Originally Posted by robyng

Thanks for the explanation. If I had to guess - our plane was there (I saw it from the time I arrived at the gate) - but - because of the slight delay out of EWR - we needed a new crew (I'm not sure what the "in flight limits" are - but I recall they're about 8 hours - and a trip from EWR to LAX and then to IAH would be cutting it close - a slight delay on EWR/LAX would push it over the limits). So arrangements had to be made for another crew arriving from another flight to take the LAX/IAH flight.

If you are from Continental (you used the term "we" - so I suspect that) - I can tell you this place was clean and basic (I usually travel in luxury hotels but I think I can recognize clean and basic). The hotel was the Baymont on the Beltway 8 (something like that) - and since stranded travelers paying with airline vouchers apparently account for a lot of its business - I would insist on replacement of the hotel van (probably cheaper than making everything like the seatbelts work and sewing up all the foam popping out of the seats). I would also suggest cleaning the hair and other debris out of the tubs more frequently (although perhaps our room had this problem and others didn't).

Also - I would make sure the staff - especially in the restaurants - makes a living wage. Although I am pretty much a luxury traveler - I am also pretty sensitive about the working poor (who - these days - can be the working destitute). Many travelers who are stranded these days aren't used to staying in hotels - or dining in restaurants - or tipping (and - even if they are - many of them have been squeezed by economic conditions too). Many are also PO'd about being stranded in the middle of a trip - not in the best frames of mind. I realize the people who work in these hotels aren't your employees - but I hate to see people who are hard working and pleasant winding up with one or two tables tipping when they're serving 20. I know that airlines aren't doing so great these days - but there aren't many airline employees working for $3.50/hour plus tips.

Finally - it's funny that this was our first domestic CO trip in a while. Last trips were to Germany and Japan. Really nice - and not a missed connection in the lot. Go figure. Robyn