Continental and SKYTEAM
 

Rumour has it that Continental will be joining SKYTEAM on May 1st. Is this true?? Any commments on timing has anyone seen this in writing??

Rumor had it on this board a long time ago :)

http://www.flyertalk.com/forum/showt...nental+skyteam

aloha

ok so is this looking like it will happen...called onepass and I had to explain to them what Skyteam was...

Unless they fix EQM, I could care less.

I wouldn't expect them joining Skyteam until later in the summer...

why you dont think it will be one for one earning, except on the most discounted?

I expect that this has been delayed to accomodate the AF/KLM merger, which is now expected to close around May 5, and could still get pushed back further. I don't think any regulators would be willing to approve of CO and NW joining SkyTeam until the future of KLM is dealt with, so I expect these two issues are being fully linked.

Will DL elites be able to upgrade on CO/NW flights like it is now between NW/CO when this happens? That would be awsome, I can not wait for KLM to become part of ST :)

Why would you think that that would happen? Medallions can't upgrade now, why would they start just because NW/CO become members of an alliance that DL also happens to be member of? KL Golds don't get upgrades on NW. Why should DL flyers?

It's all wishful thinking, except for (likely) improved redemption. That will be nice. :-: ^

Right now I have 2 choices for %100 EQM. ! Buy ticket at CO.com and 2nd Buy anything but the discounted coach tickets. Right now DL will not offer full EQM on discounted coach, I am guessing that the other SKyteam members will follow suit. Its no different with NW/KL.

NW has so far steadfastly refused to participate in any of this EQM nonsense with CO or DL by downgrading its own program (it does restrict EQM for customers flying discounted CO metal flights, but all DL fares earn full NW EQM). My guess is this policy will not change, Skyteam or no Skyteam. NWA is the only airline of that whole bunch that still its common sense and customer-oriented attitudes intact.

I don't know about how it is where you work but I dare say that most of us are required to purchase the least expensive ticket possible. When I've checked the difference in fares between the 50% and 100% buckets the difference was quite large.

In any event, May 1 is coming quite soon and I'd expect to have heard something about this by now. Perhaps we can ask some of the airline folks at the Freddies...

Where I work CO isn't even an option. When I purcahse tickets its out of my own pocket and %99 of the time its discounted coach. No full Y or J here. I was just thinking about the poor CO rep that is going to be sent to the Freddies. In response to a post above about NW. I was only commenting on CO policy regarding discounted Y on NW. I would love to switch to NW but at this point its not worth it. I realize that NW has been the one sane carrier when it comes to EQM in the Wings alliance.