Wilke

Haven't flown on Continental much until the past year, but my experience has (usually) been a lot better than on UA. I'm a little surprised at your post, because suppressing complaints by tossing a passenger off an airplane is a tactic I would have associated more with UA than anyone else.

cerealmarketer

UAGS or not if I were in your seat IAHTraveler I would have told her the crew and rest of this cabin is more interested in getting out on time than making the FA slow down boarding for water.

And by the way, ask when was the last time you had in flight entertainment on United that worked at the gate. If you want to be treated like the only person on the plane, there are lots of affordable private jet options. Sorry times got tough before you could try that.

Catbert10

Perhaps the UAGS was really upset because she had lost something on the flight. The OP should have asked if the item he found was hers.

aacharya

It is VASTLY different. Those CO elites (like myself) who are upset about upgrades don't tend to pout or complain to the FA, or annoy other passengers. Sure, we post on here, and cry shenanigans, but that's all 'internal' behavior via e-mail, and not actual behavior while on the plane.

I also don't feel the OP made such a sweeping generalization. It is well documented, albeit anecdotally, that UA GS members "speak up loudly" at the airport or on the plane about their perceived benefits.

TWA Fan 1

Again, I have personally witnessed CO elites acting obnoxiously at the gate on on the plane.

I can't tell you how many times I have heard someone chew out the f/a with something to the effect "I'm a platinum elite with Continental and all I'm asking for is..."

In any case, we're all soon going to be one big, happy family, so I think it's time to put away the daggers and make up...

controller1

There are DYKWIA people with all types of credentials, whether they be frequent flyer status, college degrees, family heritage, etc. Then there are those with those same credentials or better and one would never know by the way they act/react. We know both types by posters here on FT!

channa

Thanks for putting words in my mouth, but since when have I said it's ok to treat crew disrespectfully? I'm always thanking them for bringing me stuff, and aware of how they handle things. I always thank them on departure, and if they do an outstanding job, I say something to them either during the flight or on departure, as I did with the gentleman FA on my CO flight yesterday (maybe this was the guy Jeff was referring to with his most professional comment).

What I will say is that the CO crewmember probably should have known they weren't catered yet (if you're going to be in the F cabin, you should be aware of these things). That said, of course the pax's reaction was over the top, though the crew seemed to handle the difficult customer well by diffusing the tension without further aggravating her.

UA-NYC

The CO PPlats are just starting to emerge - give it some time and I'm sure we'll see similar incidents & threads emerge.

channa

Though it will be the opposite. They'll be on UA and COmplaining about the service on UA:

CO PPlat: "Excuse me! Excuse me! My seat isn't clean! There's something on it!"
FA: "Sir, that's just a pillow. We put them there for our first class passengers."
CO PPlat: "I'm a COntinental Presidential Platinum! When I board, I don't want anything invading my seat space!"
FA: "Not a problem, Sir, I'll remove it for you."

Renard

Only UA elites can exhibit such bad behavior and if a Continental elite ever exhibits such behavior, then it will be attributed to the merger and the resulting menacing "United Influence"

LukeSkywaiter

It's an outrageous and over-the-top complaint, addressed in an insulting and intimidating manner, and she was probably also "interfering with the boarding process"

We have a saying at CO - if a passenger is a problem on the ground, they are going to be a bigger one in the air.

Wilke

Continental and United are more alike than I realized

LukeSkywaiter

So, what you're saying is that the flight attendants deserve deal with people like that, while they aren't being paid? And that these passengers, who obviously feel they are more important than the other pax, should be able to monopolize the time of the FAs over other paying passengers, hence significantly decreasing the quality of the product offered, especially since the FA is in a pissy mood because of said passenger?

In all honesty, I've never given someone the boot for being rude. I've always found that well-placed sarcasm, or even intimidation on my part, goes a long way. I also pride myself on having never received a customer complaint either ^

jadenus

Nine times out of ten it's an electric razor, but every once in a while... it's a dildo. Of course it's company policy never to imply ownership in the event of a dildo... always use the indefinite article a dildo, never your dildo.

aacharya

seriously, did you have to use that word? not a prude, but not a word i want to be reading on a forum i utilize at work and certainly has no business being discussed within the confines of CO OnePass. bad even the other d- word showed up on this thread.