11 hours later, I am home.

I have some real complaints about Continental Airlines.  I tell ya, it’s always something on Fridays when you are trying to get home.  I’ve had some crazy travelling stories in my day, but this one was tiring. We spent a 6.5 hours  waiting at the Toronto airport gate, but our flight was repeatedly delayed, due to thunderstorms (we heard) in the Newark NJ area.

Our flights have been handled by one of Continental’s partner carriers named Colgan Air.  I’ve experienced a few inaccuracies so far related to their actual status and why they were delayed.  Inaccuracies such as “delays related to late arriving aircraft” yet the aircraft has been sitting at the gate in front of us, passengers long since departed, and the gate attendant stating it was a mechanical issue.  This time, our flight status was on-time (on the board), yet also delayed over 4 hours (ticket check-in counter.)  Even better, I was told that partner carriers are not required to provide updated status timely.  Why?

Eventually, the board reported varying times on the departure board, but we later found out that these were just times to receive the next time estimates. Why Colgan Air / Continental couldn’t inform everyone sitting at the gate once, instead of waiting to tell angry passengers only when they came to the gate’s counter.  Mindless.

They boarded us at 6:3opm, but then taxied us to a lonely spot, and informed us that we’d be sitting for another hour.  We eventually got to Newark around 8:30pm, but I still had to pick up my luggage, take the bus to the economy lot, find my car, get gas, and get home.  Oh, and pick up dinner.  By the time I got home with the last two pizza slices from the pizza place, it was 11pm.

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