I wish it were that easy. To Asia, the situation has deteriorated to the absurd!!!
I used to tell the world that using partners, having flexibility and being dilligent would always get you the award/upgrade you want. I even poo-pooed friends who insisted that it was not so.
Not so any more!!
Case in point: Last night, I attempted to book travel EWR-HKG (or for that matter PEK if necessary). After looking at Plat availability on co.com and seeing "nothing at all for the remainder of 2006", I called res. I told them I needed to book EWR-HKG or PEK in E, F or R class, I was willing to travel CO or a partner, ANY time from March to December, 2006 as long as it was a standard award. (NOW THAT'S FLEXIBILITY). The result: NOTHING!!!....EITHER UPGRADE OR PLAT AWARD SEAT. It was never this bad!!
I, for one, a not ready to toss in the towel on CO but I agree with the many posters on this thread that if the situation does not drastically improve, many of CO's best customers will bail because the Onepass program will be preceived to be without value. Hell....we may be the only plats left.
Originally Posted by channa
That's nonsense. CO has a partnership with all of SkyTeam as well as a few ancillary carriers. CO is indeed tight with its reward availability, but it doesn't control its partners. If Air France has a seat, CO can book it.
If you're only looking at CO metal flights, you're only looking at a small fraction of the options. I've redeemed well over 1 million CO miles, all for international premium products, all at the Standard level, all on partners.
