Originally Posted by
sushibear
A friend called and asked if I wanted to go to Mexico spring break week. I said I would if I could get a standard OnePass award. While he was still on the phone, I logged onto the CO site and found standard availability AUS/MLM on 3/11 with a return MZT/AUS on 3/20. I told him that I was in for sure and that he should buy his ticket. When I tried to redeem the ticket, I realized that I could not book open-jaw reward travel online.
I called CO and the SLC rep checked and said there was no availability on those dates at the standard level. I pulled the CO site back up and told him that I could still see standard availability on all segments. When he tried the website, he too saw the availability and began the booking process. After numerous attempts he finally said he couldn't get the trip to book and he called IT.
The response from IT was something like "Yeah, there's a glitch on the website that sometimes shows standard availability when it's not really there. We should get that fixed." He told the rep that my only choice was to buy a ticket or use an EasyPass award. This was going to be a budget trip and I can't afford more than $600 for airfare. I also don't want to use double miles for EasyPass. So my friend and I are both SOL. While I was working on this ticket, he bought a non-refundable ticket on Expedia for $600.
The CSR told me there was absolutely nothing he could do even though he realized the position CO had put me in. I am especially frustrated because there are plenty of open seats on all flights and there was standard availability from IAH to Mexico and back. The problem was the AUS/IAH return. I can't believe that, considering the website glitch, CO could/would not open a standard award seat on the AUS/IAH legs.
Even as I am posting, the website is still showing standard availability for all segments.
Hi
sushibear, I'm sorry for the frustration. At the root of your issue there are two problems. First of all, continental.com doesn't currently handle open jaw, stopover and circle trip itineraries for reward travel. It will some day, but for now, such isn't the case. Second of all, the system used by our contact center doesn't build flight connections the same way continental.com does, and unfortunately the itinerary on 11-Mar AUS-IAH-MLM having Standard Reward availability doesn't automatically come up when requesting availability because of it's longer layover in IAH. Normally, the workaround in this case is very easy - we'll just build the connection one segment at a time. But in your case, the AUS-IAH leg is not open for Standard Rewards, except when used in conjunction with the connecting IAH-MLM flight. Although this doesn't happen often, it's definitely frustrating when it does.
If you'll send me a PM with OnePass number, we'll get this reservation built for you at the Standard Reward level. I'm also following up internally to address this discrepancy. Thanks very much for the specifics in your post.