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

[ls1222]

I still do not uderstand how hard it would be for the airlines to check the seating chart when making changes to keep families altogether. I don't care if it was a "cheap" seat or not, I don't think it is right to split up families. I hope I never come across this situation as some of you already have. I find it unacceptable that this is the way it works. I guess I will keep checking our flight for our Sept trip to make sure I can keep up to date on any changes. I would not want to sit with just part of my family. I guess I never realized before this thread, that this is such a common problem.

 

[SAKPEG99OKW]

Anne, I'm not sure who your post is directed toward but since I started the thread I am going to assume it was directed at me. So Anne, why so angry? I did'nt cheap out, just wanted our son on our lap. I did not post to get your simapthy. I posted to hear other members experiences. please keep your nasty comments to your self. People who have nothing nice to say should'nt say anything at all. Second I am always NICE!. Please don't
*** u me that people don't know what they are doing. I am a seasond traveler but have not traveld for business in over 3 years. I stopped traveling because I felt the time would be better spent with my loving family. In all the traveling I have done I never got my seat re-assigned only for upgrade, but I only traveled alone. This has never happened with my family and I have every right to be upset. That does'nt mean I am going to go postal at the airport. Even though you don't know me, please give me a little credit.

Scott

 

[lmhall2000]

Scott,
It can seem like a "glitch"in the well-laid out plans- I'm a "to the T" planner and I don't like things beyond my control. But I can add I've flown over 8 times with my children ages 6 months to 4- at one time I flew with a 6 month old, a 18 month old and a 4 year old- WHEW! I really needed Daddy's help with that flight- but of course our seats were not even close- we had bought four tickets and the 6 month old was going to be in our lap- well two tickets were frequent flyers and they didn't assign seats until you got there and they were unable to assign seats together when we booked the other three. We were a bit concerned- it was a 5 hour flight. But if you go EARLY and are one of the first ones to check in AT THE GATE- they ALWAYS have tried to arrange for us to be next to each other- sometimes it worked out to be two aisles but dh was always there to pass me a bottle. Only one time dh and ds (3) had to sit behind us- but that still was okay. And I'm sure you're a VERY nice guy and seeing a concerned Dad is so refreshing for anyone especially airline workers- who are used to some Dads that don't care what they're children are doing on an airplane. I bet it will work out and have a wonderful trip!
Tara

 

[ducklite]

Originally posted by Nathan's Grandma
SAKPEG99OKW

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.)

It's the same idea as buying a car. If you had three kids would you only buy a car with two seat belts in the back seat because you couldn't afford a model with three in the back? Of course not. You'd either wait until you could afford the car with the three seatbelts, or you'd find the money someplace.

It's the same idea with flying.

What will you do if you hit serious turbulence? Think about it now, because if you wait until it happens it will be too late.

Anne

 

[ducklite]

Originally posted by ls1222
I still do not uderstand how hard it would be for the airlines to check the seating chart when making changes to keep families altogether. I don't care if it was a "cheap" seat or not, I don't think it is right to split up families. I hope I never come across this situation as some of you already have. I find it unacceptable that this is the way it works. I guess I will keep checking our flight for our Sept trip to make sure I can keep up to date on any changes. I would not want to sit with just part of my family. I guess I never realized before this thread, that this is such a common problem.

Plane A has already sold half of it's seats and they are assigned to passengers who have chosen their seats all over the plane, and have bagged the coveted window and aisle seats.

Plane B has sold 30% of the flight, and those passengers who have bought tickets have booked their seats.

The carrier cancels Plane B and moved those passengers onto Plane A. They are the same equipment. But the passengers on Plane A are already in many of the seats that the passengers on Plane B had.

You can't expect the passengers on plane A (who have also bought tickets in advance) to "give up" their seating assignements. So the airlines just let the computer figure it out.

In the OP's case, the seat that didn't change was unassigned on the new flight, and the one that did was already assigned. The computer can tell that, so it reassigned the person who's seat assignment was overlapping.

There are some seats held back until the gate so the gate agents can juggle people to get families together. They also hold back the emergency rows and reassign pax to them at the counter/gate. We hve had several flights where we were booked three across and switched to the emergency row freeing up a three across.

I have never seen a case where no one would switch with another pax so they could be next to a younger child. In the case of the OP, the parent IS already with the child. He's at quite a disadvantage because he has two middle seats...and it's going to be a tough sell to get anyone to give up a aisle or window for that middle seat--but it might happen. The person in the window seat might be a child whose parent has been moved to an aisle seat someplace who would be more than happy to take the middle to be with their kid...and then it's possible that the person in the aisle where the wife is will be happy to switch aisle for aisle.

Anne

 

[Chuck S]

Mom & I usually fly Delta and ALWAYS buy our tickets months in advance. (We don't like changing in Houston with Continental). Even with tickets on the same itinerary AND pre-assigned seats, when there are equipment changes the seats are often separated. We've almost always been accomodated by checking in EARLY and nicely asking the gate agent if there is a possibility of getting seats together. 99% of the time it works out. If it doesn't work out - legally the airline is only obligated to get you TO and FROM the destination and seating is irrelevent.

 

[SAKPEG99OKW]

Carol A, why not. Why should I not expect to sit with my family on an airplane. Where is it written that just because the airline created some rule, that it's OK. This whole arrgument is crazy. I purchased tickets they assigned me seats, why should I not exprect to sit in those seats. I would never risk my sons safety, this was never a money issue. I could by 10 seats if I wanted too. It was and is just about sitting together, thats all. You can justify it all you want, but it will not work. The airlines have had a drastic decrease in customer service since 9/11. They are the only game in town and we/I will just have to live with it/them. The rules they have in place are there for just one reason to maximize profits, not customer service or loyality. This whole mess started becasue my original flight was a larger plane, which was not getting filled. So, Continental changed planes to a smaller plane in order to make the flight more profitable. Now I have no problem what so ever with the airlines making money. But everybody in business makes a bad decissions, but they live with them. Not the airlines, they chose to schedule a larger plane for this trip, when they could not fill they chaged the plane and by doing that my seating arrangements werer screwed up. So please don't insult me by trying to make this seem as my fault. Even if I had purchased a seat for my son, this still would have happened.

 

[ducklite]

I strongly disagree. I think that since September 11 the carriers have taken the extra step over and over to keep my business.

Here are some examples:

1. I booked with a carrier eight months out, and they changed the type of equipment to a type that I won't fly on. I found this out about three weeks prior to the flight, and they were more than happy to switch me to another flight--where I went from having a connection to being a non-stop. Yes, my seats were changed and we weren't together, but when we got to the airport we were able to get switched to seats together.

2. My flight was changed so that I arrived almost two hours later than originally planned. I got a full refund no questions asked and rebooked on another carrier for a lower price.

3. My flight was delayed for they ahd no idea how long. They put me up in the nicest hotel in town and put my confirmed on teh first flight out the next morning, plus paid for dinner and breakfast. The flight eventually did leave that night, but by the time it did, I was already in the hotel room with a full tummy watching tv, rather than sitting in an airport for seven hours.

4. The second leg of my flight was cancelled and I found out when I arrived in the connecting city(PIT). They had rebooked me on another flight into another city (LGA) and then were going to take me by shuttle to my original airport (EWR). This wasn't acceptable to me, so they offered me my choice of a room for the night and confirmed seat on the first flight out the next monring. I asked about another flight leaving within the hour to an alternate city (PHL) which they gladly booked me onto.

I've also gotten more free upgrades than I had ever gotten pre-September 11, and have found the agents to be much more willing to accomodate. had many of these things happened pre-September 11, I would have been told "Take it or leave it".

Anne

 

[prncess674]

Plane A has already sold half of it's seats and they are assigned to passengers who have chosen their seats all over the plane, and have bagged the coveted window and aisle seats.

Plane B has sold 30% of the flight, and those passengers who have bought tickets have booked their seats.

The carrier cancels Plane B and moved those passengers onto Plane A. They are the same equipment. But the passengers on Plane A are already in many of the seats that the passengers on Plane B had.

You can't expect the passengers on plane A (who have also bought tickets in advance) to "give up" their seating assignements. So the airlines just let the computer figure it out.

This is the most logical explanation I have heard. I am so glad someone is a voice of reason here. The facts are most flights are full of individual flights except to family vacation destinations such as Orlando. The airlines are not going to rewrite there computer programs to accomodate a few family routes.

Also if you do purchase a ticket for your child many times the child fare is the same price as the adult fare so the computer wouldn't know if it was a 5yr old or a 50yr old in that seat. I have the same last name as my parents and I am 28yrs old the computer has no way of knowing how old I am.

Maybe to make everyone happy we should fill the plane alphabetically so families can sit together but hey this still doesn't work because what if you remarry and your child now has a different last name than you.

No system is ever going to please all of the people all of the time. So if the original poster never wants to fly Continental Airlines again. Burn yourself out. CO will not miss your business. The internet is filled with stories of people who will not fly XYZ airline because of some perceived wrongdoing. Most airlines operate in the exact same fashion.

If you don't like the pre assigning seats you could always fly Southwest. I am sure if you switched to SW you would soon start yelling about having to get to the airport early to pick out seats.

You could have any seat you want in your car if you drove. I think this is the only way you are ever going to be happy.

 

[Nathan's Grandma]

I love SWA and wish we had one near us. We have to drive two hours (choice of three airports) which we have done before.

I would always know we would have a great choice of seats because I am married to the most on-time guy in the world.

Kathy

P.S. I think I just thank God that we are able to take a vacation this year. Many of our friends are out of jobs and would be happy to stay anywhere and sit in any seat just to go to Disney.

 

[sgtdisney]

Let me just start out by saying I can understand why SAKPEG99OKW is upset. Many people book tickets and fly on airlines because they offer assigned seating. Scott, I can understand your reasons for being angry and can empathize. However as the other posters have said when you buy an airline ticket you are buying passage from point A to point B. Nothing more. Is is a sad fact many airline travellers are unaware of. You aren't buying a flight on a certain plane, you aren't buying a flight at a certain time, you aren't buying seats. You are buying passage, period. That being said, it would be in the airlines best interests to try and keep you with your family if they can. However seat assignments, as with many things in life, are based on seniority. In this case what I mean by seniority is ticket price. The airline is going to accomodate the person paying 1000 for the flight before the person who paid 150. The airline is not partaking in some grand sceme to disrupt families, it really is all assigned by computer when equipment is changed and ticket price is probably taken into effect. Your best bet would be to get to the gate early and explain your situation to the agent. They may be able to accomodate you there.

I do know what it is like to fly apart from your family. We had to do it many times. However in our case it was because we were travelling in a non-revunue situation (dad was a pilot) so we had the absolute lowest priority. I know you paid for your tickets and expect service as well you should. Hopefully Continental will be able to accomodate you.

Let me also say that you should not feel bad about having a lap child, nor is that the reason this is happening to you. We travelled with my son and now my daughter as a lap child. Is it better to have a seat for the baby.. well, maybe. Our kids wouldn't stay in them if we had them. Wife fed/feeds them on take off and landing. Turbulance can happen at any time, sometimes when the baby is out of the seat feeding. You need to be prepared at all times, and I am sure you are.

Good luck and I hope this all gets worked out for you.

 

[jel0511]

I was one of the first respondents on this post and have seen this post turn into a VERY interesting thread. I have been in the OP's position many times flying with children, not just the scenario I quoted. I also always buy my children a seat for their safety, my comfort and those other passenger around me. Do I expect my entire family to be seated together? Not anymore, after all the changes I've had to endure flying. DH and I have been separate when just reveling alone, we've been separated traveling with YOUNG children. All I really ask for now is for one of us to be seated with one of our children. We have always gotten that accomdation (a little complaining has usually helped). I also agree with Ducklite that the airlines do seem more accomdating since 9/11 than prior. The worst situation I found myself in (the one originally posted) was prior to 9/11. Since then, anytime my children and I have been separated (yes it has happened since then), I've always gotten us back together, but usually it's 2 and 2. My DS was always tagged as an infant, since he was under 2 and was charged the infant fare, and yet twice since the first incident, we have been separated due to schedule and/or equipment changes. Since then I constantly check my reservations for changes. If I note a time change or an equipment change, I call the airline to check on my seat assignments. I know the seats are assigned randomly by a computer during such a change, and there is really nothing we can do about it. When traveling with young children, you need to be more proactive in looking at your ressies to monitor your assignments. But as posted by a previous poster, the airlines are not required to keep entire families together, nor will they unless you ask. Tey are entitled to have a child under 5 accompied by a parent/gardian, and if you call and point that out prior to your flight, you will recieve it. You might not all be seated toghether, but you will have a parent per child. That's exactly what the OP does have. One parent per child, since they only one child. I think he/she is a little annoyed, since their child is a lap baby and they had planned on "sharing" the holding of the cihld. Well, maybe the OP will learn a lesson, always buy your child a seat!!!!

 

[SAKPEG99OKW]

Just got a call from continental airlines executive offices in TX, where I called on tues. And guess what, we are now sitting together (IN FIRST CLASS). The woman applogized and thanked me for being a loyal continental customer.

Thanks for all the responses,

Everybody have a safe and enjoyable trip.


Scott

 

[sgtdisney]

Originally posted by SAKPEG99OKW
Just got a call from continental airlines executive offices in TX, where I called on tues. And guess what, we are now sitting together (IN FIRST CLASS). The woman applogized and thanked me for being a loyal continental customer.

I am glad that the airline was able to offer a solution that worked out well for you. Now you will have even more room to spread out with your lap child.. Have a great trip.

 

[prncess674]

Originally posted by SAKPEG99OKW
Just got a call from continental airlines executive offices in TX, where I called on tues. And guess what, we are now sitting together (IN FIRST CLASS). The woman applogized and thanked me for being a loyal continental customer.

Thanks for all the responses,

Everybody have a safe and enjoyable trip.


Scott

Frankly i think this is absolutely wrong. You stamped your feet like a two year old to get seats that you had no right to. You did not pay FC prices and you are not a CO elite. You do not deserve those seats as far as I am concerned but I guess you sometimes give a baby something just to shut them up.

 

[JOC]

 

[SAKPEG99OKW]

First of all princess i did not stomp my feet. I never raised my voice nor did a throw a fit, I just simply and calmly asked how we could be seated together. I NEVER asked for fist class. Frankly I think it's waste for fist class on a 2 1/2 hour trip. Third, why can't some of you people just be happy for somebody who had a bad situation that turned out well. Continental called me with a solution, not the other way arround. Agian, I NEVER asked to be bumped to first class. Also, how do you know what status i am?. I currently have over 200,000 one pass miles, thats a lot of traveling over the years if anything i earned these seats. Last, it should not matter what price you pay. The airline offered seats at a specific price, I agreed to that price. Just because I chose to purchase early does not make me cheap, or not entitled to something that somebody else might get because they paid full price (except first class). I buy a ticket in dec 02 and the person sitting next to me buys his/hers april 03 for a may 03 trip. I pay 1/2 fare he/she pays full fare. We are no different, we are just two people who purchased tickets at different times. I only purchased early to get the departure and arrival times we wanted that's it. I have paid 200.00 at RT and I have paid 450.00rt. At either price any body is considered a valued customer. Maybe you should stick to the facts in your posts instead of speculation and childish name calling........

 

[Nathan's Grandma]

I am happy for you... we have been changed to first class three times, not once by asking or complaining. We were told "Happy Easter" one year and put in first class when flying to Florida.

When flying back from Las Vegas and our flight was cancelled due to weather over Kansas. I think that time they gave it to us because I was nice and didn't care when we arrived home. We flew first class to Salt Lake City and then first class into Cincinnati.

It was a bumpy ride and the storms were beautiful but my son is 26 now and will not fly anywhere.

I am not a good flyer and I always like to sit behind the engines.

 

[SAKPEG99OKW]

Have a great time with your grandson. My son will be with his gradparents in sept03 at BWV. with all of us in 2bdr.

Have a wounderful trip.



Scott

 

[prncess674]

First of all SAKPEG99OKW

Calling and demanding to speak to the CEO IS STAMPING YOUR FEET. Also having 200,000 frequent flyer miles that you earned over several years is really small potatoes in the eyes of CO. I am a Platinum Elite flyer on continental. I FLEW over 100,000 miles with CO just last year and earned over 400,000 miles just last year. In the last three years I have earned over one million miles so don't talk to me about being a frequent flyer. YES YOUR OVERBEARING DEMANDS were unreasonable . The airlines were just trying to pacify you so you would shut up.