They're returning home today. Only thing is, there was bad traffic. They arrived 45 minutes before the flight leaves, and Continental wouldn't let them board. Period. They were supposed to arrive in SLC at 8:00 tonight. Now they had to re-book a flight that arrives at 2:15 AM (Which is bad because I have to go to work tomorrow and I was planning on picking them up; good bye sleep for tomorrow).
So my father and mother are, understandably, a bit upset, and they let the attendants know about this. Continental's reply? Marking my parents as an EXTREME security threat (Basically, getting damn-near strip searched before they'll be let back on the plane; the security guard at the airport said he's never seen anyone marked that highly before) and getting told to stuff it, more or less. This is the way it is since Sept. 11 (Which the Continental folks kept bringing up over and over and over) and this is the way it'll always be.
My parents have flown to Vegas NUMEROUS TIMES since 9/11, South America, Jamaica, and now to Orlando. They usually fly Southwest Airlines and fly Delta. And they've always had good service. But the first time they fly Continental, this happens. They've never been treated this badly before, period, and now it's going to fuck up all of our schedules.
I'll sooner drive cross-country than fly Continental. [ 05-03-2003: Message edited by: Khyron ]
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A sleep deprived Naimah stammered:
While I agree the airlines behaviour was probably overkill, maybe your parents should show up the perscribed amount of time before departure?
He said traffic was bad. They must have forgotten their crystal ball to foresee every possible delay.
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Naimah had this to say about Robocop:
So it is the responsibility of the airline to make shure that you allow for traffic problems? Try and look at it from the view of the airlines. They have rules, you have to follow them.
You're right, let's look at it from the view of the airlines.
"Here we have two PAYING CUSTOMERS whom have had no history of problems in the past, who made a very good attempt at arriving on time, that arrived 15 minutes late due to traffic. We have to follow the rules, but why are they getting all upset? Sure, we ruined their schedule for the next two days, but that doesn't mean they should be unhappy about it! They must be EVIL TERRORISTS!!! SECURITY! SIC 'EM!"
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Naimah had this to say about Matthew Broderick:
So it is the responsibility of the airline to make shure that you allow for traffic problems?
Actually, yes. Even if it's the customer's fault, as an employee it's your job to fix it.
SURE, LIKE THE DEODORANT!
Incidently, what's up with arriving an hour ahead of time (sure it's a good idea but...)? Delta's the only arline I've flown since 9/11 and they certainly didn't have any requirements like that.
I know when I fly to Vegas for Call's wedding, I'm flying Delta for sure.
The reccommendation I remember hearing about on the news was to show up 3 hours before the flight (announced early in 2002). Supposedly things have gotten a bit better since, but you still need enough time to get through security.
I think Continental was one of the airlines that's had major security problems in the past (possibly on Sept 11, I don't recall), so they're really paranoid about it now.
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Check-in is permitted no more than 12 hours before scheduled departure and check-in shall be completed no less than 60 minutes before scheduled departure.
Their hands were tied.
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Naimah enlisted the help of an infinite number of monkeys to write:
Look what I found.Their hands were tied.
You used Google? 
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Everyone wondered WTF when Iron Parcelan wrote:
He said traffic was bad. They must have forgotten their crystal ball to foresee every possible delay.
traffic bad... near an AIRPORT? you're kidding right?
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Check out the big brain on Khyron!
You're right, let's look at it from the view of the airlines."Here we have two PAYING CUSTOMERS whom have had no history of problems in the past, who made a very good attempt at arriving on time, that arrived 15 minutes late due to traffic. We have to follow the rules, but why are they getting all upset? Sure, we ruined their schedule for the next two days, but that doesn't mean they should be unhappy about it! They must be EVIL TERRORISTS!!! SECURITY! SIC 'EM!"
hmm... were they attempting to force their way onto the aircraft either verbally or physically? were they making threats? (doubt that one) Were they yelling? it's not just terrorists airlines are worried about these days. Ever hear of air rage?
security is rather skittish these days. [ 05-04-2003: Message edited by: Kermitov ]
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Everyone wondered WTF when Kermitov wrote:
hmm... were they attempting to force their way onto the aircraft either verbally or physically? were they making threats? (doubt that one) Were they yelling? it's not just terrorists airlines are worried about these days. Ever hear of air rage?security is rather skittish these days.
Attempting to force their way on, no. Threats, no. Yelling, quite probably, considering they had just been told they wouldn't be leaving for 6 hours.
I have to side with the airlines on this one, because I've been on the "other side" and I know what the FAA/FBI is expecting of them these days. Ticket agents and other personnel are being trained to accept no excuses, no matter how fine and upstanding the passenger might appear to be - or how many times they've flown, or how much they paid, etc. NO excuses. You don't meet the timeframes for checkin, you don't go.
Yelling at the ticket agents and staff is a BAD BAD move. It's not their fault any more than it was your parent's. However, they're just doing their job. The mature way to have handled it would have been to accept the decision calmly and quietly, and then if you were still in a snit when you arrived home, write a letter to the airline and the FAA and FBI then to voice your displeasure of this new society we have to live in.
Airport Security in the USA is a joke. They are not allowed to profile because of some feel good bullshit so they pick on pregnant women and let the 25 year old Arabic man wearing a "death to the USA" shirt go right on through. [ 05-04-2003: Message edited by: Azizza ]
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Azizza said this about your mom:
Yeah I am sure you guys also would defend the screeener that made a 8 month pregnant lady lift her skirt in public to prove she was preggers. Then arrested her husband when he complained. Ir how about the guy who was detained because he had a book with a picture of a gun on the cover?Airport Security in the USA is a joke. They are not allowed to profile because of some feel good bullshit so they pick on pregnant women and let the 25 year old Arabic man wearing a "death to the USA" go right on through.
do you have a documented case to support that claim? There are cases where security has gone too far. Making a breast feeding woman taste her own breast milk for another example. Breast milk isn't going to kill you but some people are squeamish about it. The simple fact of the matter is his parents weren't treated as risks until they began acting like risks. I don't care how unhappy you are with the employees of a certain company, yelling at them is never acceptable. Ask for a supervisor, if that person can't get you what you want ask for the next higher supervisor. Yelling at employees doesn't endear them to your position and becoming irate is going to make them do irrational things, like classify you as a risk.
I flew United last time and I forgot that I had a leatherman tool in my carryon. Last time I had used it I drove. Since I had only arrived an hour ahead I was past the check in deadline for people checking baggage. I had to give up my leatherman tool. I was mad but I was mad at myself for a.) not preparing well enough. and B.) not arriving early enough so as to exhaust every possibility of what might go wrong.
Did his parents need to check baggage? Something you might not understand is that 45 minutes before the flight leaves is actually only 15 minutes before boarding begins, maybe even less, and you're supposed to show up an hour before that. If they needed to check baggage then they wouldn't be allowed to and since your bags and you can't travel on different airplanes then we have a problem.
Before the "freedom of speech" people step up and say "she could say whatever she wants, this is the UofSofA", I'll agree with you. She could say what she wanted, as long as she was willing to face the results.
Have heard nothing about letting an Arabic man wearing a "Death to the USA" t-shirt OR a man carrying a book with a gun on the cover on board. Not saying it didn't happen, but I hadn't heard of them through the very active airport grapevines!
Don't have to check baggage, makes you get through the lines faster, and even if you're staying for a week, you can still fit it in a duffle bag.
While admittedly what happened to Khy's parents sucks, not much can be done about it. And security is really screwed up to be honest. Just a few months ago my friend and I went to the airport to pick up his girlfriend. We couldn't get to termenals. So we had to sit and wait at the security checkpoint.
Last time I flew, I went from Pheonix Sky Harbor to San Fransico's airport. Took an hour and a half to get through the security check point at Sky Harbor, took 10 minutes on the way back in San Fransico. Both were at about the same time of day during a week day.
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And security is really screwed up to be honest. Just a few months ago my friend and I went to the airport to pick up his girlfriend. We couldn't get to termenals. So we had to sit and wait at the security checkpoint.
How is this "screwed up"? Inconvenient, perhaps, because you didn't get to sit and wait where you wanted to, but I don't see it as screwed up. It's a policy that's enforced equally throughout the US, it wasn't you being singled out as a threat.
As for the discrepancies in screening times at different airports, a lot of things factor into that - time of day, number of flights leaving at a given time, whether John the Screener had to call in sick, etc. It's just like going to McDonald's drive thru at 12 noon versus 2PM - you'll get a longer line at a peak time. It's life, it's unpredictable, and how you handle it is what defines your character.
But I have good news for those of you who hate the airports/airlines/screeners - approximately 3000 screeners are being laid off by the Federal Government. Booyah! Now watch your screening lines get longer and tempers more flared.
Can ya tell I'm passionate about flying and all the aspects of airports? I was born and raised into a flying/making airports run family, so my bias is definitely there. I'll never say airlines and airports are perfect, but I will definitely call you on something that is beyond the airline's or airport's control.
Meri
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This insanity brought to you by Kermitov:
The simple fact of the matter is his parents weren't treated as risks until they began acting like risks. I don't care how unhappy you are with the employees of a certain company, yelling at them is never acceptable. Ask for a supervisor, if that person can't get you what you want ask for the next higher supervisor. Yelling at employees doesn't endear them to your position and becoming irate is going to make them do irrational things, like classify you as a risk.
A representative of Continental airlines told my parents that they wouldn't be leaving Orlando for six hours, and that's that. My parents were upset, the Continental people were shits about it. Welcome to the world of 'bad customer service'. That's how you drive away customers.
For reference, I was talking with a coworker here about the incident. He recently (in febuary) went to New York flying Delta. He arrived 30 minutes early instead of an hour. Delta told him no, he got upset. The Delta representative checked his carry-on, found nothing even remotely dangerous, pulled up a history of how often he has flown (His fiancee had to go to NY to be with her father; he flies there often), and decided to just let him go.
That's what we call 'good customer service'. That's how you not only KEEP customers, but get customers to give you good reviews to their friends and family to earn MORE customers.
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I flew United last time and I forgot that I had a leatherman tool in my carryon. Last time I had used it I drove. Since I had only arrived an hour ahead I was past the check in deadline for people checking baggage. I had to give up my leatherman tool. I was mad but I was mad at myself for a.) not preparing well enough. and B.) not arriving early enough so as to exhaust every possibility of what might go wrong.
The last time my parents flew (Taking Delta flights to Jamaica) they had some fingernail clippers and a razor (electric, no blades that could cut) in one of their carryons. The clippers were taken, the razor wasn't but they were told it's best not to take either. Since then the most dangerous thing they've had in their carryon has been a pencil or perhaps their keys. They fly often; they go to vegas 10 or 11 times a year to attend the LVI dental conventions, they flew to Orlando for a major convention, they flew to Jamaica in feb for a vacation, they flew to S. America last year.
You know the ironic part? After my parents were searched, the security guard commented to my mother that he thought that the airline was overreacting as well. The guards said my parents have less risky items than 90% of the people they just wave through.
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Did his parents need to check baggage? Something you might not understand is that 45 minutes before the flight leaves is actually only 15 minutes before boarding begins, maybe even less, and you're supposed to show up an hour before that. If they needed to check baggage then they wouldn't be allowed to and since your bags and you can't travel on different airplanes then we have a problem.
They arrived 45 minutes before boarding; they were told they had to arrive one hour before boarding begins, not one hour before the plane left. I just checked.
ben(at)netmastering(dot)nl
Traffic killed us, so we were there about 35 minutes before boarding. Bzzzt. No way we were being let on. Argued it for a little bit, but then the woman told us we'd be standby on a plane leaving in about an hour. Not a problem.
Headed to the gate, grabbed some food, opened a book, and prepared to wait. Watched the plane board. Asked the cranky woman at the desk to please check the standby list for *insert two names here*. She snapped that there was NO standby list for this flight! Grrrrr... ok. Now I'm angry. Next flight back to Rochester wasn't for another four hours. I spent about 25 minutes harrassing her, watching over her shoulder, demanding to watch as our names were added to standby for the next flight.
She called security at one point, and I managed to explain the situation to them. They agreed that they'd have been pretty pissed off as well.
So, happily, we managed to get back to Rochester only 8 hours later than originally intended. The luggage showed up two days later. 
This shit can happen on any airline that wants to really enforce their boarding/checkin times. Can't really blame them, they're just trying to cover their own asses. Inconvienent and infuriating for the passengers at times... but... well... shit happens.
