Sylvia - from Belfast - travel problems delay vacation

I flew to Minneapolis on Wednesday.  I met Sylvia in the hotel shuttle bus waiting area.  Sylvia and her family were enroute to Phoenix.  Due to mechanical issues on two separate flights, they were already 3 days into their 10 day vacation and they weren't anywhere near Phoenix.

Their original flight (Continental Airlines) was delayed 8 hours leaving Belfast (Ireland) due to mechanical problems.  When they arrived in Newark (Tuesday) they had missed their connection to Phoenix by 30 minutes.  Continental got them a hotel room and booked them on a USAirways flight to Minneapolis (Wednesday) , where they were supposed to catch a  flight to Phoenix.  They arrive in Minneapolis and encounter another mechanical problem for the connection to Phoenix.   They are informed there is no way to get them to Phoenix that day, they are provided another hotel room and are booked on a Delta flight to Los Angeles for Thursday.

I have to say Sylvia was calm and cheery which rather amazed me.  She plans to follow-up with Continental airlines once she gets home.....following the instructions the gate agents gave her (apparently if you want to complain you have to go online and write out your complaint).  What ever happened to employees being empowered to "fix" the problem?  I guess providing a hotel room is considered the "service recovery" in a situation like this.  Imagine being on a 10 day vacation and losing 1/3 of it due to mechanical problems with two different airlines?  Sylvia, I hope you do follow-up with Continental and get some form of compensation for their having screwed up your vacation!!