COFlyerCLE

On 9/27, while trying to board this flight from ORD-CLE, we were almost down to the plane when the crew turned us back and refused to allow us on the plane. The GA was furious with the crew, and they told her there was a mechanical problem with the plane (which had just landed from CLE). After about 30 min and a CO Superviser getting involved, the crew is still not telling her anything, and there are 50 people waiting to get home without a clue as to what was happening.

More delays... and the nice GA announced that the options were to wait for them to find an emergency card in the area, put some of us on United, and to put some up at the ORD Hilton, and the rest fly us home on Friday. Our assumption was that there was an electrical problem with an "emergency card" on the plane.

How wrong we were... the real problem was that CHQ (who else?) put the wrong emergency cards in the seat pockets. So, once this crew found that out, they refused to fly. Of course, I didn't see this plane arrive at the gate, and it could have been "beamed" in there out of thin air, but my guess is that it flew in there from CLE with the wrong cards... and had been flying at least all day with the wrong cards. Oh yes... and this was one of the infamous unmarked planes.

I'm sure that the ultimate solution came from the CO ground crew... they had the correct card faxed, and they made xerox copies for all 50 seats...

Upon landing in CLE, the FA urged us to take the xeroxed copies... but we decided to leave them, as to not delay the next flight.

Only on CHQ... ONLY on CHQ....

bwt... the CO GA handed out comment cards as we boarded the second time - and urged us to let CO know about this... that's next on today's agenda. Just thought you'd be humored...

ssullivan

HAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHA! Why does this not surprise me?

Of course given Chautauqua's anal retentiveness about what's in the seatback pockets, I'm surprised they allowed a photocopy of the safety card as opposed to the actual safety card.

Anglo Large Clawed Otter

I sense a disturbance in the force... Doug Parker has infiltrated the CO Base

CO 1E

Chautauqua - LOL!

Hartmann

People are going to start mentioning CHQ the way Seinfeld mentioned Newman:

http://youtube.com/watch?v=2lJrxLX1xco

Newman!

vassilipan

Priceless! Absolutely priceless!!!

bocastephen

Let me get this straight....besides the rest of the story which just amazes me, the FA actually advised passengers to remove the seat-back safety cards (sheets)??

While I admit that using photocopied cards/sheets does not violate the letter of FAA's 121-24C advisory circular pertaining to safety briefings, encouraging passengers to remove the cards post-flight certainly does.

COFlyerCLE

Yep - the entire thing is true. If I could make this stuff up - I'd be a rich sitcom producer!

CAL PHL FLYER

Was the gate agent an older blonde woman with a name like the mother of Jesus?..This woman gets furious with passengers aswell!..I try to avoid her at all costs..

jg70124

At least you got to fly. I was at the next gate waiting for 1186 to Newark, which was delayed waiting for the inbound aircraft (mechanical, then weather, then crew timeout). It was finally canceled 6 hours later, but all the other flights yesterday were oversold, so I got to spend the night in the ORD Hilton. Which would not take Continental's hotel voucher.

But I must say, the GA announcements coming from your gate were quite amusing.

channa

Too bad they suspended that CHQ FA who used to defend them.

I'd love to hear her excuse for this one.

Anglo Large Clawed Otter

Uh, what excuse is necessary? This is obviously a case of a self-important, stuck-up passenger with unrealistic (and downright reprehensible) expectations of being transported to his destination on time by competent staff, after paying for such a privilege [/Snark, in case there was any doubt]

sbm12

I have vague memories of the final DL MD11 flight doing ZZZ-ATL-MCO (or something like that) where most of the longhaul pax took the safety cards upon arrival in ATL. SUffice it to say that there was a bit of a delay while they ran to the Ops office and ran a bunch of copies to have safety cards for the ATL-MCO flight.

What I want to know is what cards they loaded. It isn't like CHQ made a mistake and put their 772 cards on the 145, right??

CLEHillbilly

Simply unreal....I thought my USA today episode in the seat pocket took the cake, this beats it hands down....BTW, did the FA look like Clark Kent? Seriously.

Yes, please do email Customer Care....they have been very responsive in promising to bring these types of situations up at the monthly board meetings. If you want I could provide the name (but no email just custcare email address) for the manager who has been very responsive to my CHQ complaints in/out of CLE.
PM me if interested.

COFlyerCLE

This may be the icing on the cake for all of you... the original card in the pocket was for an EMB-145 with a door that opens onto a jetway. THIS EMB-145 was the kind with the stairs that open down... so in the crew's mind - this was for a different aircraft....

No, we had a very nice FA who truly went out of her way to appease everyone on the way home... she served everyone individually - without the cart - taking orders then going to the galley to make drinks - which she gave out at no charge.

It was NOT the Clark Kent FA... I've flown with him, and that would have made this a truly horrific experience.