As ever US mainstream carriers want to take all the credit for their large networks, and then deny any link when things go wrong (was particularly noticeable after the Colgan accident).
There must be a whole manual at the Continental, and the other US majors,
PR department for all sorts of eventualities, describing when you include the commuters in your business ("Our network, sir ? Oh yes, we serve 500 cities nationwide") and when you exclude them ("Disgraceful service, sir, on a plane painted in our livery, booked on our flight number, boarded at our terminal and with our in-flight mag in the seats ? Oh no, that is nothing to do with us").
Kristy Nicholas, a spokeswoman for ExpressJet Airlines
Like most airline
PR staff nowadays, probably doesnt't know one end of a plane from the other.
from an ops POV surely it is not beyond the wit of an airline operating in this area of the US to have a contingency plan to at least find a coach?
Has nobody in the USA ever heard of a handling agent ?
This will cost them in compensation
Haha. Let me tell you how this works at US airlines. They offer the "compensation" in miles on their frequent flyer scheme. Not a member ? You have to open membership up to get the compensation. And then my god, try and spend them. Miles can seemingly never be redeemed on any route that is useful. Let me go to New York. "No seats available". But you can make normal reservations on every flight. "Available mileage redemption on those flights was set at zero".