Complaint Review: CONTINENTAL AIRLINES - Dallas - Ft. Worth Texas, Nationwide

ONE MAN'S NIGHTMARE.

INTERNATIONAL INEPTITUDE AND ARROGANCE BY CONTINENTAL AIRLINES COSTS MAN ONE WEEK OF LOST WAGES, EMOTIONAL AND MEDICAL STRESS, ONE WEEK OF ADDED COSTS FOR FOOD, LODGING, CAB FARES,

LAUNDRY NEEDS, AN UNNECESSARY LETTER, ANOTHER PLANE TICKET, A DOCTOR AND A LAWYER

I went to Guatemala the 7th of January. When my papers were checked in the Dallas/Ft.Worth airport by the Continental Airlines clerks, they said that everything was in order. My papers, and even my green card, were checked.

On the day of return, I got to the Guatemalan airport at 10 o'clock, as they ask you to do. I got in line and this lady asked for my papers. I showed her the papers, and she said that I have a problem, that she had to talk to her superior. So she did; and when she came back she told me that I can't board the plane because my green card was expired. I told her that my card doesn't EVER expire, and she told me that she was

sorry. Then I asked to talk to her superior.

So I went in the office of the superior. He told me that he had checked my card with immigration, and they told him so. He asked me if I wanted I can talk to them, and I told him sure. So he marked a number, and I talked to one of the assistants, a woman. She told me that that deal was not very bad, and I told her that before I was going to travel I checked with an immigration lawyer, that he checked eveything and said that everything was fine, that I wasn't going to have any problem with

it. You know, that after 33 years of not traveling there, the last thing I wanted was to have a problem and have to stay longer than expected.

So the woman at immigration told me to come right away, and that it was going to take about 10 minutes. So I went, and when I got there another assistant showed up. When I told him my problem, he said that he didn't see any problem with my card, that the card was good; but he said, "let me check." He went to check with a guy named Gutierrez, his superior.

When he came back, he handed me an application for an expired green card. I asked him to show me the date of expiration, and he told me that he didn't know, and that they told him to give me that (the application), that I should come back on Monday, and there wasn't anything else that he could do for me.

I went back on Monday, and it was closed because of Martin Luther King. So I had to come back on Tuesday at 3 o'clock in the morning to get in line because there are so many people that you have to be there that early. The embassy opens at 8 o'clock, and they give only 13 numbers, and that day I was number 20. So I paid this young guy to make a line for me. He got there at 2 o'clock, and I got the number 3. So when I

went in I presented my filled out application, and they told me that I didn't need that. All this was on Wednesday. This was the same assistant who told me about the application and handed me the application. He now said that I needed a letter so I could board the plane. That letter cost me $110 dollars.

They said that they would let me know when to pick up the letter, and I asked him how long it would take. He said from one day to a couple of weeks. I got very sick, and I went to hire a lawyer. The lawyer called and told Gutierrez all that they had told me, because it was the same Gutierrez who told me by phone that the letter was going to be ready from one day to a couple of weeks. When my lawyer told him that, Gutierrez said that was a lie, so my lawyer told him that he will see him in court. Two hours later they called me to pick up the letter.

So I went to Continental, and they told me that I had to buy a new ticket or pay the difference, because the one I had was not good.

So I went to another airline and showed my papers, with my green card and all, and they never said anything about my card. I then told them of the problem that I had had with Continental, and they said that it is because the people at Continental never attend the meetings that they have, and since Continental is an American company they do what they want.

I'd like you to know that that country is very corrupt, but when my ex-wife called Continental over here in the States, they told her that they didn't care, that they have different things in other countries, and that was TUFF. I did run out of my medicine. I had to go see a doctor because of stress and did without my medicine, because they don't have that medicine over there. I had to spend another week there and another week of my costs for room, taxi, food, and someone to wash my clothes.

I lost the chance to get a raise at work, because I left them one week behind in work, besides all the expenses that you get when something like this happens.

Something that I think that you should know is that I never used the letter, not even the one they gave me to present to customs at the entrance. They had told me that without the letter, they weren't going to let me in and they would deport me.

He asked me for my green card and let me in, but he said that I need to get a new and current picture on there because the picture is too old. I asked him if the card was expired, and he said no, that was no problem. Just he picture is too old. I think he is right. It is 33 years old.

I am separated now. I'm 55 years old. I work from 40 to 60 hours a week, 40 of regular time and 10 to 20 overtime.

Hoping you get this and thanking you for the attention you give to this, and letting you know that I've got the receipts or most of them.

Sincerely,

Julio Maldonado

Ennis, Texas 75119

e-5-27

Tmw

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