I was so emphatic, I said, I said twice! Seriously, while I remember Continental being quite great, I also remember the alternative (especially USAir) to be pitiful.
We fly exclusively on United, and I can't remember being more than 15-20 mins late on any one flight or having any service problems whatsoever. We just flew back and forth to Spain on United, and it was, quite frankly, great.
American- last time we used them was quite a few years ago. They stranded us in Dallas on Christmas eve when our connecting flight to Phoenix was canceled. Our kids were very young. They gave us vouchers to stay at the Days Inn in Euless, TX for the night. I read the reviews on my mobile phone, and saw several that said things like, "cockroaches," "crack dealers in parking lot," "dangerous," criminals," etc. I asked the service desk if they had an alternative, which they initially did not point out- they said we could use those vouchers at any hotel. We stayed at the Hyatt Regency at the DFW airport.
My kids learned a valuable life less that night- when given the choice between the Days Inn and the Hyatt Regency, go for the Hyatt Regency. For years after, whenever we were waiting to board a plane, I would pull up reviews of the Days Inn in Eulesss, and it never seems to change. Except now it is owned by Wyndham. So, I took a gander at the reviews on Google, and found these two gems 🤣 :
"2/5 a month ago on
Google
American Airlines put me up here for the night after a mechanical issue caused me to miss my connection. I called from the airport and was told 20 minutes to pick up. It was closer to 45. I noticed
the shuttle had several warning lights on the dash - service engine and tire pressure included. The shuttle driver, Marcus, was really kind and funny.Thank you fellow reviewers, I did a thorough search for evidence of
bed bugs and found my room clean.My
room did not have a security lock. When I brought this up to the front desk staff they said "don't worry, we have cameras in the hall." Tip - the nightstand plus a trash can on its side will physically lock the door from the inside.
Did I hear someone trying to get into my room during the night? Yep. Probably an innocent mistake but wow I'm glad I didn't find out for sure. The bed pillow situation is odd - six throw pillows and no proper pillows. Thankfully the room a/c worked.The rooms have a TV, a desk with no chair, a mini fridge, and a microwave. They came with two sets of towels and soap, shampoo, and lotion minis.Between the freeway and the airport the rooms are loud. The windows are not sound proof.The breakfast and hot water for tea are by request only. Options included a crunchy or soft muffin or yogurt."
"1/5 2 weeks ago on
Google
New
This hotel was
absolutely horrible. The people we encountered that work there were kind but that was pretty much the only decent part about this hotel. I only stayed at this hotel because I missed my flight and American Airlines paid for a room for my aunt and I to have somewhere to stay for the night. We
both ended up with lice after staying here. It’s not very clean and isn’t very well taken care of. The
water in the lobby was cloudy and dirty, I couldn’t believe they would try to serve that to anyone! The room we stayed in
smelled like cigarettes even though it’s a nonsmoking hotel. The only decent part about the room was the fake marble in the shower. The water pressure was terrible. I wouldn’t even put the word “pressure” in water pressure, honestly. Do yourself a favor and stay at a hotel that’s actually worth your time and presence."
----
I am a really big proponent of customer/client service. I pointed out these issues to the person at the service desk at AA during our trip. Don't you think someone in management at AA would step in and say, no more putting people up in this hotel? Nope. Our experience was about 15 years ago. By the way, the Hyatt Regency was first rate all the way. It cost us an extra $50 for the night. But I guess I'm privileged. 😜
