Why does this always happen to me????
(This happened to me back in June, while doing the SAME EXACT THING!!!!! I also had a similiar problem around Thanksgiving.)

Found out from the Biztravel email that the fare on my tickets to Cancun have dropped about $50. So, I find out from CO that I can get vouchers for $50 for each person provided I go to the airport. By the way, this was Monday.

So, I hop in the car for the 30 minute ride down interstate 78 to the airport in the crappy weather (rain, cold, etc). Finally get there, and the hourly lot in terminal c was cut in half, so it took about 15 minutes to find a space.

Finally get into terminal, only to find craziness at baggage claim. Stop off at Jake's coffee for a cup of Java, only to witness the person in front of me throw her cookie at the clerk. That's New York for you!!

Finally get upstairs to the main level, for more craziness. Apparantely a bunch of flights were cancelled yada yada yada. But international wasn't that bad, yet.

Get up to a very incompetent agent, who I wouldn't trust putting the routing sticker on my luggage if I was checking any. So, he gets his supervisor Dennis, who becomes my new best friend at Continental Airlines.

Dennis says that according to my fare rules, I had to pay $75 to get the voucher, as the tickets were being reissued. I told him that no, there was no fee if you wanted to get a voucher, but there was for cash. He says, "But for YOUR ticket, you pay for everything."

Fine, think you can push me around Dennis??? Pull the old "I fly you so much" by taking out my elite card only to hear "I don't care whether you are elite or not, there are more customers with important things behind you."

The good part: (maybe not good, but funny)
Dennis is now really pissed at me, since I insist there is no fee, and that there is a short line behind us. Dennis feels that I was too pushy, so he waves over a one of those supposed security guards that point you to an open agent while on line, who is "very intimidating." I really feel safe that this person is controlling whether bad people will blow up my plane. She asks me to move on. No sense getting arrested as a minor, so I walk across to elite/first class line, and call 800-WE[Don't]CARE2.

Press 2, but it was busy, so no sense staying on hold. I call up elite reservations, and talk to a nice agent. She says "I don't know what he is talking about, it says right here to issue travel certificates with no fee." VICTORY.

SO, I run across terminal C, with the agent on the phone, cut in line right up to Dennis, and he talks to the agent. I could see the smoke coming out of his ears. He probably didn't want to fill out 4 travel vouchers!!

Well, now I have my vouchers, and I'll be sure to stop in and say hi to Dennis tomorrow at 4:30 am.

I plan on writing a letter to Continental to be compensated for my cellular phone bill.

This happened to me with Continental time and time again--always at Newark. Refunds, exchanges, whatever. It always manages to be messed up there.

I think my personal favorite was when the agent told me that my ticket was issued backwards in time (leaving in August, returning in July). Since I bought the ticket from Continental, I explained that this could have only been THEIR mistake.

I also called 800-WE-CARE-2, got scolded with a lecture about how airlines work, and then called reservations. No problem with the ticket whatsoever--it wasn't issued backwards in time at all. BUT, I missed my flight and had to stay overnight in Newark.

My sister is a devout Continental flyer, but I fail to see the light. I switched to Delta a few years ago and it's been great. I hate Atlanta and Delta doesn't have electronic check-in (yet), but they always appear to be MUCH more organized. And I've only encountered difficult employees a couple of times.

I don't understand how Continental has developed this great reputation. Yes, they've turned around, but I just think that they're less reliable and less organized than Delta.

My experience with Continental in Newark has been the same, but I have found the agents to be extremely helpful in other locations. Again, maybe it's just that "New York" attitude (no offense intended.)

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The only difference between ordinary service and extraordinary service is a little EXTRA.

-- Bob

Doesn't CO have a city ticket office for NY customers. One near the airport perhaps? Sounds like it's crazy to go to EWR for any service related (flying should be service related, but isn't) functions.

as a new yorker for more than twenty years, i'm curious... after seeing someone at EWR toss her cookie (so to speak), why does one conclude "That's New York!"?

AZ_MISMAN -- glad to see another zonie on FT. If you ever get down to the Valley (besides Sky Harbor), give a shout.

No chance of a white xmas up there this year?

Yes, the world certainly has its fair share of airline Dennis's. I was also told by 1800-WEDON'TCARE2 that it did not matter that I was elite in terms of getting compensation when an employee acted inappropriately. I finally talked to someone else, and got a mere 1,000 bonus miles. That person even pulled up my Platinum account, and said that my Plat and lifetime p-club status really did not warrant compensation, and certainly not more than 1,000 miles which is worth to the airline at most $20. Probably not even that much. But CO, Sprint, CompuServe, and countless others can get away with bad service. After all, what are you and I really going to do about it? What will our elected representatives do about it, besides being bought out by the airlines and scrapping the pax rights bill in favor of "customer first." I have really not noticed any difference in flying after customer first, have you? Well, at least not all agents are like Dennis, some are indeed very professional and good natured. And do stop by and say hello to him absolutely. In fact, why not bring him like a candy or some gift...just for the shock value.

Tute84: That sounds like a story that Gordon needs to hear...