RateItAll: The Opinion Network

Once again, crappy service, no help, rude, and yes you guessed it: STILL DELAYED. Amazing...other flights are getting out but we keep getting bumped to the one that gets delayed. 30+ hours and counting, still stuck in Newark.

Out of all the crappy US carriers,this one is about the best. I flew to Seattle last October from Raleigh/Durham. and was re- routed instead of going to houston, we had to land in Mississippi somewhere for the night.They were nice and pleasant and put us all up in Hotels. We eventually made it the next day.All in all I was impressed with this airline, but it seems they have reduced their service,like most of the other carriers due to high fuel prices.

Of the major airlines, Continental is the best one to take to get to Geneva, Switzerland, as they have a direct flight from Newark, NJ to Geneva. Almost every other airline would require a layover somewhere in Europe, which I'd prefer to avoid. The down side, is that If I took Continental the whole way, it would require a 23 hour layover in Newark. Therefore, I fly United for domestic flights, and Continental for international. Unfortunately, this requires switching airlines, and rechecking luggage when flying to Europe.

I recently flew on Continental and had to switch planes in order to get across country. There were pros and cons to both of my flights. On the first flight my wife and I were served sandwhiches and drinks, however the flight crew was asbolutely awful. The flight attendants were rude, and did not attempt to hide the disdain towards the passengers that they showed on their faces. On our second flight the crew was extremely pleasant. I had no problems with them, however, the in-flight movie was not what it was supposed to be and my wife and I had just viewed it an hour earlier. There was also no meal on this flight but just drinks and peanuts. Overall I think the quality of the airline comes down to a person's experience as they travel. The experience with the ornery staff was definitely disappointing, however the 2nd flight even with its small annoyances was very pleasant. I rate Continental a 3 because I had a very positive experience and one that was negative. I would have to fly with them more in order to change this neutral position.

My two boys were on a continental flight today, delayed 7 1/2 hours. 3 of those hours sitting on the runway in 95 degree weather with no air, and next to the smelly bathroom. Finally loaded them back on to meet with later international flight, as they missed the first, only to find no help in Newark, no transportation, no assistance, rude people, and only 20 mins to connect. Needless to say they missed the connecting flight. Now stuck in a strange city, no flight until 7 pm tomorrow ( 22hours later). What are they given...a food voucher! Thanks Continental! Customer service was very rude and non helpful. Two young teen boys stuck in an airport for 22 hours (not to mention the the 7 1/2 delay and arriving 2 hours early for a flight). A $30 food voucher for a $1200 dollar reservation x 2! They had open seats in first class on a different flight...they would rather inconvenience and endanger people than put them in them (unless we add $4000 per seat). They flew with empty seats. NEVER AGAIN CONTINENTAL, not another dime from me. EVER. I will tell all my friends and associates and hope you go bankrupt...soon.

The customer service at Newark was the worst i've ever experienced! The most rude and ignorant poeple i've ever met!

Went to Las Vegas from BWI on March 15 2008. This was the trip from hell!!!! Flight departed BWI 6:45 AM to stop over in Cleveland, Ohio. Was to leave Cleveland at 9:00 AM and arrive in Vegas 10:37 AM. Did not get to Vegas until 11:30 PM Vegas time!!! There was fog in Cleveland and we circled for 2 hours. Had to go to Detroit since we could land in Cleveland. Kept us on the plane in Detroit for another 2 hours - would not let us off the plane. Went back to Cleveland and arrived around 12 noon. No arrangements were made for us to take the next flight which left at 12:20 PM. Was told that we were rescheduled to leave the NEXT DAY!!! Can you believe this!!! Fortunately, we found a Continental representative who placed us on a flight leaving Cleveland at 5:40 PM. Unfortunately, we still did not arrive until 11:30 PM in Vegas and arrived at the hotel at 12:15 AM (03/16/08) - an entire day was lost!!!!. We received no compensation for our lost day, no assistance in getting us a flight on another airline to arrive in Vegas at the reasonable hour, and no regrets from the airline - they kept telling us "we have no control over the weather". True, but they should have had a contingency plan in place - we were at BWI at 4:45 AM, did not leave until 6:45 AM - surely they knew there was fog in Vegas before we left. The Continental Airline Rep. who told us that we were booked for the next day was very rude. I understand she had been rude to everyone who missed their connecting flights - some individuals missed their cruise line. She referred us to the Customer Service line which was rapped around the airport. One passenger said she was in line for 4 hours and still was placed on the 5:40 PM flight to Vegas - she still had to get another connecting flight and drive another 3 hours to her destination. This was the worst experience I have every had - would NEVER fly Continental again!!! They seemed to only care about themselves and not their customers. No wonder they were rated poorly - had I known earlier, I would not have flown Continental - live a learn!!!!

Flew them for the first time after a 16 year hiatus and was quite impressed! Inflight movies even on their smaller aircraft and ready for this....actual food that was free!

I must be the only one who had a good experience with continental. They got me out of a jam because they had flights in and out of the small airports I fly to and from. I had one cancellation due to weather then the next day had delays that forced me to change airlines...not only was continental accommodating, but I found the staff (at the counter and in the air) to be very nice.

I HAVE AN 18 YEAR OLD DAUGHTER THAT FLEW WITH CONTINENTAL AIRLINES FROM LUBBOCK TO MIAMI AND THEN FROM MIAMI TO LUBBOCK FOR SCHOOL. CONTINENTAL USE TO BE MY AIRLINE OF CHOICE TO FLY. I HAVE AND NEVER WILL FLY CONTINENTAL AGAIN. I WILL TELL ALL MY BUISNESS ASSOCIATES NOT TO FLY CONTINENTAL EVER. MY DAUGHTER GOT STRANDED IN HOUSTON BECAUSE THEIR FLIGHT OUT OF MIAMI WAS DELAYED BY 1 HOUR. WHEN SHE ARRIVED AT HOUSTON HER CONNECTING FLIGHT DOORS HAD JUST BEEN SHUT AND THEY WOULD NOT OPEN THEM TO LET HER ON. NOW SHE IS GOING TO HAVE TO SIT IN AN UNFAMILIAR AIRPORT FOR 3 TO 4 HOURS BY HER SELF. HOW WOULD YOU AS A PARENT FEEL ABOUT YOUR DAUGHTER BEING IN A STRANGE ENVIROMENT. I AM TOTALLY AGAINST ANY AIRLINE THAT LEAVES WOMEN OF ALL AGES VULNERABLE. SEND A MESSAGE TO THESE AIRLINES. WE HAVE HAD ENOUGH.

I have been a Continental Customer for 10 years. I fly regularly in and out of Newark airport. Other than delayed flights of late, I generally have not had complaints. Until now. On July 31 on a flight from Birmingham to Newark (3 hour delay), my baggage disappeared along with about 1/2 of the other passengers' luggage. We arrived at Newark around 11:00 pm to discover that our luggage was not there. We reported it missing. The next day I went to the Continental website to monitor the progress of the search. It showed that the luggage had been received into Newark. I called to confirm and was told by the 1-800-335-BAGS customer service rep that, yes, the bag was at Newark. We did not receive it that night. We called on Wednesday, August 2 and were told that the bag was being delivered and to leave a note on the front door if we went out. The bag was not delivered. I called 1-800=335-BAGS on Thursday and was told I could pick it up at Newark Airport. So I made the 1.5 hour trip to be told that the baggage could not be found though it was "scanned in". I called again on Friday (day 5) and was told that the baggage did arrive into Newark and was scanned but had since disappeared. I was told to file a missing luggage claim.

I have not checked my bags in 3 years but since I lost a good part of my toiletries at an airport in Florida on a return to Newark, I thought that perhaps I should check the baggage. I was shocked at how inefficient Continentals tracking system is. 1st, since the luggage had been scanned into the airport, there was not reason why it shouldn't have been easy to locate. 2nd, the representatives at Newark are rude and very difficult to deal with. There was so much luggage lost on Monday, July 31st that the line to the lost baggage office was out the door and into the hallway at 10:45 pm.

I am disappointed in how Continental has let their service go completely downhill. There was a time when I would never have considered any other airline. Now, I'm using up my frequent flyers and ditching to another airline.

Continental Airlines has the rudest flight crews in the air - at least in my experience. Folks at their complaints desk claim the airline is rated well by J.D. Powers and others. That may or may not be true. In my experience, they're awful. In fairness, service standards on U.S. airlines are declining across-the-board, but I've seen Continental flight attendants do and say terrible things to fellow passengers - and then they lie to flight crews about what actually happened. In one case, I saw a flight attendant try to intimidate a passenger into not filing a customer-service complaint. Just awful.

July 4, 2007

Be aware,

I traveled from Philadelphia to Cali Colombia via Houston on July 02, 2007. I left Houston at 6:50 pm in the flight number 820 to Cali. I arrived late to Cali, but my luggage as the luggage of many other passengers did not. No explanation was given by local staff, no assistance whatsoever was offered, and some directions such as give us a phone number and well contact you as soon as the luggage arrives, The phone given is never answered. It's 2 days later and I still have no luggage. The compensation that the airline is giving me,(The airline staff never offered. I demanded it)doesn't come close to cover your emergency costs. Costs of living here is way high right now.
I usually check reviews when I travel, and this time I didn't. I am paying big time for it. The airline doesn't bother to update you. This is a nightmare.
Please be aware

I'd rather spend a week in pre-trial lock up than fly with these verminous rats again.

Cheap tickets, but I would pay more for another airline that DOES NOT have ignorant cabin crew, stubborn customer service and that don't screw up your tickets. Very limited leg room for a long haul flight. Seats with a little more room e.g. exits, are only available to "Platinum Members".

Continental airlines worst in U.S. also it base on worst airport in U.S. they do not have control over they own schedule at all, beware you might get stuck in the runway for multiple hours with reason, they just blame weather or control tower. Funny thing is when they are blaming weather all other airelines are taking off fine.
If they have minus score system I will give to them, service is bad, seats are close together no leg room and service worst of all.

Just bad airline can you believe I will prefer American Air over continetal, I will rather take delta over this airline.

Beware guys this is worst airline you can have in domestically, they might cheap but is it worth it????

This outfit runs slightly better than the TSA. . .

this is the worst airline i ever traveled with.the staff out of newark , nj are the rudest people in the world...!!!!!!! never again . lesson learned

I just hate Continental Airlines. They have tiny seats, the flights are always late and the employees are rude.

Really the most solid airline around, with the best service

Since Continental airlines was a hub for Houston Intercontinental Aiport, it went to almost anywhere in the US nonstop. The aircraft was clean, great flight attendants, and a complimentary snack/food and drinks. Been using this airline to go to LAX and was mostly on time. So far, I have experience a four hour delay due to hydrallic leak from LAX to IAH last year (I didn't feel like going back to my hometown that day) so no complaints for them and they offer a free food, drinks, and snacks due to this delay. The reservation was very organized and lets us choose seats. The security was quick and accurate, and so far had never lost baggage with them. Continental Airlines is my best yet, especially from Houston area.

Continental has lost its competitive edge. The latest nor'easter left Continental in shambles - phone calls to their 800 number went unanswered for hours and their staff - when you finally got through were completely unhelpful. Bring back Gordon Bethune!!!!

The original flight was canceled for some unknown reason, and the airport had failed to announce this. This was almost an hour before boarding. There was no indication the flight was canceled at all on the arrivals and departure screens up until the flight was suppose to board. The next day flight that was taken instead was delayed by almost two hours. The actual flight and the flight service was fine, but the customer representatives at the baggage claim were very disrespectful. Because the original flight had been canceled, we were prepared for the luggage to not arrive at the same time we do. We waited the entire time at the baggage claim and were unable to find our luggage, so we reported this to the baggage customer service and they said they would deliver it once they found it. Upon arriving home, they called and said our luggage had been in the customer service office the entire time we were there and insisted that we had simply failed to see our own luggage. Because of this, they refused to deliver it to us. While I can understand that many suitcases look alike, one of our bags is bright red and very hard to miss. We said that we had not seen our suitcases at all on the carousel, and we had been there the entire time, so we asked for an explanation. They rudely replied that they were not surprised because while we were issuing our report, our suitcases had been merely 5 inches away and we had failed to see it so it was no wonder we missed it on the carousel. I understand this could have just been a big misunderstanding, but the treatment my family received by customer service was appalling. They were very rude to us and very condescending the entire time. Because of our treatment, we will never fly with Continental again.

I've had nothing but good experiences with this airline. My flights have always been on time, newer very comfortable planes. Friendly staff, no complaints at all.

DO NOT use this carrier (unless for a 30min hop). Crap service, food and in-flight entertainment. Too miserable to offer one comp drink with the muck they called refreshments. Never again (I hope)!

Just got off a transatlantic flight from Dublin. DO NOT fly long haul with this airline. Crap food, in-flight entertainment, staff courtesy and comfort. Not one complimentary alcoholic beverage and the staff delighted in explaining this fact to us. Never again.

I have had mixed experiences with Continental. The frequent flyer program is quite good and they cover a lot of destinations. Also, the inflight meals are much better than other US-based airlines. However, I flew Continental return to Hong Kong from Newark a while ago, and I had a couple of gripes: (a) I could not check in my bags at the shuttle train station in Kowloon (a handy service provided by virtually all other airlines, including US-based airlines) and (b) I did not get any free booze on the flight in the Economy class. I mean - it's not the end of the world, but it is a 15 hour flight, and little creature comforts like the gin and tonic or refreshing little can of beer make all the difference. Also, you can only pay in cash or tokens, so leave your credit card pocketed and make sure you have enough US currency with you (I did not, at least not for 15 hours). It was the first time ever that I have flown an intercontinental flight which did not offer compliemtary alcoholic beverages. Also, when you have flown Virgin from the US to the UK, you will know what level of inflight entertainment you can hope for in Economy class. Continental does not come close.

Though expensive, I would like to stress that, IT IS THE ONLY AIRLINE THAT SERVES COMPLIMENTARY FOOD AS OF NOW. Due to this, have great service and if you do not have to care about the money you spend, they are on time or early on their destinations. (May I remind you that they have a hub in Cleveland?) They have cozy seats and fine movies to watch. If they are going to lower their costs, I will fly on them again.

Best airline I've flown in a while. My filght not only departed on time but it arrived early!!! I've been flying United and was so used to delayed flights that it was incredibly refreshing to fly an airline that actually respects my time.

nothing special

Continental is hands down the best US airline. Their frequent flyer program is outstanding. I get upgraded almost every time I fly Continental. Unlike most carriers they serve food on almost all their flights. And believe it or not, I have actually met some friendly flight attendents on this airline. Newark airport ( continentals hub) is very clean, modern , and easy to get around. Kudos to Continental for being one of the few shining stars in an otherwise terrible customer service industry.

Only fly them if I have no other choice. They connect through Houston or Newark--two horrible airports (Houston because of Texas's year-round weather issues--always bumpy when flying into Texas!) The service I received on one flight was downright surly. There are plenty of other options out there.

Absolutly the worst customer service in the idustry!! I will NEVER fly with them again. I fully understand why they continue to loose money!!

Flew Orange County to Newark redeye. Very pleasant flight. Attendents were polite, aircraft was new, clean and quiet. I arrived alive...what more could I ask!

I had great flights on this airline, service, food and in-flight entertainment are great. But 2 people in my party lost luggage, and had never lost luggage with other airlines, the luggage was returned a couple days later. The con is the flights are usually out of newark or houston only.

I fly from Newark Liberty and have been doing so since the age of five. I have been on many other airlines, but Continental is the only one I would give five stars to. The employees are all very friendly and kind, and contrary to what others are posting, Customer service is always good. Once I lost some luggage and they returned it promptly later that day. The quality of the flight itself is without a doubt excellent. Almost always on time.

Employees were rude, they felt bothered by my questions when flight was delayed, service was awful. Attendents obviously did NOT want to be there. I work for an airline, and I know what to expect from an airline. This is NOT customer service by far.

Like many others on this site, my flights with Continental have been OK but when a problem occurrs their customer service is amazingly terrible. After waiting 8 hours for a delayed flight, we had their folks yelling at us about how many hours they had to work. I saw them leave children, old folks, and people with disabilities high and dry in Houston - no food, no place to sleep, and no compasion. Thank goodness for some kind souls on our flight who took care of each other. All said, Continental is probably OK as long as everything goes right. Otherwise, you are screwed.

For Houston, NY metro or Cleveland residents, great. For everyone else, good.

Continental left me stranded in Micronesia and Gordo didn't do diddly squat.

The worst. A one hour layover turned into a 10 hour layover and then they lost our luggage. On the way back home a delay of and hour and a half causing us to miss the connection. Stuck overnight and had to fight for a hotel voucher. They refused to retrieve our bags so we spent the night at a hotel without any of our things.

Newer aircraft that most of the domestic airlines I fly. Each seat, that is each economy seat on their 777,s have individual movie screens. Good on time record for flights leaving LAX. Only downside is flying our of Houston you often spend a good deal of time on the runway waiting to take off.

When I was a kid, my parents used to use this airlines to ship me and my brothers back and forth to each other after their divorce. My Daddy lived in Orlando, Florida and my Momma lived in Casper, Wyoming. So needless to say we needed a good airline that had good service for children travelling without parents. We usually only flew twice a year, and even though I was a kid, I remember how professional and great they were. We were assigned a flight attendant to look out for us all the way to our destination until our father picked us up at the airport. I remember at the time they always had a warm meal on the plane, which is so rare nowadays. At the time however, they didn't have any entertainment whatsoever, not even the choice to buy a movie or even watch a movie. But overall, I totally enjoyed the experiences I had with this airline. It was also the first airline I ever flew on. Not superb, but really good !

Continental offers a superior product in their Transatlantic US to UK market. Recently, my family and I flew to the UK under circumstances of a death in the family and we all flew Businessfirst. The crew were kind and attentive, accommodating and sympathetic to our needs. We normally fly over to the UK three times a year, and we consistently use Continental. We will continue to fly Continental for these trips.

Great way to fly, great place to work!

Flying to Houston from Honolulu, in coach, was a back wrenching experience. Other than the junk seats service was great. On the way back I volunteered to give up my seat due to overbooking. I was given a $500 travel voucher, hotel, meals and an upgrade to first class. I was told continental has the best first class. It was great. The food, service and seats were so great that I didn't mind the 8 hour flight.

Very expensive, but usually are treated well, has good amenities, easy check-in.

There are no great airlines. But Continental is a good airline. As a frequent business traveller (plus a couple of vacation flights a year) I've had poor experiences on all the airlines. But overall, I like Continental. The flights are usually on time, the employees are generally professional and courteous, the planes are clean, and the food is lousy but who expects better?

Poor customer service and insanely cramped seating. On a 5-hour cross-country flight, my knees were jammed against the seat in front of me. The food was terrible. Every flight has been on-time, however.

Hmm...I guess each person has different experiences. Continental was great and I had no problems with them. The planes were newer and I though the leg room was fine. The service was quick, I had no delays, and overall it was an enjoyable experience.

Nice airline! Kiosks in some airports make check in very convenient.

I've flown on Continental twice and I enjoyed it. I appreciate the fact they had a non-stop flight from Omaha to Houston when I flew down there for my friend's wedding, and the entire roundtrip price was pretty good. The service is also good, with friendly pilots and helpful flight attendants. Their planes are clean and modern and not suspect in safety like some other airlines, whose planes are at least 25 years old! The only gripe I have is that we had to wait forever on the runway in Houston before taking off to go home and delayed the flight by about 10-15 minutes. But other than that, I say Continental is one of the better airlines out there!

I agree that Continental has improved a lot over the years. Especially compared to Northwest which is what I usually take. Northwest has gotten really stingy with their food, which is why I was surprised that Continental kept giving us plenty of food. It wasn't half bad, either, as far as airline food goes. And my trip went pretty smoothly.

I fly about 50k miles per year... Continental typically has the type of customer service that is so pervasive today - BAD. From the "You're-Bothering-Me-By-Being-Here" attitudes to the desperation to push back just in order to make the flight go off "on-time". With the smaller leg room in coach, constant delay problems, & bad attitudes - they're about at the bottom of my totempole.

I have to say - I used to view flying Continental as a fate worse than death -- but they have consistently been getting better every year. I did *NOT* appreciate the way they handled a flight being cancelled two years ago - but in fairness I probably wouldn't have appreciated the way ANY airline handled that situation. I'll keep flying them and hopefully it will keep getting better. I hope so because I fly out of Newark and since its a Continental hub - they usually have the best flights.

We use continental airlines and they are the best. The stewardesses are extremly nice and they come over to you if you need a cd player or a blanket, or just something to munch on. They sometimes on differet flights, depening on if it's round-trip or not, they have 6 Tvs, all only having one interesting channel, usually ABC or NBC.

If you haven't flown Continental RECENTLY, you haven't flown Continental. They just keep getting better and better. Last year, they achieved the BEST on-time performance record of any U.S. airline, as reported by the U.S. Department of Transportation (see www.dot.gov/airconsumer). Their frequent flyer program has been named best in the industry for several consecutive years by the readers of Frequent Flyer magazine. A definite class act among U.S. airlines!

I flew Continental recently for the first time in a while and I was pleasantly surprised. Under their frequent flyer program (in which I had over 8,000 miles and didn't even realize it), you can get free flights for only 20,000 miles during certain times of year. The service I received was quite good.

Continental was the absolute worst airline I have ever flown. On several occasions I had to fly with them for business and experienced multiple-hour, unexplained delays, rude staff, and on one occasion a delay of over an hour sitting on the runway due to the fact that the steward/stewardesses were unable to coerce a tour group of 100 to actually sit down for take off. Don't fly them - they are abysmal!!!