight. Airlines make there money from the last minute weekly business traveler not the once a year value leisure traveller. CO has fufilled there end of the bargain and more. They are getting you to your destination.

You are very lucky that CO is even letting you change your original reservation. In recent months they have bent the rules. Any ticket changes would have required a $100 change fee under the old rules.

Calm down don't become irate with a Gate Agent when you get to the airport demanding to speak to the CEO. As a side note CO is headquartered in Houston so the CEO wouldn't even be in EWR or MCO.

 

[TandyR]

I refuse to do business with Continental ever again. Last year I was flying to Ft. Myers, FL from Portland, Maine...three months out and then less then a month out they changed my flight from a Portland, Maine to Ft. Myers and back trip to a Boston to Ft. Myers and back to Boston trip. They did this without talking to me or anything. I just found out because I called to get my flight arival time so I could give it to a friend who was joining me in Ft. Myers. When I told them that I would not except a flight out of Boston I had to go up three rungs in the hirearchy before they would give me my money back...at first they refused to do anything...then they refused to give me cash back...finally they would give me my cash back and booked with AA for $59 more then with Continental it was well worth it because they treated me well the whole trip. It just didn't seem that Continental understood that I paid to go from point A to point B (being Portland to Ft. Myers) and they instead want to fly me from a point C (Boston) to Ft. Myers and that isn't what I was paying for. So after that I refuse to do business with Continental ever again....well at this point I am refusing to do business with all airlines....Amtrak is getting my money right now....they are wonderfully helpful and nice and I can't say enough wonderful things about them right now. Our Feb 2004 trip we are taking train to Orlando and my yearly trip to hangout with my Girlfriends I am taking the train to BWI.

 

[ducklite]

All I can say is--I hope that you do'nt run into the turbulence we had on our last flight home from MCO...it was so bad that they couldn't even do beverage service. Thanks God there were no lap babies, or they would have been "head in the roof" babies.

Frankly I don't have any sympathy for you. You paid a rock bottom rate, cheaped out and didn't bother to safeguard your child. You obviously aren't a FF with any airline, so frankly, they are laughing at your temper tantrum (I would be).

If they bumped one of you, then I would say you have a right to complain. But you have seats, and that's all they are obligated to do for you.

If you are NICE, you'll probably be able to switch at the gate, or even once you get on the plane and sit either with or near your wife. but if you get on and start acting like a jerk, no one will switch with you.

Anne

 

[ls1222]

I don't blame you for being angry. I think it is very important that my family (2A3C) sit altogether. I would never buy the tickets if the seats were scattered around the plane. I want 5 seats together and expect 5 seats together. We fly Continental out of Cleveland and have always had good service. When I purchase the tickets if the seating chart did not have 5 seats together, I would look for another flight. Why wouldnt they look at last names when they move everyones seat assignments? Why would I want my husband and one or two children 10 rows away? It is a family vacation, and it is nice to be together on the plane as well. I would try not to throw a tantrum but I would really expect to be together.

 

[prncess674]

Why wouldnt they look at last names when they move everyones seat assignments?

I repeat there are not evil demon agents looking to spoil your vacations. Most reassignments are done by computer. Priority for reseating is first given to the airline's elite flyers (the one's who are footing the bill) and then all the rest are reassigned rather randomly by computer. Most airlines hold back seats for assignment at the gate spefically for separated family situations. The whole family may not be together but there will be a parent with every child.

 

[Nathan's Grandma]

SAKPEG99OKW

I don't think you are cheap for not getting a seat for your child and I don't feel like anyone has the right to criticize you for it. We don't know you or your circumstances. Our grandson is on a different itinerary because my daughter could not afford a ticket and we were going to hold him on our laps (we have eight of them on the flight.) After reading the boards I called and found out the ticket was at a discount and went ahead and bought it for my Grandson and then told my daughter.

We have flown many times with friends and never had anyone of them ever purchased a ticket for their child under two.

We purchased our tickets way ahead of time so all nine of us could sit together. If it were possible I think when seats are wiped out and redone in the computer it should go by when the seats were purchased, maybe. I haven't a clue how the process is done so I am not going to criticize it. They put special instructions on our tickets to make sure we were with Nathan and on all three times things changed they never looked at the special instructions once. They have been very good about taking care if it though.

Have a great trip!

 

[CarolA]

You and your family are NOT guaranteed seats together. Please remember this. Yes, they will normally try to work with you to get at least one adult with a child, but there is NO guarantee that all of you will be together. Purchasing your ticket 330 days in advance does NOT gurantee your seat won't be moved. The flight equipment could change 5 times in that year.

Always remain polite in the airport. Becasue it is not just the gate agents and flight attendants watching. The passenger you or the flight attendant is going to ask to move so you can sit next to your wife is watching also. And if I have seen you acting out I am a WHOLE lot less likely to give you what you want. I also know that the agents can put notes on your file. And if you have called and acted out they will know and may be more likely to ignore you at the gate.

Yep, cheap seats are the most likely to get moved around on ALL the airlines. Cont. does not have a lock on this. If you read these boards, there is at least one person who is never flying Delta, USAir, United, SW, AirTran, etc... for reasons of seats and/or schedule changes.

Now I will say this. I used to think lap children were fine. ANd then I saw some stuff on air turbulence and some interviews with flight attendants on what they had seen. If you can possibly afford it, I strongly recommend you buy a seat for your child. I do realize that not everyone can afford it, but I also have sat next to parents who told me "I just assumed there would be an empty seat, or I would have bought one for my child" On the flights I have been on lately, that would be a bad assumption.