Has anyone actually ever been able to use their Continental frequent flyer miles to go from the US to Italy? Can you offer me any tips or advice?<BR>I am trying to use mine for this coming September &amp; I keep getting the run-around. I've called 3 times over the past month &amp; get a different story every time from One Pass &quot;customer service&quot; supervisors. I get the feeling they don't quite know themselves how the system works.<BR>I am flexible with my dates, yet they tell me there are no seats open, but won't tell me if they've sold out of reward seats or not. They tell me they don't know. Is that possible? They are not giving me any options, like try another day or another month. One went as far to tell me that I probably will not be able to ever use my miles for reward travel to Europe because it is unlikely that they will let me. <BR>Can anyone offer any help? I just want to use what I've earned.<BR><BR>Thanks in advance.

try this website for frequent flyer info:<BR>http://www.flyertalk.com/

Hi Jacquee4<BR>I've used my Continental and Delta miles to fly to Italy, but you're right, they don't make it easy. I used Continental in Sept., 2001. I starting searching about 6-7 months before, and I basically told the Customer service reps my general dates and told them I'd be very flexible. They did a search on both Continental and Alitalia, and ended up finding me two different options on Alitalia. And, this was for First Class (Magnifica Class) travel. But, it took about two weeks before I heard anything back.<BR>Unless they've changed the rules, I'd just advise you to be persistent (but pleasant) and flexible. And, you do have the advantage of starting early, so they should be giving you more options.<BR>I would also say if you don't get a rep you feel is responsive to your needs, thank him/her, and call back and try a different rep. Sometimes it depends on the person you get on the other end. <BR><BR>Good luck to you!<BR><BR>JAFA

I've had the identical problem. And I've tried over and over again ....... You can always obtain an award, at any time and virtually on any flight, by doubling the required number of miles (&quot;Easy Pass&quot;, which requires 100,000 miles round trip v. 50,000). However, it appears that Continental is not opening its European routes, or at least not its routes to Milan and Rome, to awards at the lower (&quot;Standard&quot mileage level. There have been a couple of seats awarded at the lower level, but apparently not beyond the early Spring 2003. I very strongly suspect that they are waiting to see how many seats they can sell with the anticipated upcoming spring sales BEFORE they open up more seats for award travel at the &quot;standard&quot; levels. Why reduce their potential revenue when they may be able to fully sell flights? I find the practice extremely annoying, to the point of bordering on the deceptive, yet at the same time I can understand it from a &quot;hard nosed&quot; corporate finance point of view.

I've also been able in the past to obtain Alitalia economy class seats with Continental frequent flier miles, but Alitalia (and Air France) pulled out of the program very recently, replaced by KLM, which does not appear to be as willing to give free seats. I still think that Continental is playing hard ball.

I'm really surprised at the above-cited experiences. Continental (include its OnePass operation) were #1 when it came to service. Redeeming FF miles was always a pleasant experience dealing with accommodating agents. Have things really changed that much in past year or two?

I had great experiences with Continental's FF program up until very recently. They've become stingy of late, or so it appears to me.

We just used our miles for two standard tickets from newark to rome out of milan for late may. I've been trying since september or maybe sooner. Nearly every day i checked the website and finally hit it on a sunday morning. I couldn't get the flight out so I called and the agent had the seats out of milan showing up. but your right they don't know anything. they're as helpful as they can be trying to find seats but don't know what's going on with seats opening up.