Continental, the airline without a heart

We recently had a bad experience in Palermo, Sicily where my husband got
very ill and had to be taken to a hospital from the cruise ship. When he
was finally able to travel the insurance company had to provide a
nurse/companion for him because he needed oxygen in-flight. The
insurance company put him and the companion on Business First and stuck
me in tourist.

I know that Continental had nothing to do with this, however, it was
explained to the chief flight attendant that we had been separated for
over 5 days with only 30 minutes per day visiting at the hospital. It
was explained by the nurse/companion that I was extremely fragile and
needed attention during the 10 hour flight from Milan to Newark. She
also explained that, though she was traveling to administer the oxygen,
I was his primary caregiver and was needed to help manage his insulin
pump.

There was an empty seat next to my husband and the nurse. I cried and
begged and promised to not eat any food if they would just let me sit
near my husband. They refused.

The nurse had to get up frequently and check on me. Even my husband, who
should have been in the cabin with the oxygen, removed the canula and
came into tourist to check on me. Several times during the flight, my
husband and the nurse asked again to just let me sit in the seat near
them but they refused.

Both my husband and myself are frequent fliers on Continental and one
would think that having been told the horror story of our ordeal by a
professional with traveling credentials, someone would have had a heart
and just let me sit near him. I cried for the 10 hours we were separated
and the flight crew knew it. I was not offered a single word of comfort,
nor even permitted to go into the first class cabin to check on him.
They just didn't care. Once I begged the chief flight attendant to let
me in to check on him and I was told that "people pay $8,000 to fly in
that cabin and it wouldn't be fair to let you go in to check on your
husband."

It is unfortunate that we have to fly Continental because of where we
live, but I am going to write to them and let them know what beasts I
think they are. Surely there are circumstances when the rules can be
bent a tad?

I would appreciate any help with wording the letter you all can give me.

DH is feeling much better and we are glad to be home, but I'm still
angry at Continental for treating me so badly.
--
Janet Wilder
Bad spelling. Bad punctuation
Good Friends. Good Life

Let's get this right. You are bad-mouthing CO because some flight
attendants on board wouldn't give you the free lunch you wanted to
give them. A. you say nothing about talking to CO on the ground about
this. That's where decisions like this are made. Flight attendants
have absolutely no authority to do upgrades on a flight, specifically
to allow them to do their duties on board and keep them from dealing
with everyone on board who wants a free lunch like you. B. why didn't
you do the obvious and PAY for the seat if you wanted it? That's what
airlines do. The sell seats they don't give them away and the flight
attendant was exactly right. All those paying for it would hardly be
happy to be with someone getting a free lunch. You got what you paid
for as did your husband. Maybe you should go complain to your bank
for not giving you enough money in your account for free to pay for
business class. Try that and then write a complaint about how
heartless they are. Ridiculous.



On Tue, 18 Nov 2008 09:45:35 -0600, Janet Wilder
wrote:

We recently had a bad experience in Palermo, Sicily where my husband got
very ill and had to be taken to a hospital from the cruise ship. When he
was finally able to travel the insurance company had to provide a
nurse/companion for him because he needed oxygen in-flight. The
insurance company put him and the companion on Business First and stuck
me in tourist.

I know that Continental had nothing to do with this, however, it was
explained to the chief flight attendant that we had been separated for
over 5 days with only 30 minutes per day visiting at the hospital. It
was explained by the nurse/companion that I was extremely fragile and
needed attention during the 10 hour flight from Milan to Newark. She
also explained that, though she was traveling to administer the oxygen,
I was his primary caregiver and was needed to help manage his insulin
pump.

There was an empty seat next to my husband and the nurse. I cried and
begged and promised to not eat any food if they would just let me sit
near my husband. They refused.

The nurse had to get up frequently and check on me. Even my husband, who
should have been in the cabin with the oxygen, removed the canula and
came into tourist to check on me. Several times during the flight, my
husband and the nurse asked again to just let me sit in the seat near
them but they refused.

Both my husband and myself are frequent fliers on Continental and one
would think that having been told the horror story of our ordeal by a
professional with traveling credentials, someone would have had a heart
and just let me sit near him. I cried for the 10 hours we were separated
and the flight crew knew it. I was not offered a single word of comfort,
nor even permitted to go into the first class cabin to check on him.
They just didn't care. Once I begged the chief flight attendant to let
me in to check on him and I was told that "people pay $8,000 to fly in
that cabin and it wouldn't be fair to let you go in to check on your
husband."

It is unfortunate that we have to fly Continental because of where we
live, but I am going to write to them and let them know what beasts I
think they are. Surely there are circumstances when the rules can be
bent a tad?

I would appreciate any help with wording the letter you all can give me.

DH is feeling much better and we are glad to be home, but I'm still
angry at Continental for treating me so badly.
--
Janet Wilder
Bad spelling. Bad punctuation
Good Friends. Good Life

John Kulp wrote:
Let's get this right. You are bad-mouthing CO because some flight
attendants on board wouldn't give you the free lunch you wanted to
give them.

I stated several times that I would not eat any food in the first class
cabin. I didn't want free lunch, just to be near my husband.

A. you say nothing about talking to CO on the ground about
this. That's where decisions like this are made.

We did speak to them at the check in desk. They told us to talk to the
flight attendants. By us I mean the nurse and I.

Flight attendants
have absolutely no authority to do upgrades on a flight, specifically
to allow them to do their duties on board and keep them from dealing
with everyone on board who wants a free lunch like you.

If you didn't have a reading disability you would have seen where, in my
original post, I stated that I would not eat the food, I just wanted to
be near my husband.
B. why didn't
you do the obvious and PAY for the seat if you wanted it? That's what
airlines do. The sell seats they don't give them away and the flight
attendant was exactly right. All those paying for it would hardly be
happy to be with someone getting a free lunch. You got what you paid
for as did your husband. Maybe you should go complain to your bank
for not giving you enough money in your account for free to pay for
business class. Try that and then write a complaint about how
heartless they are. Ridiculous.

Again, your reading problem points to what a jerk you are. I did not
purchase the tickets. They were purchased by the travel insurance
company. I did not have the travel arrangements ahead of time and did
not learn that I was in coach until we were ready to board the plane.

I just called Continental for their address and explained to the person
on the phone why I wanted to write. She was very sympathetic.

I'm truly sorry that you are the product of a failed educational system.
I am also truly sorry for you that you can take the plight of a person
who had just been through a terrible ordeal in a country where she did
not speak the language, was separated from her sick husband and only
wanted to travel by his side and turn it into a plea for a "free lunch"

Good thing for you that we are entering Scrooge Season soon, but please
find someone else to practice on.



On Tue, 18 Nov 2008 09:45:35 -0600, Janet Wilder
wrote:

We recently had a bad experience in Palermo, Sicily where my husband got
very ill and had to be taken to a hospital from the cruise ship. When he
was finally able to travel the insurance company had to provide a
nurse/companion for him because he needed oxygen in-flight. The
insurance company put him and the companion on Business First and stuck
me in tourist.

I know that Continental had nothing to do with this, however, it was
explained to the chief flight attendant that we had been separated for
over 5 days with only 30 minutes per day visiting at the hospital. It
was explained by the nurse/companion that I was extremely fragile and
needed attention during the 10 hour flight from Milan to Newark. She
also explained that, though she was traveling to administer the oxygen,
I was his primary caregiver and was needed to help manage his insulin
pump.

There was an empty seat next to my husband and the nurse. I cried and
begged and promised to not eat any food if they would just let me sit
near my husband. They refused.

The nurse had to get up frequently and check on me. Even my husband, who
should have been in the cabin with the oxygen, removed the canula and
came into tourist to check on me. Several times during the flight, my
husband and the nurse asked again to just let me sit in the seat near
them but they refused.

Both my husband and myself are frequent fliers on Continental and one
would think that having been told the horror story of our ordeal by a
professional with traveling credentials, someone would have had a heart
and just let me sit near him. I cried for the 10 hours we were separated
and the flight crew knew it. I was not offered a single word of comfort,
nor even permitted to go into the first class cabin to check on him.
They just didn't care. Once I begged the chief flight attendant to let
me in to check on him and I was told that "people pay $8,000 to fly in
that cabin and it wouldn't be fair to let you go in to check on your
husband."

It is unfortunate that we have to fly Continental because of where we
live, but I am going to write to them and let them know what beasts I
think they are. Surely there are circumstances when the rules can be
bent a tad?

I would appreciate any help with wording the letter you all can give me.

DH is feeling much better and we are glad to be home, but I'm still
angry at Continental for treating me so badly.
--
Janet Wilder
Bad spelling. Bad punctuation
Good Friends. Good Life



--
Janet Wilder
Bad spelling. Bad punctuation
Good Friends. Good Life

On Nov 18, 7:37*pm, (John Kulp) wrote:
Let's get this right. *You are bad-mouthing CO because some flight
attendants on board wouldn't give you the free lunch you wanted to
give them. *A. you say nothing about talking to CO on the ground about
this. *That's where decisions like this are made. *Flight attendants
have absolutely no authority to do upgrades on a flight, specifically
to allow them to do their duties on board and keep them from dealing
with everyone on board who wants a free lunch like you. *B. why didn't
you do the obvious and PAY for the seat if you wanted it? *That's what
airlines do. *The sell seats they don't give them away and the flight
attendant was exactly right. *All those paying for it would hardly be
happy to be with someone getting a free lunch. *You got what you paid
for as did your husband. *Maybe you should go complain to your bank
for not giving you enough money in your account for free to pay for
business class. *Try that and then write a complaint about how
heartless they are. *Ridiculous.

Now, let me see, you work for an airline - right?

I can't imagine a normal human being defending the case, so I suspect
that that has to be true.

I've had lots of 'free lunches' as you call it - airlines have
upgraded me for nothing, without my request (my most recent flight, on
Saturday last, was a free upgrade to business class that I had not
asked for) and I don't see other people in the cabin getting all upset
that I'm there. So would you say that my 'free lunch' is more worthy
because I didn't ask for it and didn't need it, than allowing somebody
to occupy a seat where there was a genuine need?

Ok, maybe you don't work for an airline, Mr Spock.

"Janet Wilder" wrote in message
...

You're explaining yourself to a troll, Janet. Most, in this group have him
killfiled, but unfortunately, we see his babbling in your response to him.

Anyway.... I'm very surprised about your situation. Over the years, I've
seen people sent to FC for lesser situations, and as a Platinum member, I've
had my share of freebies too. FA's send people to FC all the time, and the
other PAX don't know the situation. I've been pulled from coach many times
to FC before take-off. The FA's could have easily let you sit with your
husband, and no one would have been any wiser. Honestly, I don't think
there's anything you can do, but it's not Continentals fault. I blame it on
the flight crew of that particular flight.

Jim Davis wrote:
"Janet Wilder" wrote in message
...

You're explaining yourself to a troll, Janet. Most, in this group have him
killfiled, but unfortunately, we see his babbling in your response to him.

Anyway.... I'm very surprised about your situation. Over the years, I've
seen people sent to FC for lesser situations, and as a Platinum member, I've
had my share of freebies too. FA's send people to FC all the time, and the
other PAX don't know the situation. I've been pulled from coach many times
to FC before take-off. The FA's could have easily let you sit with your
husband, and no one would have been any wiser. Honestly, I don't think
there's anything you can do, but it's not Continentals fault. I blame it on
the flight crew of that particular flight.


Thanks. I have drafted a letter to the company. I made sure to mention
that the flight crew told him to remove his oxygen and go to me in
tourist rather than permit me to visit with him in business first.

The entire ordeal was grueling and very frightening. The insensitivity
of the flight crew was just about the last straw. I cried through most
of that 10 hour flight and the crew knew it.

--
Janet Wilder
Bad spelling. Bad punctuation
Good Friends. Good Life

On Tue, 18 Nov 2008 13:25:11 -0600, Janet Wilder
wrote:

John Kulp wrote:
Let's get this right. You are bad-mouthing CO because some flight
attendants on board wouldn't give you the free lunch you wanted to
give them.

I stated several times that I would not eat any food in the first class
cabin. I didn't want free lunch, just to be near my husband.

By free lunch, I didn't literally mean lunch. I meant you were asking
for something you didn't pay for while others in the cabin had
paid--and paid substantially. If you wanted it, you could have paid
for it. No one or business is under any obligation to give you a
service or product for free.


A. you say nothing about talking to CO on the ground about
this. That's where decisions like this are made.

We did speak to them at the check in desk. They told us to talk to the
flight attendants. By us I mean the nurse and I.

If they actually did that, they were just passing you off as I know
for a fact that no airline crew has any authority to move someone up
other than in an onboard emergency, which is what your husband had and
not you.


Flight attendants
have absolutely no authority to do upgrades on a flight, specifically
to allow them to do their duties on board and keep them from dealing
with everyone on board who wants a free lunch like you.

If you didn't have a reading disability you would have seen where, in my
original post, I stated that I would not eat the food, I just wanted to
be near my husband.

I have no such disability and just because you wanted something--for
free--doesn't mean you have any right whatsoever to have it. Any more
than my 3 year old granddaughter who wants all kinds of things she is
denied.

B. why didn't
you do the obvious and PAY for the seat if you wanted it? That's what
airlines do. The sell seats they don't give them away and the flight
attendant was exactly right. All those paying for it would hardly be
happy to be with someone getting a free lunch. You got what you paid
for as did your husband. Maybe you should go complain to your bank
for not giving you enough money in your account for free to pay for
business class. Try that and then write a complaint about how
heartless they are. Ridiculous.

Again, your reading problem points to what a jerk you are. I did not
purchase the tickets. They were purchased by the travel insurance
company. I did not have the travel arrangements ahead of time and did
not learn that I was in coach until we were ready to board the plane.

No, your stupid rant thinking your entitled to something for free that
you didn't pay for is ridiculous. The seat was for sale if they had
one like you said and you could have paid for it yourself if you
wanted it. If you think your insurance company should have, go bitch
at them not the provider of the product, who did absolutely nothing
wrong here. If coach was paid for, that's what you get. Period.


I just called Continental for their address and explained to the person
on the phone why I wanted to write. She was very sympathetic.

Of course. They are trained to deal with nut cases like you and face
them constantly. This thread is just inundated with all the nut cases
who think they are entitled to things for free just like you. You
know, crackpots who know nothing about running a business and think
they're entitled to whatever their miniscule brains dream up.


I'm truly sorry that you are the product of a failed educational system.
I am also truly sorry for you that you can take the plight of a person
who had just been through a terrible ordeal in a country where she did
not speak the language, was separated from her sick husband and only
wanted to travel by his side and turn it into a plea for a "free lunch"

As usual, you completely miss the point, which is, you are not
entitled to anything from anybody for free. Period. Trying to blame
CO for not wanting to give you something for free--particularly when
it would damage its relation with its paying passengers--is perfectly
legitimate. It was your INSURANCE company that would obviously not
pay for a business seat for you, most probably for the same reason, so
why aren't you ranting at them?


Good thing for you that we are entering Scrooge Season soon, but please
find someone else to practice on.

Yeah, nut cases do get tiring fast. Especially when they don't even
know the right company to moan at. And, just for the record, whether
they'll be polite to you or not, airline employees detest people like
you whom they have to deal with all the time with stupidities like
this. I once overheard an SAS employee comment to another employee
after dealing with a case just like yours "Who do they think they're
dealing with? We're SAS not SOS."




On Tue, 18 Nov 2008 09:45:35 -0600, Janet Wilder
wrote:

We recently had a bad experience in Palermo, Sicily where my husband got
very ill and had to be taken to a hospital from the cruise ship. When he
was finally able to travel the insurance company had to provide a
nurse/companion for him because he needed oxygen in-flight. The
insurance company put him and the companion on Business First and stuck
me in tourist.

I know that Continental had nothing to do with this, however, it was
explained to the chief flight attendant that we had been separated for
over 5 days with only 30 minutes per day visiting at the hospital. It
was explained by the nurse/companion that I was extremely fragile and
needed attention during the 10 hour flight from Milan to Newark. She
also explained that, though she was traveling to administer the oxygen,
I was his primary caregiver and was needed to help manage his insulin
pump.

There was an empty seat next to my husband and the nurse. I cried and
begged and promised to not eat any food if they would just let me sit
near my husband. They refused.

The nurse had to get up frequently and check on me. Even my husband, who
should have been in the cabin with the oxygen, removed the canula and
came into tourist to check on me. Several times during the flight, my
husband and the nurse asked again to just let me sit in the seat near
them but they refused.

Both my husband and myself are frequent fliers on Continental and one
would think that having been told the horror story of our ordeal by a
professional with traveling credentials, someone would have had a heart
and just let me sit near him. I cried for the 10 hours we were separated
and the flight crew knew it. I was not offered a single word of comfort,
nor even permitted to go into the first class cabin to check on him.
They just didn't care. Once I begged the chief flight attendant to let
me in to check on him and I was told that "people pay $8,000 to fly in
that cabin and it wouldn't be fair to let you go in to check on your
husband."

It is unfortunate that we have to fly Continental because of where we
live, but I am going to write to them and let them know what beasts I
think they are. Surely there are circumstances when the rules can be
bent a tad?

I would appreciate any help with wording the letter you all can give me.

DH is feeling much better and we are glad to be home, but I'm still
angry at Continental for treating me so badly.
--
Janet Wilder
Bad spelling. Bad punctuation
Good Friends. Good Life



--
Janet Wilder
Bad spelling. Bad punctuation
Good Friends. Good Life

On Tue, 18 Nov 2008 12:18:49 -0800 (PST), Peter Brooks
wrote:

On Nov 18, 7:37=A0pm, (John Kulp) wrote:
Let's get this right. =A0You are bad-mouthing CO because some flight
attendants on board wouldn't give you the free lunch you wanted to
give them. =A0A. you say nothing about talking to CO on the ground about
this. =A0That's where decisions like this are made. =A0Flight attendants
have absolutely no authority to do upgrades on a flight, specifically
to allow them to do their duties on board and keep them from dealing
with everyone on board who wants a free lunch like you. =A0B. why didn't
you do the obvious and PAY for the seat if you wanted it? =A0That's what
airlines do. =A0The sell seats they don't give them away and the flight
attendant was exactly right. =A0All those paying for it would hardly be
happy to be with someone getting a free lunch. =A0You got what you paid
for as did your husband. =A0Maybe you should go complain to your bank
for not giving you enough money in your account for free to pay for
business class. =A0Try that and then write a complaint about how
heartless they are. =A0Ridiculous.

Now, let me see, you work for an airline - right?

No, I do not and never have.


I can't imagine a normal human being defending the case, so I suspect
that that has to be true.

Then you're just as big a crackpot as she is. No company, no matter
what their business, has any obligation to give any of their services
or products away for free. Period. Let her go and ask the Salvation
Army or her church for that. That's their business, not a company.
This woman has the gall to rant against an airline that doesn't want
to give this nutbar a free lunch. Too bad. Let her go to her bank
and ask for free money and see how far she gets. She's so nutty so
does this when, in the first instance, her insurance company was the
one who obviously wouldn't pay for a business seat for her. Didn't
see her ranting about that did you? If CO had had any sense, they
would have told her to go rant at them, since they were the ones who
refused to pay. That went right over your head didn't it?


I've had lots of 'free lunches' as you call it - airlines have
upgraded me for nothing, without my request (my most recent flight, on
Saturday last, was a free upgrade to business class that I had not
asked for) and I don't see other people in the cabin getting all upset
that I'm there. So would you say that my 'free lunch' is more worthy
because I didn't ask for it and didn't need it, than allowing somebody
to occupy a seat where there was a genuine need?

Because, they weren't OBLIGATED to do it, that's why. Anyone is free
to give away anything they want whenever they want if they want. But
they certainly aren't obligated to do it, that's for sure. And while
don't you tell us all the circumstances before posturing away? Like
are you a frequent flyer? Elite, platinum or what? What was the type
of ticket you were flying on? Full fare, discounted, premium economy
or what? Then maybe we can see if there was a perceptible valid
business reason for them upgrading you when there was none for her.


Ok, maybe you don't work for an airline, Mr Spock.

As I said, socialist kook, I never have and never will.

On Tue, 18 Nov 2008 15:03:51 -0600, "Jim Davis"
wrote:

"Janet Wilder" wrote in message
. ..

You're explaining yourself to a troll, Janet. Most, in this group have him
killfiled, but unfortunately, we see his babbling in your response to him.

Anyway.... I'm very surprised about your situation. Over the years, I've
seen people sent to FC for lesser situations, and as a Platinum member, I've
had my share of freebies too. FA's send people to FC all the time, and the
other PAX don't know the situation. I've been pulled from coach many times
to FC before take-off. The FA's could have easily let you sit with your
husband, and no one would have been any wiser. Honestly, I don't think
there's anything you can do, but it's not Continentals fault. I blame it on
the flight crew of that particular flight.



Who could have been fired if they followed your screwball advice.
Once again, for someone like you who has no clue what you're talking
about, flight crews are only allowed to put people up if they get sick
during the flight in the back and for no other reason. They get fired
if they do and get caught. Any time you've seen what you've described
is when the GROUND STAFF have upgraded them and told the flight crew
they could move them. And the ones who have killfiled me are just the
idiots like this guy who have no clue what they're talking about and
don't like being told about it.

On Tue, 18 Nov 2008 16:05:24 -0600, Janet Wilder
wrote:

Jim Davis wrote:
"Janet Wilder" wrote in message
...

You're explaining yourself to a troll, Janet. Most, in this group have him
killfiled, but unfortunately, we see his babbling in your response to him.

Anyway.... I'm very surprised about your situation. Over the years, I've
seen people sent to FC for lesser situations, and as a Platinum member, I've
had my share of freebies too. FA's send people to FC all the time, and the
other PAX don't know the situation. I've been pulled from coach many times
to FC before take-off. The FA's could have easily let you sit with your
husband, and no one would have been any wiser. Honestly, I don't think
there's anything you can do, but it's not Continentals fault. I blame it on
the flight crew of that particular flight.


Thanks. I have drafted a letter to the company. I made sure to mention
that the flight crew told him to remove his oxygen and go to me in
tourist rather than permit me to visit with him in business first.

Congratulations. You got another uniformed crackpot to agree with
you. I told you there are plenty of them here, so you're in good
company. And be sure to bring along all you witnesses with you to
support your free lunch claim.


The entire ordeal was grueling and very frightening. The insensitivity
of the flight crew was just about the last straw. I cried through most
of that 10 hour flight and the crew knew it.

Try learning the difference between a charity and a business and the
difference between an obligation and a gift before you whine more.
Then, next time quit being a cheapskate and pay for the ticket.


--
Janet Wilder
Bad spelling. Bad punctuation
Good Friends. Good Life