Recourse for horrible customer service on Continental Airlines. If I accepted thier hotel, what did

I had a round trip international ticket and on each leg of the flight we were delayed, substantially. Ultimately, we were delayed/stranded for four full days - one on the front end of the flight and three on the back end. As a result, the class I travelled for will not get me credit and I lost out on three days of work. Throughout the delays and the 30+ Continental representatives I spoke to, nobody was helpful. Some lied, most sent me to other people to speak with, some sent me to a five hour line which did not have the answer and some yelled at me when i told them that this service was unacceptable.

Because we had no other options, we took thier vouchers for the hotel and food. When I got back in the country Continental customer care told us that when we accepted thier vouchers, we gave up our right to seek any recourse. Is that correct? They did not disclose this policy when they put us in a hotel. And, in my mind, a cheap, smelly airport hotel is not a subsititute.

Recourse for horrible customer service on Continental Airlines. If I accepted thier hotel, what did I give up

It%26#039;s absolutely true-- when you accepted their compensation, you gave up your right to any future claims or compensation. It might not hurt to keep trying but don%26#039;t expect anything to come of it other than pure frustration. They do not have to disclose this to you when you get your accomodations--- it is in the Contract of Carriage of each airline, and by purchasing a ticket, you are consenting to the rules of the Contract of Carriage. I%26#039;m not saying that makes it right, but that%26#039;s how it works legally.

It%26#039;s the same as being in a car accident and accepting a check from the other driver%26#039;s insurance, then finding out it%26#039;s not enough to cover the damage to your car. Or going to a hockey game, getting hit by a puck and not being able to sue for your dental bills because the back of the ticket says you agree to the risk of being at the game.

Any ticket you buy--- airline, hockey game, cruise, amusement park, you name it--- comes with a contract. And it is up to the consumer, not the vendor, to know there%26#039;s a contract in place and to find out what%26#039;s in it. Everything is done under the assumption that you consent to the terms, whether or not you have read them. So I%26#039;d use this as a lesson learned, and next time you travel, read over the Contract of Carriage for your airline. Or any other transaction, for that matter. We give up a lot of rights when we do certain things.

Recourse for horrible customer service on Continental Airlines. If I accepted thier hotel, what did I give up

Well depends on what type of delay it was ? If it was weather - you are pretty much stuck with what they did for you.

( Normally they don%26#039;t even have to put you up at a hotel/food vouchers )

If it was their fault - like mechanical - then you could write a letter to customer service with a detailed account of your ordeal and ask for some type of flight credit or voucher for your inconvience

Include in your letter your confirmation number / itinerary details and a ticket number

Recourse for horrible customer service on Continental Airlines. If I accepted thier hotel, what did I give up

U can sue them for mistreat you. U have some bill of rights, so, read them, and if u find one or two reasons to sue them, do it then. They will be fine as they deserve and you will be better because you gave a good help to others in the future.

Recourse for horrible customer service on Continental Airlines. If I accepted thier hotel, what did I give up

It really depends on what caused the delays for you. If it was due to weather, the airlines don%26#039;t feel that they have an obligation to reimburse you in any way because it was beyond their control. If it was due to mechanical problems on the plane, then they are liable.

As far as the airline is concerned, their obligation to you was to make sure that you arrived at your destination at some point. The fact that you arrived late isn%26#039;t an issue for them, and they probably thought that they were generous giving you food and hotel vouchers. Believe me, you got a lot more than most people get when there are problems.

The sad reality is that once you walk away from the counter with your vouchers, your chances of any further compensation are drastically reduced. And airlines are notorious for giving people the runaround, partly because no one seems to know what they are doing.

I have found that the only real protection you can get when you travel is to take out your own travel insurance, especially if a flight delay will cause you to miss a class, your cruise, etc. I%26#039;ve found the insurance to be a lifesaver when bags get lost, and when you get stranded and need to find accomodations. I definately agree with you about the airport hotels.