Is this worth pursuing
Jan 15, 2009 | 6:09 am
#46
Suspended
Join Date: Jul 2002
Location: Southern, CA, USA
Programs: UA just 8800 mi short of Silver
Posts: 2,813
First, the morons at CO knew you were coming, and second they must have thought you were a such a moron that you couldnt see the plane there, so they told you it was gone. The only thing CO has to offer is service, and they cant even manage to do that in such cases. If CO had a brain, they would have had a cart waiting at the gate and wisked you off to customs and the gate
Jan 15, 2009 | 6:15 am
#47
Join Date: Oct 2008
Posts: 107
Hi all. Not sure if this is in the right section but here goes anyway.
I have just started using Continental to fly to Tucson via IAH from LHR.
On the 24th I was in bound to IHR from LHR and my flight was delayed. This meant that it was touch and go that i would make the connecting flight. However i got news from my partner that my connecting flight was also delayed for the same period (30mins).
I cleared immigration and sprinted to Terminal B and arrived at the gate, the plane i was booked on was still there. I asked the gate operator if i could go on, they took my ticket and went to the plane, came back and said, "No its gone" rather bluntly.
The plane didn't leave for another 15/20mins, it would seem i was bumped and a person on standby got my ticket.
Having never had this problem before i was kind of baffled and was put on standby for the next two Tucson flights. Both of which were overbooked and full.
Subsequently i was unable to get on both of these flights and i was becoming more and more distraught that i may potentially have had to spend Christmas Eve and Morning in Houston waiting for a plane.
I finally managed to get on the last flight out at 9:15pm having only found out that i had a ticket at 9:00pm. This was some 7 hours after the original flight.
I got speaking to a Platinum member who said that they should have removed the standby flyer from my seat and put me on that plane. Apparently i should have made more of a stink about it.
Whilst i understand that flights get delayed and i might miss flights, in this instance i feel that the gate operator should have made more of an effort as i was there with plenty of time to go.
Is this worth pursuing, especially if i intend to make 7/8 trips to the US a year? The whole time I was there the Continental reps were unhelpful, rude and surly.
Thanks!
I have just started using Continental to fly to Tucson via IAH from LHR.
On the 24th I was in bound to IHR from LHR and my flight was delayed. This meant that it was touch and go that i would make the connecting flight. However i got news from my partner that my connecting flight was also delayed for the same period (30mins).
I cleared immigration and sprinted to Terminal B and arrived at the gate, the plane i was booked on was still there. I asked the gate operator if i could go on, they took my ticket and went to the plane, came back and said, "No its gone" rather bluntly.
The plane didn't leave for another 15/20mins, it would seem i was bumped and a person on standby got my ticket.
Having never had this problem before i was kind of baffled and was put on standby for the next two Tucson flights. Both of which were overbooked and full.
Subsequently i was unable to get on both of these flights and i was becoming more and more distraught that i may potentially have had to spend Christmas Eve and Morning in Houston waiting for a plane.
I finally managed to get on the last flight out at 9:15pm having only found out that i had a ticket at 9:00pm. This was some 7 hours after the original flight.
I got speaking to a Platinum member who said that they should have removed the standby flyer from my seat and put me on that plane. Apparently i should have made more of a stink about it.
Whilst i understand that flights get delayed and i might miss flights, in this instance i feel that the gate operator should have made more of an effort as i was there with plenty of time to go.
Is this worth pursuing, especially if i intend to make 7/8 trips to the US a year? The whole time I was there the Continental reps were unhelpful, rude and surly.
Thanks!
Jan 15, 2009 | 6:45 am
#48
A FlyerTalk Posting Legend
Join Date: Apr 2001
Location: PSM
Posts: 69,232
And getting to the airport 2 hours early every time is way too early, IMO. I barely leave my house that early.
Jan 15, 2009 | 6:53 am
#49
Join Date: Jul 2000
Location: Roanoke, VA
Programs: DL Gold Hilton Gold
Posts: 2,455
Jan 15, 2009 | 8:52 am
#50
Join Date: Feb 2002
Location: Austin, TX
Posts: 693
I had a very similar experience in December 2007 on United at IAD.
My girlfriend and I were booked on a flight from IAD to PHX. I called before leaving for the airport and was told the plane would depart 2 hours late (7pm instead of 5pm) due to late inbound aircraft. As a result, my GF and I waited and got to the ticket counter at IAD around 445pm (15 minutes before our original departure time). We were not permitted to check in for our flight since we were so "late" arriving to the airport. Instead, United made us go and stand in a very long line, admonsihed us for arriving so late, and finally re-booked us onto the 930pm flight to PHX. We were through security and were at the gate of our ORIGINAL flight as it was just starting the boarding process...it ended up leaving at 7:20pm We were denied the chance to standby and were once again admonsished for our late arrival.
It wasn't the biggest deal in the world since we were effectively only 2 hours later than we would have been (though 4 hours later than initially scheduled). Still, the inflexibility baffled me. Had they swapped aircraft and our original flight left on time I could understand United admonishing us, since policy states that things can change. But that didn't happen in our case.
So from now on, on any airline, I do not bother checking status beyond canceled/not canceled before I leave for the airport, and I always get there 90+ minutes before scheduled departure.
My girlfriend and I were booked on a flight from IAD to PHX. I called before leaving for the airport and was told the plane would depart 2 hours late (7pm instead of 5pm) due to late inbound aircraft. As a result, my GF and I waited and got to the ticket counter at IAD around 445pm (15 minutes before our original departure time). We were not permitted to check in for our flight since we were so "late" arriving to the airport. Instead, United made us go and stand in a very long line, admonsihed us for arriving so late, and finally re-booked us onto the 930pm flight to PHX. We were through security and were at the gate of our ORIGINAL flight as it was just starting the boarding process...it ended up leaving at 7:20pm We were denied the chance to standby and were once again admonsished for our late arrival.
It wasn't the biggest deal in the world since we were effectively only 2 hours later than we would have been (though 4 hours later than initially scheduled). Still, the inflexibility baffled me. Had they swapped aircraft and our original flight left on time I could understand United admonishing us, since policy states that things can change. But that didn't happen in our case.
So from now on, on any airline, I do not bother checking status beyond canceled/not canceled before I leave for the airport, and I always get there 90+ minutes before scheduled departure.
Jan 15, 2009 | 8:59 am
#51
Join Date: Nov 2008
Location: Redlands, CA
Programs: AS, AA, WN
Posts: 978
While I don't doubt that the system does not usually permit bag tags to be printed that close to scheduled departure, I doubt that the system cannot be overridden in some way when departure has been pushed back 2+ hours (similar to when checking a bag through to a destination via a flight contained in a separate PNR).
Jan 16, 2009 | 2:48 pm
#52
Join Date: Sep 2007
Posts: 8
It is not Expressjet's dispatch decision to hold a flight for passengers. That lies with Continental's operations whether they want us to hold for a connecting passenger. The only time where I would think about overriding that decision to delay waiting for connecting passengers as a captain is if we had a takeoff time from ATC that we had to meet and missing it would incur a significantly longer delay.
Jan 16, 2009 | 3:10 pm
#53
FlyerTalk Evangelist
Join Date: Mar 2008
Location: ACT/GRK/DAL/ABI/MIA/FLL
Programs: OMNIArchist, OMNIArchy!, OMNIIDGAS
Posts: 23,478
I know the experience differs for other people, and I know that I have been fortunate a time or two in WX delays and all to make the plane.
Jan 16, 2009 | 3:45 pm
#54
FlyerTalk Evangelist
Join Date: Nov 2003
Location: PVD
Programs: Priority Club Plat
Posts: 12,312
It is not Expressjet's dispatch decision to hold a flight for passengers. That lies with Continental's operations whether they want us to hold for a connecting passenger. The only time where I would think about overriding that decision to delay waiting for connecting passengers as a captain is if we had a takeoff time from ATC that we had to meet and missing it would incur a significantly longer delay.
Jan 16, 2009 | 8:54 pm
#55
Join Date: Nov 2008
Location: USA
Programs: MYOB
Posts: 1,456
Why shouldn't they remove that passenger? I have a paid ticket for that seat on that plane.
They knew i was delayed as when i collected my bags a guy at the carousel handed me my original pass (already had one form LHR) and two standby passes. Hence me sprinting to B terminal believing that i could still make it.
They knew i was delayed as when i collected my bags a guy at the carousel handed me my original pass (already had one form LHR) and two standby passes. Hence me sprinting to B terminal believing that i could still make it.
The contract of carraige, "All Passengers must be present at the loading gate for boarding at least 15 minutes prior to scheduled departure". and as several people here have pointed out, at T-14:59, the reservation is null, and the seat can be cleared. I doubt that the seat was cleared at the 15 min mark, and more likely, was cleared at the 5 or 6 min point. Believe it or not, most agents do not want to suffer the wrath of an irritated customer, and will hold the last seat as long as reasonably possible, and still get the flight out, particularly if it shows that someone is missing. Once the seat has been cleared, and the person is seated, and the door is closed, no revenue passenger is going to get pulled off the aircraft. (a Non-Rev would likely not be pulled off once the plane door is closed) In reality, even if the seat had just been cleared, and the passenger was walking down the jetway, they would not be required to remove them, and give you the seat. The reservation was not claimed in the 15 min requirement.
With all that said. If you feel that the service, or lack of service was unacceptable to reaccomodate you, after missing the flight, that is another matter, and you should consider making a contact. However, as far as IDB compensation, is doesn't sound like you qualify.
Jan 16, 2009 | 9:23 pm
#56
Join Date: Nov 2008
Location: USA
Programs: MYOB
Posts: 1,456
First, the morons at CO knew you were coming, and second they must have thought you were a such a moron that you couldnt see the plane there, so they told you it was gone. The only thing CO has to offer is service, and they cant even manage to do that in such cases. If CO had a brain, they would have had a cart waiting at the gate and wisked you off to customs and the gate
There are no carts between deplaning, and the Customs Station. until you clear, an airline can't do anything for you. Perhaps you are not familair with IAH (but perhaps you are familiar, and just wanted to vacuously rant), but Customs and The Express flights are in two different terminals (read - buildings) One has to take the inter-terminal train to get between them.