Originally Posted by drew.clarke

Hi all. Not sure if this is in the right section but here goes anyway.

I have just started using Continental to fly to Tucson via IAH from LHR.

On the 24th I was in bound to IHR from LHR and my flight was delayed. This meant that it was touch and go that i would make the connecting flight. However i got news from my partner that my connecting flight was also delayed for the same period (30mins).

I cleared immigration and sprinted to Terminal B and arrived at the gate, the plane i was booked on was still there. I asked the gate operator if i could go on, they took my ticket and went to the plane, came back and said, "No its gone" rather bluntly.

The plane didn't leave for another 15/20mins, it would seem i was bumped and a person on standby got my ticket.

Having never had this problem before i was kind of baffled and was put on standby for the next two Tucson flights. Both of which were overbooked and full.

Subsequently i was unable to get on both of these flights and i was becoming more and more distraught that i may potentially have had to spend Christmas Eve and Morning in Houston waiting for a plane.

I finally managed to get on the last flight out at 9:15pm having only found out that i had a ticket at 9:00pm. This was some 7 hours after the original flight.

I got speaking to a Platinum member who said that they should have removed the standby flyer from my seat and put me on that plane. Apparently i should have made more of a stink about it.

Whilst i understand that flights get delayed and i might miss flights, in this instance i feel that the gate operator should have made more of an effort as i was there with plenty of time to go.

Is this worth pursuing, especially if i intend to make 7/8 trips to the US a year? The whole time I was there the Continental reps were unhelpful, rude and surly.

Thanks!