If you think customer service on U.S. airlines is a dying art — and especially on legacy carriers — you’ve probably been reading this site too much. And while it’s true that service levels have plummeted to historic lows, there are some exceptions.
I just experienced one this weekend.
I was flying from Orlando to Guadalajara, Mexico, via Houston on Continental Airlines. There were many opportunities for Continental to fail, from oversold flights to flying a dreaded regional jet into Guadalajara (a plane most people can’t even stand up straight in because of its low ceiling).
My travel agent had misspelled my name – “Elliot” instead of “Elliott” even though I had pointed out the error. The mistake prevented me from printing a boarding pass and caused my seats to be released by the time I arrived at the airport.
“You know,” the ticket agent said when I presented my passport and itinerary. “Your ticket name has to be an exact match.”
“That’s what I told my travel agent,” I sighed.
“I’ll fix it,” she said.
Wow.
“Where would you like to sit?” she asked.
“Do you have anything in the exit row?”
She didn’t, but for less that two hours, any seat would be fine. At the gate, just a few minutes before boarding, a Continental agent asked me to come to the counter.
“We have your exit row seats, Mr. Elliott” he said. “Have a nice flight.”
Now here’s the thing: The paranoid part of me wonders if these employees recognize me. Do they have a notation in the reservation system that says, “WARNING: ELLIOTT IS A CONSUMER ADVOCATE. BE NICE TO HIM.” Or are they being nice because it’s what they do?
I’d like to think it’s what they do.
I arrived in Houston a little early and made it to my gate for the Guadalajara flight, only to find that there was an earlier flight that hadn’t left yet. I asked an agent if I could change my ticket, but was told the flight was probably full. No problem. It was a Saturday morning, and I didn’t mind waiting.
But as the flight boarded, another Continental employee motioned me to come on over, handed me a boarding pass and said, “Have a great flight.”
All along the way, there were other little things. Like the attendant on the flight to Mexico who lent me her only pen so that I could fill out my customs form. Or the genial crewmember on my return flight who served up hilarious one-liners with coffee.
I hear from passengers who are impressed with Continental. They tell me it may be the last great legacy airline. (A legacy airline is a carrier that existed before the federal government deregulated airlines in 1978.)
I think that may be true. Continental still serves meals on longer flights. Its business class product is one of the best I’ve experienced, although it’s been a few years since I’ve flown up front. From what I can tell, employee morale and service levels remain unusually high, considering the current malaise the airline industry finds itself in.
That’s not to say you can’t experience good service on another airline. But it isn’t as consistent as on Continental, at least if you’re flying on a legacy airline. You can count on similar service from airlines with great corporate cultures, like JetBlue or Southwest.
But on other legacies, it’s hit or miss. And if you’re the unofficial complaints department of the travel industry, you hear about the misses more of than the hits.
I have to say that even when Continental screws up, it’s quick to try to fix it. For example, last weekend it displayed a test fare on its site by mistake. Only a few minutes after receiving an email from a customer, which was also copied too Continental’s head of customer care, Anne Munoz, the airline had responded with a promise to look into the problem. Within 24 hours, it had been fixed, with no prompting from me.
The airline is far from perfect. Some of my inquiries on behalf of customers are ignored, while others are denied. And then there’s that monstrosity of an airport in Houston, with its confusing signage and golf carts that always seem to be on a collision course with you.
Still, given my recent experience on Continental, I think I would go out of my way to fly on the airline.
✓ Get the latest travel news, tips and commentary from Elliott’s E-Mail, the subversive newsletter from industry gadfly Christopher Elliott. You’ll travel like a pro. Sign up here. It’s free.
Sign up for my 
{ 44 comments… read them below or add one }
I’ve always thought Continental was one of the better airlines and used to fly them as much as possible. I got to Gold Elite status and always felt well-treated, even as just a regular traveler with no special status. Then I moved to a Delta hub city and have been stuck with them for most of my air travel. It’s not the same flying experience at all.
Continental is my favorite (and I’m stuck at a Delta hub). I just wish that they would dump EWR as a hub since the NY area has soo many problems.
They too have fixed name issues for me on international flights without an issue (normally they didn’t put my whole middle name just the initial)
I’ve also had nice flights on Continental. But Chris, you’re right. The Continental terminal in particular at IAH is a monstrosity. A nightmare. The A/C isn’t very cold and there aren’t enough chairs at the gates. I sat on the floor waiting to change planes, simply because there was not a single seat available at any of the gates in that particular part of the terminal. I don’t drink, but I’d have nursed a glass of wine at the bar for a seat. No joy there, either.
Still and all, once we got on the plane, the flight crew was very nice and the snacks were pretty good, too. Just don’t make me change planes in Houston again.
It seems you have definitely had a better experience with them than I ever have. That gives me hope, but I am still going to comment with my money and fly airlines that I have had better experience with.
I’ve felt the same way about Continental over the years, and living in Houston makes flying with them easy. I’ve always found IAH rather simple to navigate, but I guess most people feel that way about their home airport. I will admit that the size of the combined E and C terminals are incredible, especially when you arrive at midnight, and have to go from one of the end gates to the C terminal to pickup your baggage, it’s at least a 20 minute walk.
I recently placed a complaint with Continental regarding delays at Newark, a hub they should either utilize for International flights primarily or get rid of completely. Cleveland could be utilized a lot more with their domestic only flights. It’s bad when flight attendants are telling you that “You should never be on the last flight out of Newark” and “You should avoid Newark at all cost.” When the customer facing staff see the problem, maybe it’s time the higher ups take notice.
Hi Mr. Elliott,
I love flying Continental. I fly them out of IAH. I bet that is where you flew from. Intercontinental Airport. Hobby is a PAIN in the you know what. I love IAH. Anyhow, Continental does a FANTASTIC job and their staff is SO FRIENDLY. I hated air tran and decided to try another carrier. Guess who now gets our repeat business. =).
Great work Continental.
Justin
EWR is a hub for Continental for two reasons – New York Air and PeoplExpress. When Frank Lorenzo tried to corner the market in aviation back in the 80’s when he brought together worst airlines in history when it came to customer service[ Eastern, and the aforementioned NYAir and PE] he also bought Continental, which was a real nice little western US airline back then. That is the reason CO has a hub in EWR.
If I were them, I’d get some government in Upstate NY near the PA/NJ border to take Sullivan County Airport and expand it to my hub with 2 runways lined up 300/120 and 2 runways 220/040 – with the terminal in the middle – and a couple of smaller 5000′ runway off the side – same alignments – build a free from I-80/I-287 in NJ to the airport – no exits on the way. And run a high speed train from Penn Station, Newark and Grand Central with room for luggage – kinda like at Heathrow.
But then, that makes too much sense- and it would probably only cost $15-20Billion – and would make a PERFECT stimulus project for the Port Authority.
I have been traveling down to Argentina since 1978, and started using Continental to go to Buenos Aires. I usually send my family first as my wife is from there and I follow in about 2 weeks. I have flown just about every airline that goes there from Phoenix. American, Delta, Lan, and, only if I have a death wish, Aerolineas Argentinas.
I would not use any other airline except Continental. The flights are on time, the seats are much more comfortable than other 767s and the crews are always nice and upbeat.
My kids have instructed me to book them on Continental or they are going to make my life a living hell.
Keep up the good work.
It’s not a fluke. Continental has always given me the best service out of all the legacy carriers that I have flown and I am in a Delta hub city.
I agree wholeheartedly that Continental is a the top of the legacy heap in most categories. This past weekend I flew Continental Express from MCI to EWR. I was on the last flight of the day out of Kansas City and saw that it was delayed. I decided to go to the airport early and ask about the possibility of getting on an earlier EWR flight that was also delayed. The agent graciously put me on the earlier flight without hesitation. The snack was tasty and the service friendly. Kudos to CO.
Continental is a great airline – when everything runs smoothly. When they are faced with irregular ops, they can be an all-out nightmare. I fly ex-MCO, so I am not BOUND to Continental, but I like their product. I have made their lowest level of elite status, and they have made some of my travels a lot easier. However, I was at DCA earlier this year, with a connection at EWR before returning home to Orlando (yeah…stupid routing, I know!). The inbound flight from EWR was delayed, and I was going to misconnect in Newark. The CO agent put me on the next flight – which actually left earlier than my scheduled flight – in the hopes of trying to get me to EWR to make my connection. He also protected me on the first flight out in the morning and told me that they would have a hotel room for me in EWR if I did misconnect, because my inbound plane had a mechanical issue.
Well, to make a long story short(er)…I arrived at EWR to find that I had missed my flight (was OK…I expected it). Went to the counter to get squared away on the hotel and confirm flight for the morning. I was told that I couldn’t have a hotel room, because the flight I arrived on was not the flight with the mechanical problem…and I wasn’t booked on the first flight out in the morning. Dealing with the hotel was one issue, but I needed to be on that flight. The agent at the counter told me that when I didn’t make my connection, “it” canceled the rest of my ticket. “It” was apparently the computer – which, apparently does things on “it’s” own. He told me that he saw that I was once booked on that flight – and had an exit row seat – but, I no longer was – and now, the flight was oversold and I would have to take a later flight.
Anyway, the point is – when CO is running smoothly, they are wonderful. Like all airlines, they need some serious help the minute something goes slightly off-course.
out of curiosity was it a real person travel agent or on line; on anotheraitline ouch , you may have had to pay a penalty.
I was a long Continental loyalist too. When I lived in NJ, I flew CO to/from Newark all the time. Whan I moved to Colorado, Continental hubbed at Stapleton, and I happily cotinued to fly my favorite carrier. When Stapleton closed and was replaced by Denver International Airport in 1995, Continental ceased hubbing there, For a time United had more than 70% of the lift out of DIA. Frontier and Southwest now provide a degree of competition, but I still miss Continental.
@barbie45 it was a human agent.
well mistakes do happen; assuming you paid your agent for the flight and has incurred a penalty what would he or she have done for you that an online agency would not have.
I had the pleasure of experiancing Continentals excellent business class service last year on a trip to India and will be flying them to Beijing tomorrow (though in economy this time, drats!). The wonderful service I received on the trip to India caused me to book with them even though the fare was $50 more expensive than a similar flight run through American Airlines at the time I booked. Vote with your wallets folks!
Continental have made an effort to match STAR ALLIANCE standards by joining the group this month. You will experience equivalent services and attention by traveling on the Star Alliances partners . That remind me in the 90’s, Air France had a very bad service and reputation so Air France revamped theirs planes and services to be able to join SKYTEAM because Delta had better services and managements. Twenty years later, Air France is now the good standards of service of the for transatlantic and Europe-Asia routes.
Continental is great!! We have been around the world numerous times, flown many airlines (a few questionable saying a Hail Mary), the two that stand out are Continental and Singapore. In the mid nineties to the late 00’s we traveled mostly on the airline that is “Hubbed at O’Hare” As higher status flyers we were asked many times, “What can we do to improve?” The answer was always the same…the attitude of your people. It was very and still remains very low. Somehow a smile and nice hello would go a long way. I mentioned to that airline one time, teach the “golden rule.” Somehow they never did. Just a couple of months ago we did Continental FLL to Newark to Quebec City. They smiled and were nice to us. A few years ago we were stuck on at Gatwick due to mechanical problems on the aircraft. For the four hour delay, Continental did everything and anything they could do to make 300+ guests as comfortable as possible. We have had the “too bad” attitude with the “Atlanta Hub” carrier as well as the one mentioned above too often. I am a believer you get what you pay for…if the ticket is a bit more on Continental we go with them. Thank you Continental, Jet Blue and Southwest for making travel within the US a bit nicer, happier and as comfortable as possible.
I had the worst flying experience in the US with Continental Express out of EWR in 2008 but ever since then I’ve found them a very comfortable way to fly.
Last year I few Continental from Cincinnati via Houston to Queretaro, Mexico. It was regional jet all the way. From Cincinnati to Houston there was beverage service– OK, that’s what I expected– but from Houston to Queretaro we had a snack consisting of a turkey or ham sandwich on a bun (some name brand of sandwich which was very good,) a bag of carrots with a small container of ranch dressing, a cookie, and of course drink service. The only snafu was that when we arrived in Mexico, they did not have the customs forms for us, so we waited about 30 minutes on the tarmac before we were let out of the plane. You’re right– Houston Airport is a monstrous mess. Still, the flights were not full so I wasn’t cramped, we were on time, and comparing my flight to a friend’s Delta flight that arrived at the same time, we had good service, and we were fed.
I too agree that CO is probably the best “legacy” carrier out there. Its ironic though, for I remember living in CLE during the 90s and avoiding CO like the plague. At that time, they were the poster child of “dysfunctional airline.” Looking back, its amazing to see the turn-around Gordan Bethune made with the airlines. I first flew CO in the late 90s and was pleasantly surprised that it wasn’t as bad as I imagined. In a time when meal service was being cut, they served Subway sandwiches on their flights.
I don’t get a chance to fly CO much anymore, but I would certainly give them a try. I don’t like their hub in IAH, though it is less prone to delays and airport problems.
Its also ironic, that CO didn’t get swallowed up by DL, UA or NW. For everyone who gives CO accolades, don’t forget they have come a LONG way in the past 15 years!
I’m in a Continental hub (CLE) and I’ve been a frequent flier with them since 88. I’ve flown other airlines throughout the years and I still think their service is still the best. I admit, I’m not a fan of the regional jets, but overall there are much better than the other legacy airlines.
I just flew them this past weekend. I live in Houston so I tend to fly Continental as we can go direct to just about anywhere. I have always been happy with their customer service. This weekend my family and I were traveling together but for some oddity (by our own doing) my husband was on one itinerary and the kids and I were on another. He is an elite member and the rest of us are not. All of our bags were given “priority” status, we were all permitted to board together during the Elite boarding period and the airline went out of its way (as it usually does) to get us all seats together. This happened on both flights.
Houston is working hard on airport improvements to smooth the way for those changing planes. In the meantime, there will be hiccups. Even if you come in at E and need to leave out of B, the transfer time is maybe 10 minutes. Even with the construction it is still better than some of the larger airports.
I like Continental. You get a lot of benefits from using your Continental credit card too. Every year when I sign up for another year of the credit card, I get 2 free passes to the executive lounge which I always use in NEWARK/LIBERTY AIRPORT! It’s nice to sit in uncrowded space, on padded seats, sipping free soft drinks, eating free cheese, crackers and fruit, reading free newspapers, and having pleasant people pick up the food wrappers and empty glasses from my coffee table. I never keep airline credit cards beyond the free first year, EXCEPT FOR CONTINENTAL.
I flew Continental last month from SFO – EWR roundtrip.
I had heard compliments on Continental’s First Class for years, yet their equipment for transcontinental flights from San Francisco is no longer up to current standards. (yes, their 737s beat AA’s abysmal MD80s – but even American uses 767s to NY) There was no power at the seats, no personal entertainment …and not surprisngly, no WiFi.
Because I try to avoid United (and don’t care to accumulate a lot of miles with them) – Continental’s defection to the Star Alliance makes them even less attractive IMHO.
I’m surprised no one had to pay the $25 fee for grabbing an earlier flight. I, as a gold elite on Continental, have to pay that fee and just did so to Toronto 2 weeks ago. I’m kind of glad Newark is Continental’s hub because it is most accessible to me and I do like the service that Continental has been giving. And for those flights south of the border that I take, I find Houston huge, but very easy to navigate.
@ Joe Farrell: I wouldn’t mind Stewart Airport in Newburgh in Orange County, NY being transformed into a Continental hub. It used to be a military air base with long runways (the hostages landed there when Reagan took office) and already has plenty of room to build on. It was headed in that direction a couple of decades ago, but the expected business boom never materialized.
@Chris, yes, there is probably a flag on your CO profile indicating who you are. It may not always make a difference and not everyone may be able to see it, but I can assure you they have the ability to track particular people when it suits their needs.
That said, I agree that CO seems to be the best of the legacies – although with the race to the bottom that UA/US/DL/AA seem to be in, that’s not saying much itself. I’d go further and say that the core CO culture seems to be much improved and if CO could somehow shed their “Express” affiliates, or bring them under the main CO umbrella, they could actually be a good airline across the board.
The biggest problem with IAH isn’t Continental itself, but the fact that it’s “THE” departure point for virtually every airline going into Central/South America, in addition to being a Continental hub and a major site for some of the other legacy carriers. Becaues it’s so big, they have (for internal efficiency’s sake) segregated planes by size/type at different parts of the terminals, and that means if you fly into IAH on a 737 or bigger and leave on a RJ, you’ll have a long, long walk.
I don’t get to fly Continental that much since I’m based in Ecuador, but if I have to fly in the U.S., I definitely prefer Continental. They do a great job overall and have great people on their team. Perfect? No, as you said, Chris. But they are definitely well ahead of the other legacy carriers.
Let me add to the comments on Continental. I used to be elite with them back in the old days when they still had a hub in Denver. I had a lot of great flights, and upgrades, with them. It had been several years since I flew them until last week.
Flying on a Delta FF award got me a nonstop from Beijing to Newark, connecting to Indianapolis, my home. The 13 hour flight, in coach, from Beijing, was enjoyable. Despite the aircraft arriving an hour and a half late, we taxied away from the gate on time. We were fed tgood food three times, a flight attendant found me a quiet comforable seat after the two year old in the seats behind me kept making a ruckus. So I was able to get about six hours of good sleep during our trip across the pole. We even arrived thirty minutes early and customs were a breeze! A thoroughly enjoyable flight.
Aside. My connecting flight on a regional jet was canceled, so I spent the night in a Newark hotel. My early morning flight the next day left on time and arrived on time. I look forward to flying Continental again soon.
TJM
Continental is far and away the best domestic airline. I believe the work culture is the main reason for this. The airline seems to value its employees and that shows in the level of service usually received. I’ve booked Continental whenever possible (unless they don’t serve a city or the airfare is much higher than another carrier) and have been rewarded for that in receiving good service. I think they are better than Southwest in that you do get meal service as opposed to just peanuts, as well as securing advance seat assignments, which I like. I only wish they hadn’t joined the fray in charging for bags. I feel this would have been another way they could differentiate themselves from the legacy masses driving themselves into the ground! Keep up the good work Continental. Your service as EARNED by business!
I agree with the majority of the posters here that CO is running a good airline. Some good segments on CO this year and previous ones, with good crews, clean aircraft, some food at mealtimes in coach, and so far, no IROPS for us. Most flights were on time or close to it, and both gound staff and flight crews were friendly, helpful and courteous. Only two “complaints” as echoed by others: IAH is massive, so extra time is needed between flights, especially if arriving or departing on an RJ; which leads me to my second point, too many RJ’s on some longer flights. Three and a half hours from YYZ to IAH is a bit much on a non-mainline aircraft. Ouch!!! Hope that joining Star Alliance and pairing with UA for their codeshares won’t change CO too much.
Just got off a Continental flight from Houston about an hour and a half ago and it was marvelous…. one of the best flying experiences ever from check in to landing!
Once you fly CO and then fly on someone else’s plane the quality of aircraft and the level of service is obvious. No question CO does it better than anyone else I have flown before and may I dare to say, better than any other legacy carrier and for that matter better than any US airline. Sure they are not perfect, but they are by far much better than anyone else in dealing with problems. Different than most other carriers when things go wrong at least CO apologizes when things don’t go as plan.
I have enjoyed reading all the comments on here about CO.
I am Platinum with Continental, and have been for several years now. Although, a LOT of my status/mileage accrual has been on Skyteam Partners (NW, Eva Air and Air France). However, the last couple of months, I have flown Continental about a Dozen times. I have used miles to upgrade out of London twice. Thier BusinessFirst is comparable to MANY international carriers’ FIRST Class service. Although, I do find thier “Service Fee’s” of $400 EACH WAY to Upgrade Internationally a bit insulting as a “Premium Member” of OnePass for Multiple years now. Domestically, I have been upgraded out of Las Vegas on every flight (and alas connecting in Houston). The domestic meal service is by far SUPERB to ANY other carrier. (I am thoroughly enjoying the multiple choice of both Soups and HOT entree’s in First Class!). But the connections in Houston ARE abysmal. I DREAD reading my connecting gate when I get my boarding cards on check-in. Lately I’ve been lucky; arrive and connect from E, but I agree with everything that’s been said on here……transferring to A, B or C concourses is insane! The Mobile Carts are literally around every corner/always in your way…..and the signage is OBSCENE! I am pretty savvy when it comes to getting around, but between the pathetic signage, the construction, the train between terminals and those damn CARTS, IAH is a pain in the neck! Several times now I have had to run/sweat/haul A$$ just to make my connections there……and the Air Conditioning is NOT on….I swear! I suppose in the grand scheme of things, it IS better than EWR or CLE….but Houston can still be a pain in the A$$ depending on your connecting concourse.
That having been said, I will gladly endure it all again tomorrow, to avoid American in Dallas, US “Scareways” in PHX or Philly or ANYTHING/ANYWHERE on UNITED!
Continental….Thank you for making my hectic life just a little bit nicer. You have a “OnePasser” for LIFE here, no matter what “alliance” you belong to!
Blue skies & tailwinds to everyone…..
skyguyj@yahoo.com
I am a great fan of Continental – and as with all service industries, there are always opportunities for improvement. However, Whether I have flown in coach (where the snack or meal is welcome) or in Business First or upgraded to domestic First, I have found the majority of the time the meals are great, the flight attendants in good spirits and clean planes. I flew UA First from LHR-SFO recently, and their food service doesn’t come close to BF and the attitude of the attendants matched the tiredeness of the seat. From SAN, I have always found a way to get on CO vs even non stops on other legacy carriers.
Continental is the best legacy carrier out there for one reason. It has the best people in the industry who are obviously given the right product and are treated with respect by management. I have flown many airlines but Continental seems like a “happy family”. They are consistently friendly and focused on their customers.
You guys are awesome and I promise you that everything you say is heard, wether is good or bad. I can guarantee you that we try to provide you with the best customer service possible. And yes, we are not perfect, but we try hard, and if we do it wrong once or if someone drops the ball, don’t judge us so quickly, granted we are humans still, although theres a lot of computer glitches at times. I would hate for anyone to turn their back on us just because one bad apple, those are in every company you go to.
Houston folks, bare with us patiently. Trust me, the construction also affects us, but is all for the better. Weather happens, mechanicals happens, no matter what airline you go to. But our main concern is safety and to get you there SAFE. What we try to make perfection is the way we handle our business and our customers.
On behalf of ALL my coworkers and myself, we so appreciate your business as well as all your comments. And if you don’t let us know what we do wrong…how can we fix it? Don’t just leave angry, please call in and let us know, good or bad, we want to hear it.
A loyal and proud Continental Airlines employee…Work Hard Fly Right
In 2008, I flew from Los Angeles to Albany, round-trip, on four separate trips to visit my terminally ill ex-husband. Each trip necessitated two flights each way, and I took Continental on all the flights, to and fro, to visit him, ending up taking four Continental flights for each trip. Every single flight was perfect, and on top of that, I was pleasantly surprised at how often a flight left early because all the passengers had boarded. I remember when Continental was considered the worst airline and I avoided them for years. Not anymore — they’ve become a great airline.
Two years ago I was flying back from a credit union (sponsored by Continental Airlines) golf tourney. The flight was from Tampa Bay to Los Angeles via Houston. The flight was delayed leaving from Tampa Bay by 2 hours, the pilot felt that the mechanical crew needed to fix the noise problem on one of the engines. They did and we finally left (good job pilot). Arriving late in Houston, I missed the connecting flight to LA. Continental stated on the plane arriving in Houston that it would put passengers upover night free at a local Hotel. Great! We were given passes to take with us and I left the plane. But I had to get to a restroom and that took some time. When I came out and went to the front the bus was gone. This was about 11:30 P.M. and the airport was beginning to be desolete looking. So I decided to stay in the airport near where my flight was going to be rescheduled for the next AM. I pushed two of those seats together and began to lie down for some rest. This was extremely uncomfortable. About one hour later, a man with badge credentials approached me and asked if he could assist. He was an Contnental pilot. I told him my predicament and he stated please come with me. A very pleasnat person for the early hours of the AM. He took me to a private room filled with couches and stated stay here the rest of the evening. I will make sure that someone or myself come back here early in the AM to wake you and get you to your flight. WOW..he even gave me a blanket and pillow.
5 housrs later, HE returned waking me and with a smile on his face..stated good Morning and then had a cart and attendant take me to the front of the checkin to reconnect my flight and then the cart to my exact gate for boarding.
I thought I was dreaming..Great people , Great airline…
I am a retired – since 1984 – Continental employee! I was delighted with this article and the comments that followed. Back in my days with Continental – the seventies and early eighties – we were an expanding gutsy airline (also think Air Micronesia!) with Bob Six as our founding Chief and thousands of execs and employees who really “moved their tails” for you. What an outstanding company it was then, and glad some of that same spirit seems to exist now-a-days.
I was at Continental in the days of “The Proud Bird with the Golden Tail” with Bob Six at the helm. The competitive nature of airlines in an expansion period was a lot of fun and differientiation was service. In between a lot of things have gone wrong with the airline industry and service seems to have been one of the casualties. It is good to see that a couple of airlines – Continental being one – are returning to the older proven value system. Customers are attracted by service frequently over price.
chef@YourSmartKitchen.com
CONTINENTAL LOVES ELLIOT! Sorry, I’m a little biased-I work for CO.
Unfortunately I haven’t flown a whole lot with Continental but I’ve had good experiences on the two trips that I did go with Continental – once to Belize and once to New Orleans. The trip from Calgary/Houston/New Orleans started out a bit stressful because there was a huge winter storm hitting Calgary the entire night before our departure and it didn’t let up at take-off time. Our flight eventually left Calgary nearly two hours after the scheduled take-off time and of course we arrived late into Houston. We ran like mad dogs to catch our connecting flight to New Orleans, and stood almost crying at the gate watching our plane back out of the gate (think of a slow motion film with two people pressed against a glass wall screaming “NO!!” at the plane backing out). We went to the Continental customer service desk and told a representative our flight from Calgary was delayed and we missed our connecting flight to New Orleans. We thought she wasn’t listening at all to us because the whole time she had a phone to her ear making the odd grunt into it, AND typing something in the computer. She barely made eye contact with us and never acknowledged anything we said. Within a minute of finishing our explanation, she handed us two new boarding passes on the next flight to New Orleans! And she was still on the phone and typing on the computer. We were so stunned that it took a minute to realize what she did for us. When we didn’t leave, she looked up at us and then we asked her “Any charge?” She shook her head “No.” We thanked her and left – extremely relieved and extremely happy. We’re still amazed at how fortunate this experience was for us and how she was quite the multi-tasker! I hope the merger with United doesn’t dampen any of the former service by Continental.
@JoeFarrell
I second Carrie Charney’s post. I flew out of SWF many times when I still lived in NY, so I know it well. SWF is a much better (and closer) alternate and would require a small fraction of what Sullivan County would need to work as a serious hub. Its long runways can handle anything that flies, there’s plenty of room for expansion, and direct access from i84 and i87 is being built as we speak. Plus, NYState has been actively exploring a high-speed rail link to NYCity (although the current budget crunch may hinder that). It’s also far enough from EWR/JFK/LGA that their congestion usually doesn’t impact it.
The downturn in air travel has hit SWF hard, but there’s no doubt that it’s the most viable option for a new NY-area hub. And like many others, my vote would be for CO — without a doubt the best of America’s “legacy” carriers.