Continental used to have three large telephone centers.

After 9/11 one (I believe Tampa) was completely closed down. There are now less telephone agents, not more. None of them, repeat NONE are dedicated just to eiltes. (This is not to say they are doing a bad job under the cirsumstances. Much to their credit, on CO it is much easier to get through to a human than on many other airlines today.)

CO elite literature discusses an "Elite Priority Line" to access "Elite member services", then lists the same touch tone menu one would receive if you called the general 800 number for Continental. If you touch-tone all your numbers in perfectly, and call volumes allow for optimal routing, you may get an agent who sees your name on the screen because of the entry. That is no more an Elite agent than my grandmother is.

The simple truth about the elite line is that after you punch in all your numbers, you get a shot at an agent who may know you are elite and also may not. You then have just as much chance of getting anything done correctly as you did if you hadn't flown any miles on CO. And as everyone has said over and over again, if you don't like what you hear from an agent, hang-up, the next one might be better. Keep trying till you get an agent that can do what you need.

And while I may be narrow minded in any number of opinions, that is just the truth based on the facts. I'd be happy to admit it is any different if anyone has any proof otherwise.