Tuesday, June 24, 2008

Continental Airlines (ctd)

I have 4 words of advise for everybody "NEVER USE CONTINENTAL AIRLINES"

Why you may ask?

Well here is Chapter 2: The Return Journey to USA:

9.30am flight to Newark USA...surprisingly on time.

12.30pm (USA time) arrive at terminal to get next flight due in 2 hours..delayed 30 mins..that is ok.

1.30pm husband calls they have canceled the flight, the next one is at 9.50pm... hmm no thanks as if they cancel that one I will be sleeping on the floor at Newark airport!

1.35pm join the line at customer service..no one on the gates could help. The line is 100 people deep as you know that Continental cancel flights as often as you blink your eyes!

1.50pm The line is not moving so I call the reservations desk on my cell phone. No flights to Boston as they are all full..(there were 4 listed) have to wait for the 9.5opm.....7 hours not on your nelly!

2pm start chatting to an elderly man who was tryig to get to Manchester NH too & he was from Salford where my mum is from. We decide to ditch our luggage, rent a car & drive home.

3pm we get a car & a GPS & driveoff into Manhattan.

Imagine my husbands response when I tell him I have met a man, we have rented a car & are on our way to NH! Oh yes a total stranger!

And in reverse Mr D who calls his daughter ......I know we were very trusting!

9pm we arrive at Manchester airport & depart our separate ways.

The bill for the car $256 for 6 hours...another battle that I to handle.

The good part to this story is that Mr D & I may even be related!

He knows some of my mums friends as they grew up in the same area. Of course we know each others life stories after 6 hours but I have to say I would never have driven without him.

He is over here visiting his daughter who is also from Salford and we will invite them over for dinner whilst he is here.

So the end of the story: I met a new friend, got ripped off for renting a car and oh yes DO NOT EVER fly with Contnental Airlines!

Oh & by the way the 9.50pm flight was cancelled so it was the correct decision to abandon our luggage & drive.

The movie "Planes, trains & automobiles" jumps to my mind.

Tuesday, June 17, 2008

Continental Airlines .....no thanks!

Just made an emergency visit to the UK as my mum is not well....it took 38 hours from Manchester NH to get to Manchetser UK!

I feel the need to Continental Airlines bash!

In a nutshell:

Saturday 4.30 pm due to fly Manchester NH to Newark.

3.30pm received phone call flight cancelled due to mending the runway!!!!
No other flights available...due to fly out of Newark to Manchester UK at 10pm.
Told to go to Boston for the 5.30pm to Newark. No we cannot provide a shuttle bus that would be providing customer service.

5.00pm get to Boston burning rubber all the way..flight delayed an hour.

6.30pm delayed another hour.

7.30 delayed another one.

8.30pm cancelling look for another flight due to bad weather.

9pm New flight booked for tomorrow 11.30am to Newark then 7.30pm to Manchester UK
so I ask for a hotel as I am stranded.

Told NO.

9.15pm after huge temper tantrum I get a hotel.

Next day get flight to Newark on time surprisingly.

7.30pm after spending 6 1/2 hours wandering around the airport I felt like Tom Hanks in The Terminal movie flight delayed an hour..as it needs cleaning...hello I did spend a huge amount on this ticket!

8.30pm sat on plane feeling confident we are to move.

9.30pm still on the tarmac.

10.30pm oh yes still on the tarmac.

11.30pm hurray we are actually airborn!

5am arrive in Manchester UK... no one in immigration.. so wait an hour....hello Manchester I am home....let me in!

6am Collapse into my sisters arms.......I cannot bear the thought of coming back...will I survive???

My message to you all....think twice before booking with Continental! One lady could not get another flight to Tel Aviv for 48 hours!!!! Watch for Terminal 2 the movie!!!!

Monday, June 9, 2008

Heavenly heat!

OH my gosh it is so hot here... 93 degrees & humid.

Like it, I love it. My bones are thawed out from the 10 feet of snow from that nasty mean old winter.

Out of desperation today we had to take a day off together Sir L & I. Not to go for a romantic lunch & a quickie, a stroll through the beautiful mountains or a quick dip in the gob smackingly looking lake.

Our hot date was to the garage to get the snow tyres taken off the rims....romantic heh?

Friday, June 6, 2008

Flying is no longer a luxury.

Having just returned from the homeland I have to comment on flying. Needless to say it took many hours and planes to get back home due to the flight cut backs.

I can remember....(I sound like a granny!) when flying was wonderful, not only were the alcohol drinks all free,they gave you two of each bottle so that you could shove them in your bag,free candy or an ice cream with the movie, very friendly & classy air stewards, warm face clothes to wipe over your face, a goody bag complete with socks, smellies & an eye mask just incase you sat next to an ugly person.

I'm sad to say that the only thing that has stayed the same is the food which has never been palatable. You know the words before they are spat at you "beef or chicken?" It does not really matter they are both full of MSG & give you wind(gas!)

I do not mind the extra security, or the long lines however the staff are so rude.

Our air hostess was chewing gum & blowing bubbles as she served the meal...nice classy chick.

My belt went through the security machine never to return...hello where could it have gone? I asked the security man to please look again, he did to no avail!

I said "where can it have gone?"

His reply "I dunno."

I said "What will I do if my pants fall down."

He said "I'll come and look for you."

Cheeky monkey, but I did appreciate his sense of humour!