Mark Bergsrud
Senior Vice President, Marketing Programs and Distribution
Continental Airlines
Houston, TX

Dear Mr. Bergsrud:

You are lucky I've been so busy. It's the only reason I've yet to write about the e-mail you distributed to OnePass members last month titled "Continental and United Plan Cooperation." You probably thought you snuck that one by me. You were mistaken.

Plan cooperation?

My nephews are seven and five years old. They plan to cooperate. They tell my brother and sister-in-law they will cooperate. Then there is a disagreement, usually over something like the possession of toys or an invasion of personal space, and then they are no longer cooperating. Then they are fighting.

"Plan to cooperate." Can you picture me shaking my head at this? Trust me, I am.

I can only imagine how long it took your teams to develop the verbiage of "Continental and United Plan Cooperation." It no doubt took countless hours and wrangling between you and your new friends at United Airlines. I'm sure this delicate phrasing is due to a technicality in the business agreement. I know all too well what happens when the corporate suits get involved in something like this.

Also, might I say that your proclamation that "Once implemented, our partnership with United will result in expanded domestic and international travel options for OnePass members and together, we will provide you with a seamless process for reservations, check-in, flight connections and baggage transfer."

Good luck with that. Have YOU ever flown United?

Hugs & kisses,
Jersey Girl

PS - I'm sure this isn't your department, but can you please ask someone in Houston why a flight from Newark to Seattle, which includes two Saturday night stays, is more than $1,000, while a quick trip from EWR to Dublin is less than $500? I'm not complaining because I'm paying for the Ireland jaunt while my workplace is footing the bill for the trip westward, but as long as I live, I will never understand how your entire industry does its pricing.