Just because you don't agree with it does not make it unproductive. I have basis for my opinion through multiple years as CO Elite. You have basis for yours, and you are free to offer or discuss your position as well. After all, this is a discussion board.


The OP asked for comments. He said, "Guilty until proven innocent is the Continental motto. Comments?"

I essentially agreed with this and said it's par for the course with CO. My experience with CO is pretty much in line with this posting.


It may, or it may save them unnecessary agony. If a company is going to be chintzy and waste your time, and someone with multiple years of Elite experience can reaffirm that for you, then they may realize they could be better off not bothering with the situation. It's up to them.

If you disagree, feel free to post your counter opinions, example, or whatever you'd like. If CO was receptive to handling a similar such situation for you in a simple manner to your satisfaction, by all means, post about it, and how you got it done. It'll certainly help the OP, other posters, and me (the next time CO tries to give me the shaft or runaround, I'd love to know the secret password).

I wish I had that comfort level with CO. Unfortunately, the fiery hoops they've put in my way to resolve issues have been excessive, and I cannot say I have the same level of faith in them. That's not to say they won't make it right in the end -- they just have a history of not making it easy on me to get to that end, which is why I don't partake in the CO lovefest that so often permeates this board.

BRC is Baggage Resolution Center, manned 24 hours a day in IAH, to answer questions, research the location of your lost bag and to authorize monies spent to replace items due to delayed bags.

You still have not told us what damage your bag suffered.

I still cannot understand the relevance of being a GOLD elite and travelling 300,000 miles. Are you saying non-elites and silvers are less entitled to baggage repairs, or maybe that if you were a platinum and flown 2 million miles you would have been treated better?

Several points.

1. Continental's flight was delayed by over 30 minutes.
2. Flight landed well after midnight
3. Continental did a switch-aroo on the Carousel after passengers had been waiting at the originally designated carousel for over 10 minutes.
4. I had an infant and a 13 year with me
5. The baggage desk was NOT open at 12:30 AM - so you are misinformed.
6. At EWR it is indeed Baggage desk who handles this and NOT Customer Service - so you are misinformed. AGAIN.
7. I did not notice the damage at 12:30 AM. Correct. I had 2 children who were very tired at 1 AM. Do you have children? Doesn't sound like it.
8. I have in the past taken my Samsonite bag that was CRACKED by CO to a local Samsonite store for repair. All I needed was Reference number from Continental central baggage claims department. - so you are misinformed. AGAIN. Three strikes.
9. Three Strikes. You are OUT already. However I thought I would add that as an ELITE member I expect to get better treatment by the airline in all aspects of my dealings with them. Just like I get Elite Access and upgraded to first classs(every so often). Do you know what it means to administer a loyalty program? Doesnt sound like it. Good bye.

I have to disagree, most carriers require that a person fill out the claim forms at the airport, or as LA posted bring the bag back.

I can tell you I know that some former bag repair centers in NYC area would work with the passenger no different then auto body shops work with the owner of a car to make sure theres enough damage to cover the persons deductable. here they made sure your bag was damaged in a way that the Carrier would pay for it to be repaired, needless to say the more damage the more they made and it was a way to make sure either the bag would be declared garbage and of cause youd have to get a new one from them or they made sure to cover even those things that werent, either way Passenger- 1 CO -0

I too am at a loss why the OP didnt take care of things when he was still at EWR, an out station might not have CO employees around but EWR sure does

Without commenting on the merits of your case, Elite treatment in situations is NOT one of CO's strongpoints. It's almost as if Elite status is not on their radar sometimes.

You dont seem to understand much about Airline Loyalty programs. So no point in trying to have a discussion regarding this topic with you.

You are Correct. "Elite" has just become a label for CO. It is a feel good term. Try boarding a plane at EWR these days. You will find more ELITE members than non-elite in the "Elite Access" line. CO is also SELLING the Elite brand by offering Credit Card programs for which they are charging phenomenal annual fees - up to $375 a year. And in many airports they will have a "Elite Access" rug lying near the security checkpoints, but the entrance to that line will be closed. So it is all a SHOW !

I hate to inform you but Elite Status is not a factor in repairing damage, issuing a voucher for the damage or paying you for replacing the bag. All customers are equal.

I am sorry that you did not discover the damage due to being delayed by 30 minutes. That your children were tired and that CO failed to off load the bags on the carousel that they claimed they were going to.

Cracks in hard sided bags are not always covered. That why the agent needs to inspect the bag.

As a New Jersey State Trooper would say - "Have a Nice Day".

My goodness . This is not a fight!!!! Please chill a bit. We do not come on here to fight each other but just to discuss mutual issues regarding CO. You will hear different views but please dont perceive them as personal attacks. I was not attacking you.

I do not sit here and blame you for not noticing your bags were damaged till you got home but just trying to understand the facts so we can be clear about the scenario we are discussing. What you describe changes the discussion a bit. We have all got home and noticed damage to our bags or something missing from the bags etc - stuff like this happens. If you had observed the damage at the airport and sought but did not find someone to report it to then that is a different scenario from the one now emerging. So it is not the case that you sought someone from CO and did not find anyone as your OP seemed to suggest. To say you sought help of CO at a CO hub and found no one is serious indeed - thankfully that was not the case as it now emerges.

And yes I do have children, and yes i have had damaged bags at EWR, and yes I did queue at the customer service line with an infant (and not the baggage claim desk) after a 7 hour transatlantic flight, and yes I was issued with a voucher at the customer service desk and I did get my bag repaired. Sorry though it was not a Samsonite...

Please dont strike me out - I am a mere contributor to FT...there are far more important things to get worked up about in life or get struck for than a damaged bag.

Maybe i dont and I am always prepared to learn more including how elite status has bearing on damage to baggage.

One thing you probably dont understand much though is the terms and conditions of flyertalk - I see you are new to this forum so i suggest you acquaint yourself with the T and C or sooner or later a suspension looms...

Welcome to flyertalk and again please this forum is not for personal fights and attacks. You obviously have come on board because of a greviance with CO and people here will try to help and will have different things to say for and against, but no need to attack others unnecessarily.

I dont think this is the damage to the current bag. It seems like a past incident.
I actually dont think the OP has still told us what damage his bag had, which is kind of not good.

It will be better if the OP posts a photo of the supposed damage.

^

Yes OP. We are just merely discussing your issue since you were the one who brought it up.

We all have various thoughts and opinions as you might have observed in this very thread.

It will be good to know what damage was done to your bag.
You mention something about a cracked hard-side bag. But that seems like an old incident.

It appears the OP would rather rant and try to pick a fight with fellow FTers than tell the group what damage was done to the bag. Nine posts from the OP and still the answer to the question "What damage was done to your bag?" has not been answered.

The OP has even tried to pick a fight with our resident CO baggage expert (sfogate) and still hasn't answered the question.

Some people are just not happy people in any situation. Perhaps the OP fits that description.

However, we do know the OP is GOLD.

It looks like the OP tried to answer the damage question in post 24, but it is embeded in a quote of ani90. It may be a 5" crack in the shell.