Seamus

Continental has introduced another perk for its OnePass Elite fliers. In addition to priority lines at ticket counters, they now have a separate boarding line at the gate for Elite members. I believe that non-Elite fliers who are traveling on a full Y fare also get to use it. Boarding passes for eligible fliers are printed with "Elite Access" and at many airports this also allows the flier to get expedited through security. Cool!

Curious

Seamus,

I imagine most of the airlines will be doing something similar to help keep their FF customers happy.

American has been doing the same thing for some time. It certainly smooths and speeds the tedious processes.

Curious

Flyboy

This move is not enough to offset the fact that Continental will begin giving only HALF the elite qualification miles for low fare tickets soon. It's great news for people buying high-fare tickets because over time, there will be less One Pass elites to compete with for perks.

Seamus

Flyboy, you are spot on about the competition for capacity controlled perks - especially with the reduced capacity typical of current operations. For quite a while we have been hearing about the problems airlines face in managing the growing number of FFs and their accumulated miles. CO tends to be an industry leader in this sort of thing, and I expect the same from others. Will this make me abandon my long held loyalty to CO? Well, it just might...

Patty

Delta was the first to introduce an elite qualification mileage structure based on paid fare class (with lower fares earning only 1/2 elite qualification miles) and I believe Continental is doing this to streamline themselves with Delta due to the new alliance. I wonder if Northwest will announce something similar?

Flyboy

Patty, as for Northwest, "the trend is not our friend", in view of the alliance between Delta, Continental and Northwest. We can HOPE they won't follow suit, but I don't think we can bet on it. Vote with your letters and e-mails to Continental and Northwest now and maybe we won't have to vote with our feet later.

Seamus

You may be on to something there, Patty. And you, too, Flyboy- apparently there was such a clamor when CO announced that Q,S,T and L class fares would only accrue 50% miles toward Elite qualification that they have partially rescinded the policy through the end of 2004. I say partially because the 100% accrual rate applies only if booked online.
As someone who flies for a company that requires travel at lowest fare and issue through an agent, I have to just swallow this. Most of my flights in the last several months were fairly full, whether because CO has reduced capacity or for other reasons. The net effect is increased demand which, as always, is the leverage for increased price - which is essentially the net effect of the new policy. I'll be interested to see if other airlines follow the trend.

Deborah

I am so angry about the new elite qualification miles rule. I am writing Continental today to voice my displeasure. I have been an elite customer with them for years and cannot believe they will not give me 100% elite qualification miles just because I am a leisure traveler looking for a deal on airfares. I hope the rest of you will also write to them and tell them as well. It amazes me when the major airlines make moves like this and then they wonder why so many people are flying Southwest and Jet Blue.

BeachBoi

Seamus....Hey, cant your TA book your CO online?Unless CO pays them a commission of some sort, what difference would it make to the agent?Mine is part of the Carlson network and yes they have some "deals" as it were.But they charge fees, and he doesnt care if he books on the net or thru his GDS..won't hurt to ask....

Seamus

Good pregunta, BB - I'll ask. I thought that the 100% mileage credit in even cheap fares was valid if one did one's on booking throught he CO site.
Deborah - I feel your pain, but airlines are a business. If you want top of the line can find it at NM; you might or might not find it, or something close to it at Last Call.

Deborah

Seamus:

I'm sorry, but I don't know what you mean by NM? Yes, the airlines are a business that are not alienating their customers. This topic was discussed on the travel radio show I listen to on Sundays. He stated that any airline that doesn't give him 100% of his mileage credit would not get his business. I happen to agree. I fly a lot of partner airlines of CO, therefore cannot always purchase tickets on Continental.com. I stand by my statement. I am disgusted by this new rule.

Deborah

That is "now" alienating their customers.

Seamus

Deborah - NM is Neiman Marcus (or "Needless Mark-up&quot, the infamous paradigm of conspicuous consumption that started in Texas, and Last Call is the store where they sell their clearance merchandise.
As a long time CO FF who must abide company rules and go with discounted fares whenever possible, I hate the new rule, too. That said, I'm waiting to see if other airlines follow CO's lead. If it does become the industry standard we have little choice but to live with it. Let's keep out fingers crossed that it doesn't and CO rescinds the policy.

Deborah

Seamus: Did you write to CO and tell them you were not happy? I certainly did and I hope everyone else in jeopardy of losing elite status also writes. If other carriers do not adopt this policy (I don't think NW or AA have yet) and CO continues this, I will be switching loyalty to another carrier. We'll soon see what happens. I hope they realize they will be losing revenue, not earning it by doing this.

Flyboy

Deborah, Northwest has not adopted the policy and is so far saying that they don't anticipate any significant changes to their WorldPerks program. You would be able to maintain your status on CO if you are booking online in the coming year, but if they don't relent and Northwest doesn't adopt the same changes, then your strategy might well be to switch to WorldPerks at the end of 2004 for your flight miles in 2005. Your CO status would still net you upgrades while you fly your 25K as a WorldPerks member. (I'm sure you'll be tuned in.)

When U.S. Air tried a tremendously unpopular change to their FF program within the past several years, they ended up having to abandon the proposed changes in the face of heavy customer opposition. Maybe CO will end up doing the same.

Deborah

Yes, believe me, I know all of this. The Continental page on Flyertalk has been buzzing about this issue and you wouldn't believe the number of people that plan to bail on CO or already have. I am already a member of WP, so definitely will go with them and see if they will comp elite status and do CO codeshares for the flights I will need from them. This whole thing may get rescinded. It will be interesting to wait and see, but I'm definitely planning on flying friendlier skies if they don't. I will owe them no loyalty.

Dan

Southwest and jetBlue are the future. Continental, American, etc are the past. Maybe one or two of them will survive, but they just don't "get it," do they!??!

I just booked a flight from New Orleans to New York. I am not staying over a Saturday. It was $1,300 on Continental or $200 on jetBlue.

Which do you think I chose???

Seamus

Dan, your comments make a great deal of sense for domestic flights. I wonder, though, what might happen in the international market.
Even though I have been a diehard CO flyer, I have to admit feeling tempted by some of the better prices and/or schedules offered by other airlines since CO FF miles don't seem as valuable.

Flyboy

Update: NWA will NOT be following suit with the Continental Airlines change to count only 50% on elite qualifying miles. NWA WorldPerks members should be aware of Continental's changes when flying Continental non-codeshare flights on the fare classes where Continental is only providing half-credit for its own OnePass members. That half-credit situation will impact on WorldPerks members in those situations, too.

This is good news for Northwest WorldPerks members and perhaps it will also give Continental cause to pause and reconsider the unpopular changes it is embarking upon in its FF program.

Deborah

I have already bought my first ticket on NW. CO will be losing all of my business if they don't rescind their rule.