Continental Airlines Nightmare Continues

Not that gadlingers out there give a flying Fernando, but I figured I'd post an update to this Continental Airlines absurdity, as the saga continues. Our delay here in St. John's Newfoundland has just been extended to almost five hours. Why? Apparently the folks at Continental forgot to tell the crew that the plane was to leave at 11. The crew were told by the powers that be in Newark that the flight would not leave until 1p.

In other words, someone at Continental screwed up big time, letting everyone here believe that the flight was leaving at 11, while the crew was back at their hotel sleeping peacefully in the understanding that they wouldn't have to be a the airport until 12:45. And so everyone that has been patiently sitting here waiting for the crew to arrive just learned that they will be here for another two hours. The worst part is that most of the folks have connecting flights and so all have to go back out to the ticketing area to get rebooked. The photo here is of the angry hordes who are demanding to know who screwed up. One lady literally screamed at the staff and slamed her hand on the desk. A bit uncool, but that's how we all feel. I'm quite sure if someone started distributing AK-47s, there would be an armed revolt.

What a joke.

So here's the lowdown: Continental CANCELED our flight yesterday, sending us back to St. John's with nothing so much as a wave. OK, they waved. They sent us back to a fully-booked city with no help to find a hotel, no shuttle into the town. Then this morning, we arrived and learned that the 9am flight was delayed until 11 because the crew needed to arrive...a crew that SHOULD have been here yesterday. But worse, the crew was here, in their hotel, but they'd been told by Continental that they didn't have to be at the airport until 12:45. So here a hundred or so people sit, waiting for another two hours for these folks to get their sh*t together, and many if not most of them also now have to go back out through security to get rebooked. Man, I can't WAIT to be done with this nonsense and incompetence.

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