the beginning of the end?
Sep 3, 10, 1:22 am
#1
Original Poster
Join Date: Mar 2004
Location: Tucson, AZ USA
Programs: Membership has its benefits, or so I am told.
Posts: 265
the beginning of the end?
I just want to whine a minute about my favorite airline which is slithering further into the slime of mediocrity every day, and that makes me sad
so, I KNEW the web site was down today, and I KNEW all the CSRs could report was "they don't know what's wrong" and "no, they don't know when it will be back up" - and frankly, I would have been ok with this, had it been UA I was calling, knowing I was getting a call center overseas - heck I even attributed the web site being screwed up to UA.....
However, I WAS still calling CO, according to everything I have read and everything the CSRs told me, and so I am a little confused as to WHY it was so vague and laissez faire? I mean, if I called the little bagel store down the road and said, hey, your web site is down, you can bet the person on the phone would have been more helpful or informed, and MIGHT even have offered to take my order over the phone at no additional charge? Not so with CO.
CO is not a bagel store. If millions of dollars of flight revenue can't be booked, don't you think you would put out a system alert with a TAD more information?
So, I finally was able to book my flight...and because it is after midnight, i have lost the advance purchase and had to change my dates, which is OK, since this is just a MR to keep Elite for 2011, with a few days to watch the leaves change, and it was all fine. So I go to print out my record, and it only has HALF the itinerary on it?! TUS - LAX and DEN - LAX. Strange....Since I need to email the itinerary tonight to someone, I went to my CO account to pull it up, and I keep getting error error error....
I call the Elite Desk to ask if my reservation went through and what is wrong with the record that it won't print properly. I get a terse, snippy reply, basically saying YES it went through - SHE can see it and there is NOTHING she can do. I told the CSR I knew there was nothing SHE could do, (just like there was NOTHING the CSRs this afternoon could do about the website), but could she please email me the itinerary. She said her system was done, and I would have to try again tomorrow.
Again, if it was the little bagel store down the road messing up my order, I wouldn't be so worried, but this is CONTINENTAL?
ok...I am better now...thanks for letting me voice my utter disappointment in CO....I feel like a mom who's A student was just suspended.....
so, I KNEW the web site was down today, and I KNEW all the CSRs could report was "they don't know what's wrong" and "no, they don't know when it will be back up" - and frankly, I would have been ok with this, had it been UA I was calling, knowing I was getting a call center overseas - heck I even attributed the web site being screwed up to UA.....
However, I WAS still calling CO, according to everything I have read and everything the CSRs told me, and so I am a little confused as to WHY it was so vague and laissez faire? I mean, if I called the little bagel store down the road and said, hey, your web site is down, you can bet the person on the phone would have been more helpful or informed, and MIGHT even have offered to take my order over the phone at no additional charge? Not so with CO.
CO is not a bagel store. If millions of dollars of flight revenue can't be booked, don't you think you would put out a system alert with a TAD more information?
So, I finally was able to book my flight...and because it is after midnight, i have lost the advance purchase and had to change my dates, which is OK, since this is just a MR to keep Elite for 2011, with a few days to watch the leaves change, and it was all fine. So I go to print out my record, and it only has HALF the itinerary on it?! TUS - LAX and DEN - LAX. Strange....Since I need to email the itinerary tonight to someone, I went to my CO account to pull it up, and I keep getting error error error....
I call the Elite Desk to ask if my reservation went through and what is wrong with the record that it won't print properly. I get a terse, snippy reply, basically saying YES it went through - SHE can see it and there is NOTHING she can do. I told the CSR I knew there was nothing SHE could do, (just like there was NOTHING the CSRs this afternoon could do about the website), but could she please email me the itinerary. She said her system was done, and I would have to try again tomorrow.
Again, if it was the little bagel store down the road messing up my order, I wouldn't be so worried, but this is CONTINENTAL?
ok...I am better now...thanks for letting me voice my utter disappointment in CO....I feel like a mom who's A student was just suspended.....
Sep 3, 10, 4:24 am
#2
Suspended
Join Date: Mar 2006
Location: Manhattan
Programs: CO Plat, SPG Gold
Posts: 1,468
That does not sound like the service one would expect from the MOST professional men and women in the industry. I suspect CO is attempting to align its service levels and website to those of UA in anticipation of the merger. Hence we will no longer have a functioning website.
Sep 3, 10, 7:01 am
#3
A FlyerTalk Posting Legend
Join Date: Apr 2001
Location: NYC
Posts: 69,202
Originally Posted by ITravelThereforeIam
CO is not a bagel store. If millions of dollars of flight revenue can't be booked, don't you think you would put out a system alert with a TAD more information?
CO isn't some savior on high. They're a multi-billion dollar corporation. And I can assure you that the brick does not love you back. It never has.
Sep 3, 10, 8:45 am
#4
FlyerTalk Evangelist
Join Date: Apr 2008
Location: LGA/JFK/EWR
Programs: UA 1K1.5MM, Hyatt Globalist, abandoned Marriott LTT (RIP SPG), Hertz PC
Posts: 20,209
Originally Posted by gawhite411
I suspect CO is attempting to align its service levels and website to those of UA in anticipation of the merger.
Sep 3, 10, 8:52 am
#5
FlyerTalk Evangelist
Join Date: Jul 2007
Location: CLT
Programs: UA 1K, SPG Platinum, Penalty Box 2K, PWP Posting Unit 9
Posts: 13,513
Originally Posted by UA-NYC
Can't remember the last time when .bomb was down for half a day
Sep 3, 10, 8:58 am
#6
Join Date: Feb 2009
Location: ORF
Programs: Delta Diamond Charter Member/1.6MM, IHG Spire Elite
Posts: 875
Originally Posted by sbm12
CO isn't some savior on high. They're a multi-billion dollar corporation. And I can assure you that the brick does not love you back. It never has.
Sep 3, 10, 9:07 am
#7
Join Date: Aug 2008
Location: MCO
Programs: DL-DM/1MM, HILTON-DIA, .HYATT-DIA/GLOB , IHG-PLT,HERTZ 5*, NATIONAL ES
Posts: 8,690
Originally Posted by DeltaFirst
So true. I think CO used to be a good airline.
Sep 3, 10, 9:48 am
#8
Join Date: Apr 1999
Location: Homosassa, FL & Wanaque, NJ -UA-G; SPG-Plat (Lifetime Gold)
Posts: 6,112
CO.COM...............
I spent an hour on the phone yesterday. I was trying to book a flight with my cat accompanying me, EWR-TPA. It kept asking me for the breed of my dog and would not let me proceed past that screen.
Finally, an hour later, the agent (who was pleasant and apologized a lot), was able to get a confirmation# for the cat. Oh, and he was able to take my CC# and bill me $125. The airfare for myself was $94.
I spent an hour on the phone yesterday. I was trying to book a flight with my cat accompanying me, EWR-TPA. It kept asking me for the breed of my dog and would not let me proceed past that screen.
Finally, an hour later, the agent (who was pleasant and apologized a lot), was able to get a confirmation# for the cat. Oh, and he was able to take my CC# and bill me $125. The airfare for myself was $94.
Sep 3, 10, 9:59 am
#9
Join Date: Dec 2006
Location: Pacific Northwest
Programs: UA 1MM, AS MVP, Bonvoyed Gold, Honors Dia, IHG Plat, ...
Posts: 9,842
Originally Posted by gawhite411
That does not sound like the service one would expect from the MOST professional men and women in the industry. I suspect CO is attempting to align its service levels and website to those of UA in anticipation of the merger. Hence we will no longer have a functioning website.
Stop beating the same old horse.
Sep 3, 10, 10:03 am
#10
Join Date: Jun 2007
Location: SRQ-NYC-DCA
Programs: OnePass Infinite CO MM, PC Charter Lifer SkyMiles GM, MileagePlus
Posts: 1,826
Plat Cat
Originally Posted by Vulcan
Finally, an hour later, the agent (who was pleasant and apologized a lot), was able to get a confirmation# for the cat. Oh, and he was able to take my CC# and bill me $125. The airfare for myself was $94.
Sep 3, 10, 10:30 am
#11
Join Date: Mar 2005
Location: Southern California
Programs: US Airways,Hilton HHonors, Marriott, National
Posts: 1,341
I know this is no excuse, but on days with web sites down, and call centers flooded with calls with extra work and people complaining about the website, some people are going to get crabby.. again not an excuse.. but it can happen.
My point is do not judge the airline based on the one exception... I am sure there are many experiences with irregular ops that Continental does fine...
But sorry to hear about the experience..
My point is do not judge the airline based on the one exception... I am sure there are many experiences with irregular ops that Continental does fine...
But sorry to hear about the experience..
Sep 3, 10, 10:39 am
#12
Join Date: Dec 2006
Location: Pacific Northwest
Programs: UA 1MM, AS MVP, Bonvoyed Gold, Honors Dia, IHG Plat, ...
Posts: 9,842
Originally Posted by CHIC SILBER
Aren't there any cat rentals in Tampa
Sep 3, 10, 11:35 am
#13
Join Date: Apr 1999
Location: Homosassa, FL & Wanaque, NJ -UA-G; SPG-Plat (Lifetime Gold)
Posts: 6,112
Originally Posted by notquiteaff
Absolutely -- http://catrental.ringpower.com/
Sep 3, 10, 12:08 pm
#14
Join Date: Jun 2007
Location: SRQ-NYC-DCA
Programs: OnePass Infinite CO MM, PC Charter Lifer SkyMiles GM, MileagePlus
Posts: 1,826
What Brick
Originally Posted by sbm12
And I can assure you that the brick does not love you back. It never has.
Sep 3, 10, 12:11 pm
#15
Join Date: Jun 2007
Location: SRQ-NYC-DCA
Programs: OnePass Infinite CO MM, PC Charter Lifer SkyMiles GM, MileagePlus
Posts: 1,826
Embarassed
Originally Posted by notquiteaff
Absolutely -- http://catrental.ringpower.com/
I should have known that
