Peter L
September 9th, 2003, 07:44 PM
And you have sent this to Continental's president?
"Te Canaille" > wrote in message
news:Q6b7b.43885$uh6.41692@lakeread05...
> About 6 years ago I started traveling to various locales to conduct
training seminars. Commercial airline flights were chosen as
> the means of transportation due to time constraints and actually a more
economical way to go. A necessary item for presentations was
> a closed-cell foam pad one half inch thick and 48 inches on each edge and
life vest. The answer to this transportation dilemma was
> a 48 inch long by 12 inch diameter duffle bag. The life jacket was simply
rolled up in the pad and stored in the duffle. Nothing
> was ever mentioned about the size of this duffle until a recent flight to
Cleveland. Continental gladly accepted my duffle on the
> first leg from Baton Rouge to Cleveland but when checking it on the return
flight the ticket agent, a man asked about the bag's
> contents. The truthful reply was given. "This bag is oversized and will
cost $ 80.00 extra." "Whoa, I no one has ever mentioned this
> before, besides this is a return flight ( #1645 Cleveland to Houston ) and
Continental accepted this duffle on the first leg. The
> time to raise this issue was then and all the previous years", I replied.
A very stern look appeared and he answered, "They all
> should have told you then. Just think of me as a policeman who finally
caught you." Now, my pad cost about $ 65 so I was not about
> to pay this individual $15 more dollars than it was worth particularly
considering the circumstances, so I tried another approach.
> " Why don't I take the pad out, leave it here with you and wear the life
jacket, although I wonder what the reaction will be from
> fellow passengers when I board the plane wearing a life vest", I added. He
found this not in the least bit humorous. At that point,
> he said, "Wait here", turned on his heel and disappeared into a door
behind the ticket counter. He soon
> emerged with a younger woman in tow. There was no relenting in her
> demeanor and I realized then that they would not budge. At that moment an
act of complete irony took place when a gentleman arrived
> at the adjoining counter with a hard shelled golf club case that looked as
though a Mack truck and 3 burly teamsters would be needed
> to load it onto the plane. It was roughly the same dimensions as my duffle
and was accepted without comment by another Continental
> agent. Upon pointing that out I was informed that golf club bags and
certain other oversized items were exempt from the extra
> charge. " You mean to tell me that you will accept these heavy bulky items
such as golf clubs at no charge and want $ 80 for a
> lightweight pad", I noted.
> At this point a somewhat humorous if not bothersome scene turned very
dark. I had purchased E-tickets which meant that Continental
> Airlines had my credit card number. The female ticket agent armed with
this information informed me that if I continued to argue,
> Continental Airlines would charge an additional $80 for the first flight
plus ( already taken ) and an extra $ 80 for the return
> flight. This was certainly an attempted intimidation if not an open
threat. Continental had promoted the E-ticket concept as a
> convenience for them and me but now armed with my credit card number,
introduced the idea that they would add charges as they
> pleased ! I now know this policy exists, but to my way of thinking a
larger question was opened. IF TICKETS ARE PURCHASED
> ELECTRONICALLY WITH A CREDIT CARD NUMBER, DOES THE CARRIER HAVE THE RIGHT
TO ADD ADDITIONAL CHARGES AT THEIR OWN DISCRETION? This
> had such a chilling effect that I removed my bags and went to another
section of the terminal to ponder a solution. The lines
> through security were very long and there was a danger of missing the
flight so I removed the pad from the duffle, left it in the
> terminal, took the duffle with the PFD to the sky cap outside, who gladly
checked it through, and continued with the journey.
>
> I'll make a new pad. My wife and I will certainly never fly
Continental or purchase E-tickets again. We travel for other
> business as well and probably only spend about $ 5,000 to $6,000 a year on
tickets. That certainly is no big loss for Continental,
> but will be my small protest.
>
>
>
>
>
"Te Canaille" > wrote in message
news:Q6b7b.43885$uh6.41692@lakeread05...
> About 6 years ago I started traveling to various locales to conduct
training seminars. Commercial airline flights were chosen as
> the means of transportation due to time constraints and actually a more
economical way to go. A necessary item for presentations was
> a closed-cell foam pad one half inch thick and 48 inches on each edge and
life vest. The answer to this transportation dilemma was
> a 48 inch long by 12 inch diameter duffle bag. The life jacket was simply
rolled up in the pad and stored in the duffle. Nothing
> was ever mentioned about the size of this duffle until a recent flight to
Cleveland. Continental gladly accepted my duffle on the
> first leg from Baton Rouge to Cleveland but when checking it on the return
flight the ticket agent, a man asked about the bag's
> contents. The truthful reply was given. "This bag is oversized and will
cost $ 80.00 extra." "Whoa, I no one has ever mentioned this
> before, besides this is a return flight ( #1645 Cleveland to Houston ) and
Continental accepted this duffle on the first leg. The
> time to raise this issue was then and all the previous years", I replied.
A very stern look appeared and he answered, "They all
> should have told you then. Just think of me as a policeman who finally
caught you." Now, my pad cost about $ 65 so I was not about
> to pay this individual $15 more dollars than it was worth particularly
considering the circumstances, so I tried another approach.
> " Why don't I take the pad out, leave it here with you and wear the life
jacket, although I wonder what the reaction will be from
> fellow passengers when I board the plane wearing a life vest", I added. He
found this not in the least bit humorous. At that point,
> he said, "Wait here", turned on his heel and disappeared into a door
behind the ticket counter. He soon
> emerged with a younger woman in tow. There was no relenting in her
> demeanor and I realized then that they would not budge. At that moment an
act of complete irony took place when a gentleman arrived
> at the adjoining counter with a hard shelled golf club case that looked as
though a Mack truck and 3 burly teamsters would be needed
> to load it onto the plane. It was roughly the same dimensions as my duffle
and was accepted without comment by another Continental
> agent. Upon pointing that out I was informed that golf club bags and
certain other oversized items were exempt from the extra
> charge. " You mean to tell me that you will accept these heavy bulky items
such as golf clubs at no charge and want $ 80 for a
> lightweight pad", I noted.
> At this point a somewhat humorous if not bothersome scene turned very
dark. I had purchased E-tickets which meant that Continental
> Airlines had my credit card number. The female ticket agent armed with
this information informed me that if I continued to argue,
> Continental Airlines would charge an additional $80 for the first flight
plus ( already taken ) and an extra $ 80 for the return
> flight. This was certainly an attempted intimidation if not an open
threat. Continental had promoted the E-ticket concept as a
> convenience for them and me but now armed with my credit card number,
introduced the idea that they would add charges as they
> pleased ! I now know this policy exists, but to my way of thinking a
larger question was opened. IF TICKETS ARE PURCHASED
> ELECTRONICALLY WITH A CREDIT CARD NUMBER, DOES THE CARRIER HAVE THE RIGHT
TO ADD ADDITIONAL CHARGES AT THEIR OWN DISCRETION? This
> had such a chilling effect that I removed my bags and went to another
section of the terminal to ponder a solution. The lines
> through security were very long and there was a danger of missing the
flight so I removed the pad from the duffle, left it in the
> terminal, took the duffle with the PFD to the sky cap outside, who gladly
checked it through, and continued with the journey.
>
> I'll make a new pad. My wife and I will certainly never fly
Continental or purchase E-tickets again. We travel for other
> business as well and probably only spend about $ 5,000 to $6,000 a year on
tickets. That certainly is no big loss for Continental,
> but will be my small protest.
>
>
>
>
>