It was to be a memorable vacation tour, with my soon to be 11 year old son. Traveling to Israel was our first trip out of the country. After my 18 year old suddenly went home to be with the Lord, after a one week ilness with spinal meningitis, I realized how important it was to spend quality time with the other four children while they were growing up. Joshua had wanted to be bapitized in the Jordan River for several years, so when our former church announced that they were taking a group tour in May 2007 we signed up. Our journey began our of Nashville, with a change of planes at the Newark, NJ airport for transfer on to Continental Flight 84 with a departure time of 9:35 a.m. on May 7th. We were early arrivals to the Newark Airport and the airline area was closed off. When they finally opened up the area, approx. 2 hours before departure, we were the 3rd and 4th persons to enter the Continental waiting and check in area. We were as excited as can be going on an adventure for the first time together as father and son. Our travel agency had sent us our tickets, and we had discovered that the seating for the two of us was 34B and 34E. We were told that the flight was full and that seat change requests could be handled at the check in counter. I proceeded to the check in counter as after showing my tickets and explaining how I would like to have my seating for this 10+ hour flight next to my soon, was told in a very curt manner by the young lady behind the desk that I would have to just wait and to have a seat. My son remarked how rude she was, and I agreed. We sat down for a while and after approx. 20 minutes, I observed a lady in a bright colored jacket, different than the other employees behind the counter. I presumed that she was a supervisor so I returned to the counter and asked if she was a supervisor. She also very curtly responded that she was a team leader and how could she help me. I explained to her my desires and she immediatly said in a very unfriendly manner "you will just have to wait. IWe have to get other people checked in and we are aware of your request. I looked at her name badge, which she noticed, and in a very cocky manner said "would yo like my name?" (which I felt she was now trying to intimidate me). I said yes, please and she responded "Judy".
Now I know about the security concerns for Israel so I thought perhaps this was adding stress to these folks job, although I was happy to be on this first time trip with my son, was actually becoming disgruntled at how rude these employees were, especially in light of the several thousand dollars we had spent for this trip. Soon after, a man in a suit walked out from behind the area behind the counter partition and walked across the room. I approached him and asked him if he was a supervisor, hoping to register a complaint about the rudeness of these employees. Instead of answering whether he was a supervisor, he immediatly said"how can I help you?" I explained to him about my simple desire to sit with my son, and he said "did the lady at the counter not tell you that one hour prior to check in, seat changes can be made from the seats for people that had not checked in yet?" I said "No, they haven't informed me of that, but they have been rude in the two times I have been to the counter and I don't appreciate it". He said "we have added security concerns here" and I said, "I can understand that, but it still is not a reason for rudeness. Even my son observed this, he'll tell you how we were treated." My son then began to tell him, and Mr. Ed Cole cut him off and looked at me in a very serious manner and firmly said to me, "He learned that from you" and walked away. At one hour before flight time, I returned to the podium and spoke with Judy again. With a chessy cat smile she said, we have new seats for you. As she gave me the seat assignments I looked and noticed that they appeared to be the last row on the plane. Having a bad lower back and knowing most back row seats do not recline I asked her if this was the last row? She said "yes and that is all that I have, we have a full flight and I had to move some other people around to get these for you" in a very sarcastic and rude manner. I thought to myself, this is ridiculous and called my travel agency on my cell phone. They asked if they could speak to Judy and I said sure and offered Judy to speak with them, and she very rudely said "I am not speaking to anybody on your phone". (I could appreciate that but not in such a nasty tone). I then informed her that I would keep our original seats and thanked her anyways for her efforts; (knowing that once I boarded the plane, that by telling a stewardess of our desire, she would most likely be able to accomadate us; which is exactly what happended once we boarded).
Why am I posting this long post? Because in all of my 36 years of traveling, I have never been treated so disrespectfully by any airline agency's personnel. I will make it a point to never fly Continental Airlines again and as a business owner will insure that I inform others about the lousy, disrespectful service that they offer. Next year, when I fly my family of six from Atlanta to London, you can bet that Continental Airlines will not be this families airline of choice and in fact, if we have to, I will fly to another airport in Great Britain before I spend anymore of my money at Continental Airlines. If they can rationalize these rude peoples behavior, towards a father and son, excited and happy on a morning of their first adventure together and completely ruining the start of our trip then they have no business in trying to earn my business in the future or my money. [Name and email address deleted by moderator]