United/Continental Pilots Get Authority To Call Strike Vote
Even though United Airlines and Continental have merged just about everything else, the pilots remain represented by two different groups at the Air Line Pilots Association. Even so, all pilots for the merged carriers received union approval to ask members to vote on a strike if negotiations with management break down.
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Survey Finds Best & Worst Airlines For Redeeming Rewards Miles
It's incredibly easy to pile up airline miles. I think I just earned 400 miles for merely mentioning this fact. But as you may have already discovered, it's not always so simple to actually redeem those miles. A new survey looked at dozens of domestic and international carriers to find which ones were more likely to have seats available for rewards travel.
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United Airlines' Phone System Is Just Being Nostalgic About Refunds
The honeymoon may be over for recently wed United and Continental, and the merged company's phone system is already daydreaming about its days as a swinging single, when customers could just call it up and ask for a refund on 30,000 unused miles.
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Why Has United Airlines Taken A Month To Not Process My Ticket Vouchers?
Back in July 2011, Consumerist reader Mary and her husband were awarded a total of $800 worth of ticket vouchers from United after they were bumped from a flight. Problem is, now that she's trying to actually use those vouchers, no one at United seems to have any idea what to do with them.
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United/Continental Systems Merger Makes Flight Reservations Magically Disappear
To be honest, I have to start this post by blaming Ryan and his wife. I don't know what they were thinking. They assumed that just because they booked their round-trip tickets to and from Cancun two months ahead of their vacation and had an itinerary and confirmation numbers, they had an actual reservation. Maybe they did at one point. But between February and April,
Continental and United combined their computer systems as part of their Air Voltron merger. Reservations mysteriously disappeared from the system, including theirs. And that's how Ryan and the pregnant Mrs. Ryan ended flying coach from Cancun and stuck in Houston instead of flying first-class all the way home to Detroit.
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United/Continental Merger Has Mysteriously Moved Cities Closer Together
There are a lot of things that happen when airlines merge — planes get repainted, airport gates get redecorated, frequent flier programs get combined. But there's an interesting phenomenon occurring in the wake of the union between United and Continental — cities are suddenly no longer as far apart as they used to be.
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Frequent Flier Mile Auctions Look Like A Sucker Bet
If you're a member of any of the major airlines' frequent flier programs, you've probably received e-mails trying to get you to use those miles to bid on auctions for anything from resort getaways to Kentucky Derby passes. But the people who win these auctions may just be tossing away good miles.
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Prepare For The Worst: Continental & United Merging Computer Systems
Are you flying United or Continental this weekend? Betcha didn't know that the now merged companies are planning on shifting all of their computer systems over on Saturday, with the potential to affect thousands of passengers in a very unfun way. Including yours truly, who happens to be flying Continental on Sunday.
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Airlines Hike Up Fares Yet Again, Blaming Higher Fuel Costs
Airlines aren't just good at lifting planes into the air, but with yet another hike on round-trip fares, they're showing how great they are at sending prices skyward as well. Zing! This latest increase is the third already this year.
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Study: Virgin America Keeps Customers On Hold Longer Than Any Other Airline
Holiday travel plans change all the time, meaning lots of people will be spending lots of time on the phone trying to speak to a human being. And according to a new report, passengers on Virgin America should have something to occupy themselves with while waiting on hold, as the average wait time for the carrier is longer than 20 minutes.
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United CEO: Airfares Are Only Going To Get More Complicated
While regulators continue to push through rules intended to make airfares more transparent, airlines continue to pare base ticket prices down while charging fees for everything else that used to be included in the listed cost. Given all the potential permutations, it's not surprising that Jeff Smisek, CEO of United Airlines, doesn't see things getting simpler anytime soon.
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All United, Continental Flights Will Have WiFi By 2015
WiFi access in airplanes is becoming more and more common, and the United-Continental monolith is out to make the feature ubiquitous in its aircraft fleet within the next three years. The airlines, which are owned by United Continental Holdings, are pumping up 300 more planes with WiFi in the middle of 2012, thanks to a partnership with Panasonic Avionics Corporation.
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Passenger Sues Continental, Others Over Turbulent Flight
When what was supposed to be a 20-minute flight turns into two-plus hours of turbulence, it's easy to understand why a passenger would be peeved. But is worthy of a lawsuit against four airlines?
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Continental Frequent Flier Miles Will Soon Have Expiration Date
People with stockpiles of Continental Airlines frequent flier miles who haven't flown in a while may want to pay attention to this. When that airline finally weds its frequent flier program to that of United Airlines in 2012, the clock could be ticking before those miles disappear.
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It Could Now Cost You Over $400 To Check A Bag On Some Flights
Fees for checked bags vary wildly, from absolutely nothing to arm-and-a-leg-and-an-ear. And according to a new round-up of fees from the various carriers, you might need to throw another limb in there if you're checking an oversize bag on your international flight.
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Airlines Waiving Re-Booking Fees With Hurricane Irene On The Way
A really nasty woman named Irene is about to swoop in from the tropics and potentially screw up air travel for everyone. So in advance of the hurricane, many airlines are playing nice with their re-booking fees and policies for flights to and from destinations affected by the storm.
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40 Of 100 Most-Delayed Flights Take Off Or Land In Newark
If you're reading this story on your laptop or smartphone while waiting for a flight to or from Newark International Airport, we have some good and bad news. On one hand, there's a decent chance your flight will be delayed. On the other, you'll have plenty of time to file a complaint with the airline, airport and FAA.
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"Sick" Pilots Cause Continental To Cancel Additional Flights
Whatever illness has stricken Continental pilots, it sure isn't Flyin' Fever, because sick pilots forced the airline to cancel six flights Thursday after shutting down 24 Wednesday. Coincidentally, United Continental Holdings is engaged in tense negotiations with pilots working for its subsidiaries.
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United Says Photographing Staff Could Get You On 'No Fly' List, Continental Says You Deserve An Apology
Though United Airlines and Continental have been married for the better part of a year, the newlyweds haven't begun to see eye-to-eye on everything. Take, for instance, a customer's right to photograph a staffer's name tag. United says it could get you banned from the airline and put on a "no fly" list, while Continental says that's just not so.
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Continental Cancels 24 Flights After Pilots Come Down With Mystery Illness At The Same Time
Some sort of mysterious flu bug must be circulating the in cockpits of Continental flights. The airline has been forced to cancel 24 flights today because too many pilots called in sick.
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Delta, Continental, Others Jack Up Fares After Federal Tax Takes Vacation
As we
reported last week, the inability for Congress to come to terms on a bill that would extend the FAA's operating authority means that airlines are not currently charging federal taxes on airfares. But if you're not seeing any difference in the final price of your ticket, that's because most airlines have increased their fares since Saturday.
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Your Dog May Not Be Welcome On Summer Flights
You might have read that you can take your pet on a Continental Airlines flight, but that's no guarantee that your buddy will actually be allowed on the plane. That can depend on weather, but mostly depends on how full the flight is. You're shelling out extra money to travel with a creature you consider a family member, but to the airline, your pet is furry cargo that can be left behind. If you stubbornly insist on traveling together, you're stuck with the flight change fees. That's what happened to Steve when he tried to fly with his dogs down to his new home in Ecuador. His advice: Don't fly with pets during the summer. At all.
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Delta's $952 Million In Baggage Fees Is More Than United And Continental Combined
The Department of Transportation released its final numbers for airline baggage fee revenue from 2010 and Delta has sent a very loud message to the rest of the industry: Y'all got a lot of catching up to do.
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DOT Fines Continental For Not Disclosing Fuel Surcharge On Website
Fuel surcharges can add hundreds of dollars to the cost of a flight, a fact that travelers trying to buy tickets on Continental's website weren't finding out until after they had selected their itinerary. That's why the Depart of Transportation has slapped the airline with a $120,000 fine.
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Unhappy Vegetarian Hurls Tray Of Food At Continental Crew
A vegetarian woman aboard a Continental flight from the Dominican Republic to Newark, NJ, was apparently none too pleased when she received a non-vegetarian meal. But rather than file a complaint with the airline, she reportedly opted for the less formal hurl-your-tray-at-the-flight-attendant tactic.
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Worst Company In America Round One: United/Continental Vs. Delta
Day Two of the WCIA 2011 tournament takes to the skies with this dogfight between the two biggest birds in the business!
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Here's Your Lineup For Worst Company In America 2011!
For the sixth year in a row, we asked Consumerist readers to send us their nominations for our Worst Company In America tournament. And this year's response was the greatest by far.
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Continental Flight Delayed 3 Hours By Broken Toilet In First Class
A malfunction in the toilet in first-class caused a Continental flight to leave three hours behind schedule this morning. It was initially reported by that the toilet was backed up and no plunger could be found, but an airline spokeswoman later refuted that. Plungers aren't used to repair toilets, she said. "It's not a toilet like you have at your home. It's a mechanical process to repair the lavatory." The earlier report had said that no plunger could be found at the airport and someone had to be sent off grounds.
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Continental Kills Free Snacks In Coach
Continental and new spouse United Airlines have begun to decide which of their pre-marriage belongings to keep and which to discard. One thing that has already gone in the dumpster: free snacks in coach.
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Continental Jets To Get United's "Economy Plus" Seats
Delta recently announced that they would be adding
roomier "Economy Comfort" seats to its international flights. Competing carrier United Airlines already has something similar with its Economy Plus seats, which will be showing up in planes operated by its new merger partner Continental.
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Get Your Airline Ticket Changed For Free Because Of Massive Midwest Storm
The Superbowl of storms is headed for the Midwest with 20" snow and 45 mph winds predicted for Chicago. Thankfully, a lot of airlines are waiving their usual ticket change fees for travelers who could be affected. 3,000 flights have already been canceled in advance of the potentially deadly weather. Don't go to the airport to see if you can make your flight, don't get stuck in an airport, stay home, stay over at your friend's house an extra day or two, and take advantage of this leniency. Here are links to the various airlines and their waiver and winter update pages and policies:
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Southwest, JetBlue Fly High In Zagat Airline Survey
For the 20th year in a row, the people at Zagat have done a survey of passengers on the major domestic and international airlines. And by the looks of it, travelers are much more pleased with the likes of Southwest, JetBlue and Virgin than they are the old-timers like United, Delta and American.
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ExpressJet Pilot Just Says No To Full-Body Scan Or Pat-Down
A pilot of Continental's ExpressJet line has stirred up a ruckus after refusing to submit to either a full-body scan or the alternative, a hands-on pat-down from a TSA screener.
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Some Airlines Jettisoning First Class Seats
Global austerity has lead some airlines to chuck first class seats out the air lock.
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Continental & United Make Their Union Official
Just two weeks after
shareholders for both United and Continental Airlines gave their blessing, the two carriers snuck off to city hall this morning to officially say "I do" so they can get around to screwing... up the airline industry.
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American Express Parts Ways With Continental/United Rewards Program
Whenever you get an email from your credit card company notifying you of changes in your rewards program, odds are you're not about to read some great news about fantastic benefits awaiting you. American Express told customers its Continental/United rewards program, which allows access to lounges, is flying away this week.
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How Do Airlines Compare On Fees?
It's hard to keep track of all the extra fees airlines have invented to pad a ticket purchase, especially since they keep introducing new ones; USA TODAY says revenue from added fees have jumped
nearly 16% from a year ago. The newspaper reviewed fees from 13 airlines in the U.S. and compiled this
handy reference chart of current fee schedules, to make comparison shopping a little bit easier. As expected, Southwest continues to be one of the best values.
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Continental Sorta-Apologizes For Not Allowing Service Dog On Flight
Last month, Continental wouldn't let Jessica
bring her service dog on a flight because a ticket agent thought she was pulling one over on the airline. Now Continental has finally responded to Jessica's complaint. She said the company is admitting partial fault in the dust-up, writing the agent's "failure to provide you with the correct information would be considered a violation of federal disability law."
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Shareholders Say "Voltron Unite!" To United-Continental Merger
United and Continental are oh so close to merging, now that shareholders for both airlines have approved the deal.
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Small Carriers Running Domestic Flights Using Major Airline Names, But Minus The Name Brand Safety
In Feb 2009, Continental flight 3407 crashed shortly
after takeoff before landing, killing 50 people. Investigators found that the pilot had had less than half the flying time required by the major carriers, and that he had failed five flight performance tests in his career. Though the tail, uniforms and ticket said "Continental," the flight was actually run by a smaller regional carrier, "Colgan Air."
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Continental Loses Dog, Offers $1,000 Reward For Her Return
It's been almost two weeks since Daisy, a 4-year-old Golden Lab/Shepherd mix, broke free of her leash during a layover at Newark Liberty International Airport, but Continental Airlines is holding out hope that she's still alive and is offering a $1,000 reward to anyone that finds her.
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Justice Dept. Clears Way For Continental-United Merger
The marriage between Continental and United Airlines got one huge step closer to happening on Friday when investigators at the Justice Department wrapped up their four-month inquiry into the merger and offered its blessing.
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Continental Refuses To Believe Woman's Service Dog Is Real
Continental sure has a lot of skeptical employees when it comes to
customers with disabilities. Jessica tried to buy a ticket yesterday and was told no, because the ticket agent didn't believe that Jessica's self-trained service dog was legit.
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Here's What A Merged United/Continental Plane Will Look Like
Continental and United Airlines won't officially join to form their airline Voltron for several months, but yesterday they released this image of how the branding on their planes will work once the merger is complete.
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Continental Airlines Testing Self-Boarding In Houston
While it's been used overseas for years, Continental Airlines has become the first airline to try out self-boarding — i.e., scanning your own boarding pass as you board a plane — at a U.S. airport.
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I'm Watching Continental Let My Bags Get Soaked, Will I Be Compensated?
Reader Ken is sitting on a plane right now watching his bags get soaked. He's wondering if he'll be able to get compensation for the water damage.
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Your Complete Big-Ass Guide To Annoying Airline Fees
As reported earlier today, the Government Accountability Office thinks
airlines could do a lot more to be transparent about the fees they charge. And buried about 45 pages deep in the GAO's report are two very helpful tables detailing fees for checked bags and other items that U.S.-based airlines charge extra for.
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Continental Introduces New, Fancier Cocktails... For A Fee, Of Course
A lot of air travelers partake of liquor while flying, whether it's to calm the nerves or just something to make watching the latest Robert Pattinson movie on a 6" screen palatable. But for those passengers who find a gin and tonic lacks the razmatazz to match their personality, Continental will soon have the solution... and be willing to charge you premium for it.
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Passengers Sue To Stop Continental-United Merger
With both Continental and United Airlines ready to say "I do," a group of peeved passengers has busted into the church prepared to give their reasons for why these two carriers should not be wed.
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Frequent Flier Miles Easier To Earn, Harder To Use
For anyone wanting to earn reward miles on their favorite airline, the options are many. Your credit and debit cards can earn miles, so can taking online surveys or taking part in experimental drug trials (okay, not that last one). But while it's becoming increasingly easy to accrue miles, it's becoming more difficult to actually cash them in.
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Continental Airlines Forgets That Planes Need Pilots
We're
not sure what is going on with Continental Airlines lately but people are writing in to let us know that something foul is afoot. The latest indignity also involves the Manchester, NH airport. Apparently, a reader who was unable to get to Cleveland on time was told that the airline simply forgot to schedule a pilot for his flight.
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Continental Takes Three Days And Counting To Fly Passenger From Texas to New Hampshire
Poor Ashley, all she wanted was to fly from Houston to Manchester to visit her friend for the weekend. She planned to leave on Thursday, but Continental apparently overbooked a whole mess of flights and could only get her to Detroit the next day. From there Continental planned to send her onto Manchester with Delta, but that didn't work out either. After spending a night stuck in Detroit, Ashley made it to Atlanta, where Delta figured she would manage to catch one of their many flights to New England. Nope! Instead, things got much, much worse.
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Is The Dominican Republic An International Destination? Airlines Disagree
American Airlines told Bill that he couldn't acces their international lounge because his flight from the Dominican Republic to Houston, which required a passport and a customs form, didn't count as an international flight. Bill's wife had paid $300 to upgrade Bill's ticket to first class expressly so he could access the lounge, and Bill wasn't sure what part of "international" American didn't seem to understand. Yet it turns out American might be right.
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My Friend's Great Dane Died On A Continental Flight
Laine says his friend's Great Dane suffered a fatal Continental flight from Hawaii to Seattle. He says Continental has been less than sympathetic and wants people to know what happened.
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Continental To Open Its First Nonstop Route To Africa
Despite its name, Continental Airlines Inc. had always omitted one continent from its destinations — Africa. But that's going to chance in November 2011 when the airline will begin flying nonstop from its Houston hub to Nigeria.
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Airlines' Approval Ratings Rise
You love the airlines now! Or at least, you don't hate them any worse than you did back in 2007, according to a new survey released by J.D. Power & Associates.
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Huff Post Ranks Airlines On Safety Records
Even the Huffington Post admits that their Safest U.S. Airlines list is a bit unnecessary, considering the excellent safety records of everyone on the list. Still, it's fun to rank things, so
that's what they did. U.S. Airways and JetBlue came in near the top, while Delta, United and Continental came in at the bottom. Regardless, you're likely to remain alive after a flight on any of them.
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Passenger Accused Of Groping Sleeping Woman On Continental Flight
A 63-year-old New Jersey man has been charged with abusive sexual contact after he was allegedly caught
reaching under a sleeping woman's blanket on a recent Continental flight from Hong Kong to Newark. Passengers seated behind the man say they saw him reaching under the blanket, so they kicked the woman's seat to wake her, at which point she alerted the flight crew.
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Will The Continental / United Airlines Merger Screw Consumers?
The prevailing attitude has been that impending nuptials between United and Continental will be a disaster for consumers, but the NYT has taken another look and come to some slightly less hysterical conclusions.
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Continental's Bereavement Fares Showed Us No Sympathy
Andy's sister and her family suffered a relative's death while traveling and had to stay for the funeral. Continental offered her a costly bereavement fare, telling her to take it or leave it, then hiked the price by $200 when she decided to check around and then buy the tickets.
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Houston and Cleveland Lose, Chicago Wins In UA/Continental Merger
If and when the United/Continental merger is finalized, it's going to be very good news for Chicago, which will retain its status as the new airline's headquarters. Cleveland, on the other hand, will lose out, since it will basically be a redundant hub stuck between the airline's bigger operations in Chicago and Newark. And, Houston, current HQ of Continental? Sorry, pardner.
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(United)
What Should You Do With Your United and Continental Miles?
The Continental/United merger may not be officially consummated for several months, if ever. In the meantime, what should you do to make sure your frequent flyer points with the two airlines don't fly the coop? Consumer Reports has some tips to protect your miles, including cashing some of them in right now, before any changes are made to the reward structure.
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United And Continental Will Merge, Become Largest Airline
The NYT says that Continental and United Airlines have agreed to a $3 billion merger that will create the world's largest airline, eclipsing current front-runner, Delta.
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What Do You Think Of A Continental/United Merger?
It's being widely reported that Continental Airlines and United Airlines, who have flirted with the idea in the past, could announce merger plans as early as Monday. If so, the deal would make the combined entity the largest airline in the world. But is that a good thing for travelers?
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Continental Flight Diverted Over Threatening Message
A flight from Houston to Washington, D.C., was diverted to an airport in North Carolina earlier today after what is being described as a threatening message was discovered on the jet's bathroom mirror.
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Hawaiian Airlines Tops Quality Study, American Eagle Falls Flat
For the second year in a row, Hawaiian Airlines has topped a study that ranks 18 commercial carriers according to a formula that accounts for everything from on-time arrivals/departures to baggage handling to customer complaints. On the bottom end of the rankings was American Eagle.
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U.S. Airways & Continental Get Head Start On Observing New Tarmac Delay Rules
Even though the new FAA rules regarding tarmac delays don't kick in until April 29, both U.S. Airways and Continental say they have already begun observing the regulations.
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FBI: Continental Employee Used Fake Vouchers To Scam $1M
A ticket agent for Continental Airlines has gotten caught with her hand in the voucher jar, allegedly selling fake ticket vouchers and pocketing the cash... to the tune of $1 million.
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Continental "Improves" Coach Meals By Making You Pay For Them
Hungry Continental frequent fliers take note: The airline announced today that it's going to stop serving free meals for coach passengers on all domestic flights.
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"Regional" Pilots Make Little Money, Live In One Bedrooms With 9 Other People
It you're sitting around not feeling scared enough, we recommend taking a look at this episode of the PBS show Frontline. In it, you will learn that regional airline pilots (they fly the planes that say "Continental" or "Delta" on them, but actually have little to nothing to do with those airlines) make very little money, work crazy long days, and often have tiny amounts of experience. Also: the big carriers that paint their names on the planes have no legal responsibility to make sure the "regional" flights are safe.
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Continental Will Cancel Flights To Avoid Fines For Late Takeoffs
Starting next month, airlines delayed over 3 hours where passengers can't disembark will be fined a hefty $27,500 per passenger. Continental CEO Jeff Smisek said that to get around the fines, they'll just cancel the whole flight entirely. See, you can't fine a flight for not taking off on-time if the flight doesn't exist anymore. [
AP]
(Thanks to Brandon!)
What's The Best Airline For Bringing My Bike?
After yesterday's story about
cyclists being unhappy with United's exorbitant fee to check bikes on their planes, the folks over at Bicycling wrote to share their breakdown of the best and worst airlines for when you're taking your wheels with you.
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Lawyer Loses Coat, Threatens To Sue City Of Houston & Continental Airlines
If you've traveled enough in your life, you've probably made the mistake of leaving something in the airport or on a plane. But have you ever thought of filing a lawsuit against the airline? Or better yet the city in which the airport is located? Well, just like a middle-age, upper-class male version of Norma Rae, there's a Texas lawyer willing to put his neck on the line for us all.
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Continental Realizes Exit Row Seats Have More Legroom, Charges More For Them
In an announcement this morning, Continental Airlines said that, starting March 17, they will be offering passengers "a new option allowing you to purchase seat assignments for unreserved, Economy Class seats that feature extra legroom." But instead of readjusting the seats on their planes to allow for more space, they're really just charging for sitting in an exit row.
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Continental Gate Agent Tells Passenger She Thinks Her Mental Illness Is Fake
Laura has a pretty good description of what an anxiety attack feels like to her: "First, your chest starts to feel tight, like you are wearing a corset. You can't breathe properly, your heart rate starts to skyrocket, causing a pounding feeling. It's very out-of-body. You can't figure out what's going on. It's like being trapped by your brain into a tight corner." If the skeptical gate agent for Continental had ever experienced this—or had just been given adequate training for dealing with passengers with disabilities—maybe she wouldn't have told Laura her doctor's note looked fake, or asked her to stay put when Laura said she needed to get her meds.
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Craig Ferguson Badmouths Continental Airlines
I just assume that celebrities get better treatment from airlines, but this story from Craig Ferguson proves otherwise. Here's a tip for gate agents: if you've just told a TV personality who volunteered to get off a flight that his reward is a 6 hour layover, it's probably not a good idea to add, "Don't badmouth us on TV!"
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Continental, ExpressJet Fined $100,000 For Tarmac Delay Incident
Back in August, Continental and its partner, ExpressJet kept 47 passengers, including some babies, on a plane for 11 hours with only some pretzels to eat. A few days later, Transportation Secretary Ray LaHood announced that he was looking in to the issue. Last week, the DOT announced that the Aviation Enforcement Office (AEO) had fined Continental Airlines and ExpressJet Airlines $100,000 for their involvement in the incident.
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Transportation Secretary Would Like To Ask Continental A Few Questions
—>The horrific tarmac delay in Rochester, MN has come to the attention of Transportation Secretary Ray LaHood. LaHood apparently has a blog, and on it he's asking some questions about the delay. More »
47 Passengers, Including Two Babies, Trapped On Continental Flight For 11 Hours
—>When will airlines realize that when a flight gets diverted and things go wrong — you just should not force people to stay on an airplane for 11 hours with only a bag of pretzels to eat. What was ExpressJet's (operator of the Continental flight) excuse? The TSA screeners had gone home for the night, so they couldn't let anyone get back on the plane if they let them off. Oh no! More »
Bank Manager Helps Thwart $25K Con Of 80-Year-Old
—>A manager at Chemical Bank in Midland, Michigan, grew suspicious when he saw Marion Case, an 80-year-old customer, withdraw $25k from her account last December. Case told him she was going to mail it to someone who would then pass it along to her son. The manager, Carl Ahearn, "remained suspicious. He followed her as she walked to the nearby post office, where Case bought an Express Mail envelope addressed to a man in New Jersey. Ahearn shared his concerns with postal officials, who opened an investigation and arrested a man Monday for fraud." More »
Persistence Convinces Continental To Abandon Impossible Itinerary
—>Continental thought 82 minutes was plenty of time for Chris to catch a flight connecting in Newark from Washington to Delhi. It might be, but Continental's own data show that the Washington flight arrives late 96% of the time by 103 minutes on average. Chris wanted to switch to an earlier flight so he could make the once-daily plane to Delhi, but Continental wouldn't let him switch unless he paid a $250 change fee. Unsatisfied with the answer, Chris hung up and kept calling back until he got the answer he wanted. More »
Continental Pilot Dies Midflight, Crew Lands Jet Safely
—>CNN is reporting that the pilot of Continental Flight 61 from Brussels to Newark died midflight, forcing a relief pilot to take over the controls of the Boeing 777. More »
Continental Offers Free Flights, Frequent-Flyer Status To Misrouted Child's Family
—>Continental Airlines has made a much more generous offer to the family whose ten-year-old daughter was accidentally flown to Newark instead of Cleveland while flying as an unaccompanied minor. Paterfamilias and blogger Jonathan Kamens wrote that a Continental rep "assured [him] again that the airline takes what happened very seriously." The details of Continental's offer, inside. More »
Continental Puts 10-Year-Old Child On The Wrong Plane
Sure, airlines misroute luggage all the time. But how about misrouting a ten-year-old girl to the wrong state?
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Continental's "General Vibe" Doesn't Include Black People
—>Laney went out for drinks after work with some co-workers. He changed out of his uniform, but they wore theirs. Soon after the group entered, Laney was asked to leave, ostensibly due to a dress code violation...but it became clear his outfit wasn't the problem. More »
Should A First Officer Make More Than $23,900 A Year?
—>BusinessWeek has an interesting article about the economics of regional airlines — the smaller companies that are subcontracted to operate the less profitable routes for major airlines. Some were stunned to find out that first officer on the flight that crashed in Buffalo, NY only made $23,900 a year. Is this too little? More »
Continental: No Refunds For Swine Flu Cancellations
—>The swine flu outbreak is making thing tough for people who had booked Mexican vacations. Reader Kurt is one such person. He got a full refund from the hotel, but is dismayed that Continental won't extend him the same courtesy. More »
Secret Phone Numbers And Email Addresses To Reach Executives At 101+ Companies
—>Inside, email addresses, phone numbers, and addresses for over 100 different companies to inject your customer service complaints into their corporate executive offices, and get it well on the way to success. More »
Continental Confuses California With NYC?
—>[Update: Several commenters have pointed out that "Ontario, CA" actually refers to Ontario, California, which is near L.A. And to be fair to the OP, we're the ones who misinterpreted Ontario, not her. We've updated the post. Also, check out Fly Girl's insider explanation as to what likely happened.]
Continental canceled one leg of Lesley's flight from NYC to California without notice—she only discovered it when she went online to check that everything was okay this morning. What's worse, however, is the alternative flight plan they proposed, which would have her going from NYC to Houston to California and immediately back to Houston to NYC again, depositing her 20+ hours later in Newark, New Jersey—where we presume a gang of Continental employees will be waiting for Lesley at the gate to beat the crap out of her with confiscated water bottles. East Coast hates West Coast, Lesley! More »
Continental's CEO Fixes Your Frequent Flyer Miles
—>The CEO of Continental Airlines called up reader Ben personally and fixed his frequent flyer miles for him... More »
Continental has added a $15 charge on the first checked bag for some economy-class passengers, effective on tickets bought for travel on or after October 7. [Reuters] (Thanks, CMU_Bueller!) More »
The Ultimate "Rule 240" List
—>Some airlines still call it "Rule 240" and others a "contract of carriage" but no matter what the name, it still means the same thing: power to the traveler. But which airlines still use it and how much does it protect a traveler? More »
Oil! Airlines Issue Open Letter Asking You To Help Them Lobby Congress
—>In a letter signed by 12 CEOs, the US air travel industry has called upon you, their customers, to help them lobby congress. What's the problem that they need help solving? Oil speculation. Read the letter inside. More »
Continental Says Airline Industry Is "In A Crisis"
—>Continental will cut 3,000 jobs and reduce capacity by 11% due to the ongoing "crisis" in the airline industry. More »
United Airlines Talking Merger With US Airways, Keeping Continental On The Side
—>United Airlines is a slut. The airline has been talking merger with US Airways, even going so far as to make it clear that US Airways CEO Doug "I'm OK To Drive" Parker can be the CEO of the combined company when United boss Glenn Tilton retires, says Reuters. Meanwhile, while the airline has been talking marriage, family and kids with Parker, it has been negotiating with Continental on the side — trying to form an "alliance" of some kind. Continental, of course, is already dating American AND British Airways! More »
American Airlines Flirting With US Airways On Possible Merger
—>An unnamed source has told Reuters that American Airlines is in talks with US Airways about a possible merger—and that it's also in talks with Continental about sharing passengers! Meanwhile, Continental is currently in talks with United about a possible merger of its own, and has said it will only choose one partner eventually. United, on the other hand, is not only pursuing Continental but is also in talks with US Airways about a merger. Yes, we have an airlines romantic triangle, folks. Someone's heart is going to end up broken. More »
The Ultimate Airline Bankruptcy And Merger Cheat Sheet
—> Thinking of taking a trip but can't remember which airlines are bankrupt and which ones are part of Delta? We know it can be difficult—that's why we've put together a little cheat sheet to help you get through this time of uncertainty. More »
Continental is going to charge $25 each way for the privilege of checking a second bag. [Bizjournals] More »
Booking Reward Travel On Continental Airlines Will Give You High Blood Pressure
—>Reader Mike has lots of frequent flier miles that he'd like to cash in with Continental Airlines. As he found out, this is extremely difficult. Here's an email he sent to the CEO of Continental, Larry Kellner: More »
The Final Word On Rule 240
—>Reader Laura was nearly stranded in Manchester when Continental canceled her flight two days before a major college test. She politely asked to be rebooked; she begged for another flight; when that failed, she invoked Rule 240. Laura's experience presents the perfect opportunity to clarify once and for all what Rule 240 is and isn't. First, her story. More »
United Airlines Raises Prices As Much As $50
—>Get ready to pay more for air travel, United Airlines is raising prices. A lot. As much as $50 for some fares. Continental has already matched the increase. More »
Snow in Cleveland is affecting air travel. The FAA says:
Due to WEATHER / SNOW-ICE, there is a Traffic Management Program in effect for traffic arriving Cleveland Hopkins International Airport, Cleveland, OH (CLE). This is causing some arriving flights to be delayed an average of 3 hours and 12 minutes.
Continental, which uses Cleveland as a hub, is canceling lots of flights. [
Ohio.com]
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Continental Raising Unaccompanied Minor Fee To $150
—>Broken homes, take note, starting February 17th, Continental is raising the unaccompanied minor fee to $150 round trip, or $75 each way, up from $50 one way. Tipster Barbara, who is sending two of her kids to visit family this weekend, writes that it's, "almost cheaper for me to fly with them than to send them as unaccompanied minors!" More »
Continental To Offer Free WiFi, Satellite TV For $6
—> Continental Airlines has announced that it will be offering Wi-Fi and satellite TV in some of its planes, thanks to a partner ship with LiveTV (owned by JetBlue.) More »
Continental Strands You In Newark With Your Cat, Offers $75 Voucher
—>I just received about the lamest answer from Continental after presenting them with my complaint, a $75 coupon. I was flying into Ponce, through Newark on the 11th of December. Due to weather, supposedly, I missed my connection in Newark and I was left at 1AM, with no bags or vouchers, or apologies, or upgrades of any sort. The next flight was 24 hours away, only one flight a day. I'm attaching the emails I've exchanged with them in hope that you'll publish them and perhaps cause them some well-deserved shame and bad publicity. I can't believe they boast of 'best in customer satisfaction.' More »
Hey Continental Airlines, North Korea Isn't The Same As South Korea
My wife (a South Korean citizen and non-immigrant to the U.S.) was initially denied check-in due to the fact that their "computer" stated that she was required to have a Visa to enter Mexico. We quickly informed the attendant (Donna [redacted]) that the Republic of Korea aka South Korea aka NOT North Korea, is a treaty nation with Mexico and that tourist Visa's for minimal stays are not required.
More »
Some airlines, including JetBlue, Delta and Continental are waiving change fees due to a nasty storm in the northeast. [Newsday] More »
A Big List Of Airline and Airport "Tarmac Stranding" Policies
—>We've been looking over the Department of Transportation's spiffy new report about "tarmac strandings" (or "long on-board delays" as their now being called,) and have located some pretty interesting stuff. More »
8 Airlines Raise Fares
—>Despite what may be the most frustrating summer ever for airline travelers, 8 airlines have decided to raise their fares. Why? Jet fuel prices are up 24% this year. More »
Are Airline Lounge Day Passes Worth It?
—>The Wall Street Journal bought day passes for several US airline lounges and reviewed each one to see if the lounges were really worth the hefty price of admission. Here is a summary of the results: More »
Continental Passengers Revolt After Sitting On Tarmac For 5 Hours
—>Will July 29, go down in history as airline traveler's Stonewall? 120 passengers staged a protest aboard Continental Flight 1669 after waiting on the runway for over five hours. More »
9 Airline's CEO Email Addresses, And Other Useful Complaint Resolution Contact Info
—>Travler's friend site Elliot.org has these great customer service "cheat sheets" to help you if you have a dispute with your airline. CEO contact info, how to hack their phone trees, email addresses, phone numbers, mailing addresses, it's all there. More »
World's Longest Non-Stop Flights
—>If you're traveling from Newark, NJ to Singapore... bring a book. You'll be in the air for almost 19 hours on the longest flight in the world, according to Forbes magazine. Long-haul flights have become more common in the last 6 years, Forbes says, "There were 866 scheduled flights between Hong Kong International Airport and the U.S. or Canada in July 2001 vs. 1,000 scheduled for July 2007." More »
Witnesses Describe Toddler And Mom Getting Kicked Off Continental Flight
The flight attendant's motivation for removing the Mom and toddler is still not clear to us. Will this mystery ever end? More »
Mom And Toddler Kicked Off Continental Flight For Talking Too Much
—>A passenger on a Continental ExpressJet flight from Houston to Oklahoma City says she was removed from the flight because her toddler would not stop repeating the phrase, "Bye, bye plane." More »
Did A Continental Flight Crew Order Pizza For Grounded Passengers?
—>Sam's Continental flight from Massachusetts to New Jersey touched down at a remote airstrip to refuel after bad weather forced his plane to circle for over an hour. After two hours on the ground, the flight attendants made a surprise announcement... More »
Continental and JetBlue Win Overall Satisfaction Awards From J.D. Power
—>Continental and JetBlue were the big winners in the annual J.D. Power North America Airline Satisfaction Study. The study asked 10,000 respondents to judge airlines on seven factors: cost and fees; flight crew; in-flight services; aircraft; boarding/deplaning/baggage; check-in and reservations. More »
Continental Airlines Sewage Flight, Eyewitness Account
"To be blatantly honest, I was more nervous than I had ever been on a flight," said [passenger] Collin Brock. "I've never felt so offended in all my life. I felt like i had been physically abused and neglected. I was forced to sit next to human excrement for seven hours," said Brock.
Here's what happened: Mid-way through the flight, the toilets stopped working. The flight made an unscheduled stop in Shannon, Ireland to fix the problem...but the problem wasn't fixed. Shortly after take-off a sewage geyser started, and this time Continental didn't turn back.
More »
Airlines Flying Old Planes, Not Buying New Ones
—>According to Reuters, the "legacy" airlines are flying old planes and not ordering any new ones. The youngest fleet belongs to Continental—their planes have an average age of 10 years. So why aren't airlines buying any new, more fuel efficient planes? More »
Continental To Let Passengers Purchase Carbon Credits To Offset The Environmental Impact Of Air Travel
—>Starting this summer, Continental will offer passengers the ability to buy carbon credits to offset the environmental cost of their travel. Though airlines contribute to global warming, air travel is one of the most carbon-efficient ways to cross long distances.
[Continental's] program, being carried out with Sustainable Travel International and announced Wednesday, will let fliers calculate the so-called carbon footprint of their trips' greenhouse gas emissions and buy carbon offsets online from Sustainable Travel. More »
All US Airline CEO's Contact Infos
—>This appears to be a giant list of all US airlines' CEO contact info (for instance, the phone number for US Airways corresponds with the information listed on their SEC filing) Shoot your complaints to the top of the totem pole with this information. — BEN POPKEN More »
Don't Fly Without A Copy Of Rule 240
—>If it's the airline's fault that your flight is delayed or canceled or you missed your connection, whip out a copy of their Rule 240. More »
Jet Blue Blues Continue, Even When You're On Continental
—>The bad thing about flying journalists to and fro is that when something goes wrong, they tend to amuse themselves by taking notes. Sadly, JetBlue does not yet have a policy prohibiting pens and paper from their flights. From the Boston Herald:
A passenger, talking loudly into his cellphone, says, "I went out of my way to fly JetBlue," he said, "and instead I'm on some Express Jet. It's a bait and switch." More »
Air Travel Just Got More Expensive, Again
—>A $5 (each way) fare hike survived through the weekend with all five major carriers adopting it, according to USAToday:
Bankrupt Delta Air Lines was the first to raise fares last week on flights within the continental United States. The move was quickly matched by rivals. More »
Continental Airlines: Thanks for the 4 oz of Coke
We flew to South Carolina this weekend because we heard they have some nice weather there. We flew Continental airlines, which we do not normally do. Drink time came around and we asked for a Coke. We got a glass of ice with some Coke poured around it...and no can.
More »
iPod Video to Play on Airline Seat-Back Displays
According to Reuters, "Airline passengers will soon be able to connect their iPods to in-flight entertainment systems and watch their favorite videos without fear of running out of battery power while traveling on any of six major carriers, iPod maker Apple Computer Inc. said on Tuesday. More »
Continental's In-flight Headphones Make Ears Bleed
51-year-old Vanessa Saunder is suing Continental Airlines after defective in-flight headphones blew out her hearing. She says that mid-flight, More »
How Many Clicks Does It Take to Get To The Center of an Airplane?
—>Or, which airline has the least suckiest website? Jaunted, "The Pop Culture Travel Guide," did a site scramble to find out. More »
The News is Too Short to Ride
• JetBlue, Continental, ranked a mile high above competition.
[LAT] "JetBlue Gets Top Ratings in Survey"
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Bitchin' Heard Round the Blogosphere
•
Insert your blogged complaint here. Why should these folks get all the traffic?
More »
United Lies To Another Customer. Also, Continental's Bitch CSR!
—>Apparently, lying to customers is an integral part of United's strategy for dealing with frustrated travelers. A fter Laura complained to us about United delaying her flight, losing her bags and then unblinkingly lying to her, we received this email from Brian,who details another experience in which United lied to a customer about a lost bag. More »
Continental's Customer Service Plane Goes Boom
—>Thanks to Continental's incompetence, Adam had to spend an entire night on the floor of the Newark airport. More »
Continental's Tagline Enrages Man, to Comedic Effect
—>Continental's tagline always reminds us off that old jazz standard about heroin addiction, "Straighten Up and Fly Right." More »
