Switching to CO
May 2, 2011 | 6:45 am
#1
Original Poster
Join Date: May 2010
Programs: FF account on all airlines, DM. All hotel accounts, Hilton Diamond.
Posts: 228
Switching to CO
Hi all
I am a Diamond Elite (about 150,000 mi per year) on Delta and am wanting to possibly switch over to CO. I am wondering about a couple of things:
With DL I get this, does CO give hotels on WEATHER related cancellations for Platinum Elites?
Do Platinums get upgrades on European flights? Or is that only if they are full in the back?
How do I get in touch with CO about switching and getting my status matched?
BH
I am a Diamond Elite (about 150,000 mi per year) on Delta and am wanting to possibly switch over to CO. I am wondering about a couple of things:
With DL I get this, does CO give hotels on WEATHER related cancellations for Platinum Elites?
Do Platinums get upgrades on European flights? Or is that only if they are full in the back?
How do I get in touch with CO about switching and getting my status matched?
BH
May 2, 2011 | 6:54 am
#2
Join Date: May 2009
Location: PHL
Posts: 2,842
Hi all
I am a Diamond Elite (about 150,000 mi per year) on Delta and am wanting to possibly switch over to CO. I am wondering about a couple of things:
With DL I get this, does CO give hotels on WEATHER related cancellations for Platinum Elites?
Do Platinums get upgrades on European flights? Or is that only if they are full in the back?
How do I get in touch with CO about switching and getting my status matched?
BH
I am a Diamond Elite (about 150,000 mi per year) on Delta and am wanting to possibly switch over to CO. I am wondering about a couple of things:
With DL I get this, does CO give hotels on WEATHER related cancellations for Platinum Elites?
Do Platinums get upgrades on European flights? Or is that only if they are full in the back?
How do I get in touch with CO about switching and getting my status matched?
BH
Plats only receive those upgrades if Y is full, so essentially this is the exception not the rule.
May 2, 2011 | 7:20 am
#3
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May 2, 2011 | 7:28 am
#4
Join Date: May 2009
Location: PHL
Posts: 2,842
Yes sorry, someone with more experience may give better insight, like I said I never bother with hotel vouchers from an airline. Although I thought it was an airline's obligation to put you up somewhere even if it is only some $49/night motel. Or is this just for mechanical cancellations?
May 2, 2011 | 7:32 am
#5
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Yes sorry, someone with more experience may give better insight, like I said I never bother with hotel vouchers from an airline. Although I thought it was an airline's obligation to put you up somewhere even if it is only some $49/night motel. Or is this just for mechanical cancellations?
They're not obligated to for weather since it's out of their control. That said, it's customary for airlines to take care of their high Elites. UA does it for 1Ks, AA for EXPs, DL for SkyPriority (Gold and up), and so on.
CO, however, does not do this as a matter of policy.
May 2, 2011 | 3:41 pm
#7
Join Date: Oct 2009
Location: Austin, TX
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If you are hoping for great service from CO or lots of upgrades, then be prepared to get neither. Award redemption will be brilliant for you, though...
May 2, 2011 | 4:06 pm
#9
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May 2, 2011 | 6:29 pm
#10
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Join Date: Apr 2001
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CO only does challenges now, not matches. And I'd start with UA, not CO, as you'd match to 1K/Plat rather than Plat/1P.
As for the hotel thing, I believe the current version of the policy is that the benefit is supposed to be provided only on international itineraries but I'm not certain.
As for the hotel thing, I believe the current version of the policy is that the benefit is supposed to be provided only on international itineraries but I'm not certain.
May 3, 2011 | 7:38 am
#11
Join Date: Jul 2009
Location: Houston
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CO does not offer that benefit EVEN to their Million Milers... I flew from LAX-EWR-ZRH last year and got diverted to PIT because of weather, got to EWR 5 hours late and missed my connection to ZRH (by 15 mins). The GA and the rep at the Pres Club both gave me a "voucher" for a $59 days inn.
In comparison, DL put me up in a hotel because I chose to take a flight the next day due to a 2 hour weather delay in ORD.
In comparison, DL put me up in a hotel because I chose to take a flight the next day due to a 2 hour weather delay in ORD.
May 3, 2011 | 9:34 am
#12
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CO does not offer that benefit EVEN to their Million Milers... I flew from LAX-EWR-ZRH last year and got diverted to PIT because of weather, got to EWR 5 hours late and missed my connection to ZRH (by 15 mins). The GA and the rep at the Pres Club both gave me a "voucher" for a $59 days inn.
In comparison, DL put me up in a hotel because I chose to take a flight the next day due to a 2 hour weather delay in ORD.
In comparison, DL put me up in a hotel because I chose to take a flight the next day due to a 2 hour weather delay in ORD.
And once again, CO fails to comply with Star Alliance IRROPS rules.
Since you are a CO Plat, you're a Star Alliance Gold customer, and since you were on an int'l journey, CO should have covered your hotel (see pasted rule below).
You may want to write to CO customer care to get a refund for your hotel. Should they fail to provide one, you can always escalate to the Star Alliance.
Amenities Uncontrollable*
In the event of an uncontrollable delay, Star Alliance member carriers will provide amenities to Premium Customers (First, Business and Star Alliance Gold) travelling on an Intercontinental journey including connection to/from domestic services.
Intercontinental refers to travel between Europe, Asia, North America, South America, Australia, New Zealand and Africa.
A connection is defined as one that does not exceed 24 hours.
Some carriers apply amenities provision to international journeys. Please check procedures manual.
May 3, 2011 | 1:32 pm
#13
Join Date: Oct 2009
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DL is a different story -- DL provides its SkyPriority passengers hotels regardless of cause. While CO does not do that, CO is bound by Star Alliance rules.
And once again, CO fails to comply with Star Alliance IRROPS rules.
Since you are a CO Plat, you're a Star Alliance Gold customer, and since you were on an int'l journey, CO should have covered your hotel (see pasted rule below).
And once again, CO fails to comply with Star Alliance IRROPS rules.
Since you are a CO Plat, you're a Star Alliance Gold customer, and since you were on an int'l journey, CO should have covered your hotel (see pasted rule below).
I always felt like I was a nuisance to CO employees, especially at EWR. Less so at IAH and AUS, but the undercurrent of attitude among employees particularly during IRROPs is noticeable systemwide.
May 3, 2011 | 1:53 pm
#14
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This is entirely consistent with how CO treats its (best) customers in IRROPS. It's not just that they don't provide adequate hotel accommodation, but GAs are rude, sometimes outright lie (claim that later flights are full when they are certainly not, to cite just one example), often send us somewhere else to be serviced by someone else.
I always felt like I was a nuisance to CO employees, especially at EWR. Less so at IAH and AUS, but the undercurrent of attitude among employees particularly during IRROPs is noticeable systemwide.
I always felt like I was a nuisance to CO employees, especially at EWR. Less so at IAH and AUS, but the undercurrent of attitude among employees particularly during IRROPs is noticeable systemwide.
I agree with this assessment. I think part of it is not that the people are bad, but rather the systems are cumbersome, and that conflicts with the pressure CO puts on its employees to be productive.
Clearly a plane load of misconnects is extra work on an agent. But if rebooking and reissuing tickets takes 15 minutes a person vs. 1-2 minutes, then that's CO management's fault for not giving the front-liners the tools they need to expeditiously service customers. That's possibly why it's often easier to say no or pass the buck than to deal with the situation at hand.
So the "best in the business" can't exactly put their best foot forward if they don't have the tools needed to perform at their best.
May 3, 2011 | 1:56 pm
#15
Join Date: Dec 2005
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what is your "Home" airport?
what are your destinations?
what are your destinations?