Continental Airlines Business class tickets cost $6,000. We bought 2. Were still treated no better than criminals. New York New York
About a week before 9/11, my husband and I flew with our 2 1/2 month old baby to Hong Kong. When we made the reservations, we asked for the bassinet, and were told it was on hold for us.
I called the day before the flight to confirm everything. We were told that there was no bassinet. I asked what we were supposed to do with the baby on the 15-hour flight. The agent coldly said, "Put the baby on the floor in front of you."
A second agent told us to turn in our tickets for a refund and fly another carrier.
A third agent told us that she would reserve a seat next to us so we could bring our carseat for the baby.
When we got to the airport we confirmed this at check-in.
When we got on the plane, the concierge boarded and told us we were not allowed to take an extra seat. She scolded us. She lectured us about how there were paying passengers trying to board this plane. She did all this even though there were extra seats on the plane, and in spite of our situation. We ended up in a screaming match. You pay $12,000 to get this kind of aggravation from Continental.
The passenger next to me wondered why she was putting us through this. The flight attendants were rude.
Of course after 9/11 when no one wanted to fly their planes, they became all sweet and generous.
But since then, they have become rude again.
Continental's business class seats are called "BusinessFirst." My slogan for them is: "Business First, Families Last."
Jackie
New York, New York
U.S.A.
5 Updates & Rebuttals
Patricia
Savannah,Georgia,
U.S.A.
Wrong Advice from Your Doctor.
#6Consumer Comment
Thu, August 04, 2005
First of all your comments regarding taking an infant on airplane constitues child abuse are out of hand. Then your reasons that you claim were given to you by a doctor were actually medically wrong. Here is some information from the Mayo Clinic..."Many parents worry that air travel will hurt their child's ears. But the effects of flying on an infant's ears are the same as for an adult's ears. Changing cabin pressure causes temporary changes in middle ear pressure, which can result in pain. Sucking helps equalize the pressure in the ears. For this reason, feeding the infant during takeoff and landing may help." If your brother did have extreme ear problems after flying it may have been due to an undiagnosed ear infection that was irritated from the changes in cabin pressure. The only advice about not flying with an infant is when they are less than 2 weeks and their immune system is not developed. I have traveled with both of my children many times from the time they were 4 months old up until now and not once have they ever had any ear problems or gotten ill from travel in an airplane.
Tim
Houston,Texas,
U.S.A.
Prev. Rebuttal is extreme...next time, get it all in writing.
#6Consumer Suggestion
Thu, May 19, 2005
About traveling with a child...the above mentioned doctor sounds very extreme. Also, traveling with a 2 1/2 yr old is much different than with a 6 month baby. It's true, listening to someone else's crying baby over a long flight can be really annoying...but it is not enough reason to tell people they can't travel with their kids. There are very many legitimate reasons to travel...
The flight attendants are so very busy...don't take someone's word for anything, get it in writing so you can show them in writing...
In any case, $6K for a flight sounds like A LOT. You must have booked very short.
Did you not have to buy a ticket for the child???
Michael
Bloomington,Indiana,
U.S.A.
Why airline travel is bad
#6Consumer Comment
Sat, April 16, 2005
The reason I say this is because my dad and I took my brother, who is about 20 years younger than me, on a flight. We were visiting family and we took Scott from Denver to New York when he was about 4 months. The airline told us this would be okay as long has he doesn't cry. They did however require us to purchase an additional seat and put a car seat in it.
When we were landing he started crying and would not stop. A few hours later he started turning red, from screaming so much, and we took him to the hospital. The first thing the Dr. asked us was if we took him on an airplane. We said we did and the Dr. yelled at us and told us that you never bring an infant on an airplane. He said the rapid pressure changes of the airplane cabin ruptured one of his eardrums. He also said the stress of being in a small crowded environment while moving can cause serious illness and infection.
He also told us an infant should never travel, he said unless its a trip to the Dr or completely necessary they shouldn't even leave the house until 6 months. We got a lecture about how family needs to visit us when we have an infant and we need to put all travel on hold because its part of responsible parenting.
We had to rent a car and drive home from NY and his ear surgery became infected and he developed pneumonia and almost died. This is all because he was too young to travel. That is why I say it is so cruel and dangerous to put an infant on an airplane and I do not wish this on any infant and think Parents need to be more responsible and safe with their babies.
Fortunately my brother recovered and is okay. In fact he is about to go to High School.
Patrick
Gilbert,Arizona,
U.S.A.
Michael, can you prove your statements?
#6Consumer Comment
Tue, April 05, 2005
Michael,
Please qualify your statements about infant air travel. Are you a parent? Have you ever traveled with an infant on an airplane? Have you consulted a doctor regarding this?
I'm just curious, as I am a parent, and we flew with our 2-month old infant from Florida to Arizona to visit the family that was not able to be at the birth. Before traveling, we had conversations both with the airlines, and our child's pediatrician. We were told that as long as the child was healthy, there was no reason that she could not travel.
Granted, the flight was only 5 hours and not 15, but what's the difference? She had absolutely no problems whatsoever on the flight. Sucking on a bottle and pacifier solved the ear popping problem. The worst part of the flight was that we had to hold her in our arms the whole flight. A bassinet would have been nice.
This June she will be making her fourth cross-country flight, and since she is now 3, she will have her own seat (thank goodness).
I have only flown Continental once, in November 2000. We received stellar service, so I'm surprised to hear about Jackie's experience. But I think it happens with all airlines. However, you would think that a customer who has spent $12,000 on airline tickets would be treated with a lot better respect.
Michael
Bloomington,Indiana,
U.S.A.
Who brings a 2 and month old infant on an international flight?
#6Consumer Comment
Tue, April 05, 2005
The problem here isn't continental. Its bad parenting. First off who brings a 2 and month old on a 15 hour flight? That is horrible for the infant and horrible for the rest of the people on the plane. There are a lot of responsibilities that come with parenthood. One of them is putting your traveling on hold.
If you were going on vacation, I hope your child gets taken away from you because that just abuse to a new born. If you are visiting family it is still bad. Family can visit you, you have a good reason to ask them to, a new born baby. Traveling is one of the most dangerous activities you can do with an infant.
They can get very sick and the stress of traveling can kill them. I am sorry if the people at continental were rude, but think about how cruel you were being to your infant.