Coming home from Houston to San Francisco in September - the weekend before Rita - my flight was oversold.

I agreed to be bumped in exchange for a F seat on the next flight, plus the $300 voucher they offered, and, since the next flight was to OAK, taxi fare home.

The Continental customer service desk did their best figuring that the taxi would be $50.00, and gave me a voucher for that amount. I listened in as two agents confirmed that Yellow Cab would do the run.

I got a Yellow cab at Oakland, and did the $78.00 run home. Then the cabbie refused the voucher. He called his dispatcher and was told that they no longer took vouchers from Continental - perhaps was from all airlines.

Not wanting to hold up the working man with protracted negotiations, I paid and tipped well.

Next day I called Continental and told the story as above.

"Just send us the receipt, and we'll cut you a check for $78.00," came the reply.

And that's just what they did! I was happily surprised.

BTW, I have no status on Continental. I usually don't fly where they go.