Although others may think arriving at the airport 27 minutes before flight is not a problem, I do.

However, I still think you could press CO for some clarity on the 30-minute rule. I took a few minutes last night and couldn't find anything on it on the web site other than the "recommended" info I posted.

As I said, I wouldn't spend hours on this, but an email followed by a hard copy to CO couldn't hurt. Any ambiguity in check-in policy or lack in judgement by an agent should work in your favor - a small voucher, maybe.

I remember the days when, as long as they knew you were in the terminal, they would call the gate and hold the plane for you. But now more than ever, time is money, so leaving early seems to be the model. Good Luck!

For the most part, I agree with you. However, I do think it is a little harsh based on what was posted here. It sounds like she currently has a job and responsibilities at that job may have kept her at work longer than she had planned. She is still employed and still a job to do... first and foremost (if I am reading it correctly).

Instead of just taking the next flight in the morning and trying to make it by 9, a better move probably would have been to call the interviewer and explain the situation... "that because of (x reason) at work, I was not able to make my flight this evening and will be coming in first thing in the morning. However, I may be 30 minutes. Will that be OK or should we reschedule."

Something like that. Now, I haven't been on an interview in awhile, and others can certainly correct me if I'm wrong, but I would think that the interviewer would appreciate both the honesty and the fact that she takes her job seriously and will do what it takes to get it done, etc. I could be way off base here, but that's my take on this situation.

By clicking on the Contract of Carriage and going to page 10, section D, some of your questions may be answered. In my free time I'm thinking about reading into the whole thing just for future information.

[QUOTE=puddy]
Instead of just taking the next flight in the morning and trying to make it by 9, a better move probably would have been to call the interviewer and explain the situation... "that because of (x reason) at work, I was not able to make my flight this evening and will be coming in first thing in the morning. However, I may be 30 minutes. Will that be OK or should we reschedule."
QUOTE]

You're right. Good, proactive communication solves a lot of problems. I've had many employees come to me with "excuses" for being late on a project and many others with "reasons". And there is a difference! Excuses don't cut it. I'd rather someone tell me they got caught up in some fire-drill or crisis at work or home and honestly admit they couldn't get around to something vs. the litany of blame and excuses I hear sometimes!

If this prospective employee has done what you suggested, I agree, it would be a non-issue. If they tried to make excuses or blame someone else, it wouldn't fly. My point here was I hope the individual wasn't placing the blame for missing the flight on CO, when they personally could have done something different to make the flight and have a different outcome . But we all make mistakes or have issues crop up that cause us to change our plans, and circumstances must be treated individually. You are correct in your approach - most problems can be solved with communication, not blame. Hopefully, that's the route this person takes.

That's the same section I read, and probably the one the OP read as well. The problem with it is that it only addresses check-in time for people checking luggage and for people buying tickets. It does not mention an absolute cut-off for checking in for people who already purchased tickets and have no luggage to check. It only that the passenger must be at the gate 15 minutes prior to the flight.

I think it could stand to be updated. Also, in searching on google for check-in policies, it returned other sites (at least Delta and America) that included in an FAQ on their sites notice that they must be checked in 30 minutes prior to flight. It would probably be a good idea for Continental to add something similar.

As my friend Mike Jensen says, if you've never missed a plane, you spend too much time in airports. I hire people too, and I look for people who cut it very, very close, always at the edge, without dropping the ball. The best kind for my line of business.

Well, it worked out in the end, for all parties. Just made sure I got to the airport a little earlier today...just in case. Thanks for the advice, in any case. :)

PS - she didn't blame the airline during the interview...she just explained what happened, and I think the interview went well, anyway.