American Express Membership Rewards - Redeem AmEx Rewards Certs @ Continental online ?

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How best to redeem AmEx Rewards certificates on CO Online ?

How best to redeem AmEx certificates on CO Online ?

I can use my AmEx Plat to pile up points
which can buy certificates for CO discounts.

eg 6000 AmEX points, get an 'AMEX6' cert for
$75 off a >= $400 CO ticket (Saturday night
stay required, no travel on Sundays, blackout
periods, yada...).

I make a reservation on CO.o.l., then
phone CO's the 1-800 reservations number
and spend 20 minutes to process paying
for my ticket, $75 by certificate, the
balance charged to my AmEx card.

Then mail in the certificate for processing and
sit for a week with no record of the purchase,
or drive to the airport and present the certificate
for ticketing in person.

Is there a better way to close the transaction ?

Better means

1. I get all the points for reserving on line,
paying with AmEx, etc.

2. I don't have a week of limbo from I phone order
the ticket until the mailed-in certificate is
processed, during which time I have no proof
of purchase.

These purchases are Continental-specific, so
please follow-up there. Thx.

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