Reward Change Fee Improvements - Eff. Feb. 19th

[CO Insider]

Hi Everyone, as many of you have heard, we’re be making some improvements to our OnePass Reward change fees, which are now in effect as Feb. 19th. We’ve heard your feedback loud and clear, we hope you’ll agree that our new policy is both fair and competitive.

Here are the details:

1. Reward changes where the origin and destination remain the same will be $0 to $75. It’s free when the change is made at least 21 days before travel, and $75 when made 20 days or less. You can change your flights, dates, carriers, routing, but you just can’t change your end points (origin or destination). Platinum members will continue to be exempt from this fee.
   
   
2. All other reward change and redeposit fees will still apply. Reward changes involving a change to the origin or destination will continue to be $150, as will reward redeposits. Platinum members will continue to be exempt from these fees as well.
   
   
3. This new policy only applies to tickets issued from Feb 19 onward. The new fare rules were actually loaded this afternoon (Feb 18), so some of you eeked by, but our official communication is for tickets issued on or after Feb. 19th. Continental.com will be updated shortly.

Any questions? Post them here.

As always, thanks for your feedback. It does make a difference.

[rolov]

I saw that earlier in another thread
Thanks

[OptionsCLE]

This was, in my opinion, the worst change to OnePass announced several months ago. I'm glad to see that you listened to our complaints and made positive corrections, although I'd love to go back to the $35 fee days!

[rankourabu]

Awesome change.... but.... only for new tickets....
so for those of us who booked in the last 6 months.... a big

[jrzyshawn]

This is great news as most of us I think just change dates and times and mostly keep the O/D the same.

[sbm12]

Originally Posted by CO Insider

Here are the details:

1. Reward changes where the origin and destination remain the same will be $0 to $75. It’s free when the change is made at least 21 days before travel, and $75 when made 20 days or less. You can change your flights, dates, carriers, routing, but you just can’t change your end points (origin or destination). Platinum members will continue to be exempt from this fee.
   
   
2. All other reward change and redeposit fees will still apply. Reward changes involving a change to the origin or destination will continue to be $150, as will reward redeposits. Platinum members will continue to be exempt from these fees as well.

Originally Posted by CO Insider

3. This new policy only applies to tickets issued from Feb 19 onward. The new fare rules were actually loaded this afternoon (Feb 18), so some of you eeked by, but our official communication is for tickets issued on or after Feb. 19th. Continental.com will be updated shortly.

I suppose we can't complain too much as you are sticklers for applying the CoC as written at the time of the transaction when it is in our favor, too, but it is too bad that it is only for new tickets.

How does the policy apply to co-terminals/metro areas? For me the biggest one would be EWR/JFK, which aren't really co-term but are the same metro area. And I have a bit of a vested interest in this as I have been trying to change a AMS-EWR flight to AMS-JFK since a schedule change hit me but without success and I doubt that I will see inventory open up in the next 10 days while I'm still platinum.

[dergon darkhelm]

First ---thank you!


Second ....a question applicable to a current reward I'm searching for.

If I buy a SaverPass coach reward CLE-FCO then a SaverPass BF award becomes available at a later time with same dates, origin, and destination, is there a fee? (I'm gold)

[craz]

to CO for doing this, even though it doesnt affect Me as a Plat.

Now if CO will only get rid of the SBY fee when a person can catch a different flight as a Connection, usually this is due to a previous flight landing early and thusly when a person is traveling w/o bags they now have enough time to be able to get onto either a flight that was delayed or a flight that should have taken off on time before they were suppose to land.

It cant affect that many since if a person checked any bags the bags will still be on the tkted flights, so no reason to arrive at LA say from IAH an hour early as the person will still have to hang at LAX to await their bags. However someone traveling with only carry-on/s can jump onto teh early flight w/o any problems.

Again not asking that a persons original flight be allowed to be fee-free for SBY (although that would be nice ) just any flight once the original flight has been flown, wont say same day since maybe a red-eye will get in early and allow a person to grab the 1st flight the next day instead of having to wait for the 2nd one , the 1 they booked since there was no way they should have been able to catch the 1st if their original flight was on time and not early.

No way can anyone game this in their favor, which I admit isnt the case with an original flight. By original flight I dont mean just the 1st leg of a persons itn, but the 1st leg for each the Out & In bound. Thusly flying say BWI-IAH-LAX-IAH-BWI after flying BWI-IAH only the IAH-LAX portion would be Fee Free, wanting to change either BWI-IAH or LAX-IAH would require payment of a fee. The IAH-BWI would be free only at IAH if they can grab an earlier flight and once they flew the LAX-IAH leg.

[GUWonder]

CO cutting back on award travel fees deserves and shows how DL-NW deserve for adding more and higher award travel fees.

[sbm12]

Originally Posted by dergon darkhelm

First ---thank you!


Second ....a question applicable to a current reward I'm searching for.

If I buy a SaverPass coach reward CLE-FCO then a SaverPass BF award becomes available at a later time with same dates, origin, and destination, is there a fee? (I'm gold)

I'm pretty sure that the answer will be yes as it is a different reward. What you should do is book using Plan B as detailed in the FAQ. No fees and you get the big seat or miles back as I understand the process.

[sbm12]

Originally Posted by craz

Now if CO will only get rid of the SBY fee when a person can catch a different flight as a Connection, usually this is due to a previous flight landing early and thusly when a person is traveling w/o bags they now have enough time to be able to get onto either a flight that was delayed or a flight that should have taken off on time before they were suppose to land.

They said at the Do that they were moving in this direction. I don't think they confirmed that it was absolutely going to happen, but I'd guess that it will and reasonably soon.

[channa]

Originally Posted by CO Insider

Hi Everyone, as many of you have heard, we’re be making some improvements to our OnePass Reward change fees, which are now in effect as Feb. 19th. We’ve heard your feedback loud and clear, we hope you’ll agree that our new policy is both fair and competitive.

Much, much, better. Thank you! The free chAAnges so long as the O/D stays the same makes this policy competitive with another Texas-based AAirline.

[MarkXS]

Also makes CO superior to its new partner UA. UA only allows free changes to dates/times but must be the same routing rather than just the same O/D, and also must be the same carrier.

CO is much more flexible here. Nice work CO!

[HeathrowGuy]

I applaud the rollback of punitive fees by any airline whenever it happens, but the "tax code" mentality has really got to stop on the part of CO. I realize the considerations on any given policy are complex, but there is something to be said for implementing simple, straightforward solutions that are easily understood by agent and customer alike.

With up to three fee levels now in effect instead of one for award modifications, you can be sure that confusion will reign (even in spite of good training and notification, as it simply becomes too much to remember well -- we know this to be true from experience with international upgrade policies, for example), and neither customers nor agents will be altogether happy once all is said and done.

[sy7]

What about stopovers on an award ticket? For example, instead of going EWR-LHR (stop) - AMS, you change to EWR-CDG (stop)- AMS? Would that be exempt for the $150 fee?