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United, Continental Merger Causes Confusion, Long Lines At SFO

SAN FRANCISCO (KCBS)— United Airlines took over operations of Continental Airlines Saturday, including a new computer system.

That spelled trouble, confusion and missed flights for many commuters at San Francisco International Airport.

SFO spokesman Mike McCarron said the computer system is one of the last steps in a merger of the two airlines initiated in 2010.

KCBS' Bob Butler Reports:

The Continental reservation and booking system is disappearing and United's will be the only one as the companies' combine according to McCarron.

"If it's done properly the passengers shouldn't know any difference at all,"

Don Porterman didn't think it was done properly as he was worried about the likelihood of catching his flight to Shanghai.

"I've been here for 50 minutes and you can see how far I've got to go," he said referring to the line that stretched back to the BART station.

Another passenger, who said he flies 100,000 miles a year, wondered if United did enough training. He said his job is in software and that every time for the last 40 years that airlines change systems that the same mistakes keep getting made.

(Copyright 2012 by CBS San Francisco. All Rights Reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten, or redistributed.)

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