Another Elite Category?
 

It's August and on practically every flight I have taken this year, Golds, Silvers, and
Bronzes fill up half the plane on the pre-boarding announcement. Except for the assigned seat, it's almost like getting on the Southwest Cattlecar with the first 30 boarding passes. The time has come for CO to create something above Gold and
reward those people with more incentives
and to allow boarding on an individual Elite
basis. Since CO probably does not want to copy the "Platinum" category, let's call it
the "Titanium" or "Uranium", because you gotta be hard-skinned and explosive to attain membership!

At times when they call only the first class passengers to board I have seen more people enter than the number of first class seats.

How about a category "rushinium" for those who rush to get in the plane, and a category called "rushoutium" for those who jump to get out of the plane before the pilot has turned off the fasten seat belt sign.

Recently on a flight the pilot even forgot to turn off the seat belt sign after docking at the gate and it made no difference. I was among the last to deboard (I was on standby for the flight and got the last row) and told the pilot that the seat belt sign was still turned on.

Phil... The same thing happened me on a flight on Delta to Atlanta. I was cramped in
the window seat and everyone wondered why I
was sitting there... I asked the flight attendant "the seat belt sign is still on!"
She said everything's Okie dokie! Everyone rushed off like the ticket deal at Southwest Jaws43 talked about.

The flights at JFK has a race to see how many
people can be knocked down boarding the plane. It's like boarding the NYC subways!

Remember Guys I suggested that they break up
the boarding sequence and maybe start boarding 20 minutes early. First: the seniors and parents with children. Then
work down the elite tiers with about 3-5 minute gaps between each boarding sequence.
Then board from the back every FIVE ROWS!

IT's up to the flight attendants to make sure
the people board at the right time. I always
show my membership card to the attendants
before I board early. Only a few times on
United they take a look at it.

Maybe ask for the membership cards to be shown so Mr. infrequent flyer with 25 miles doesn't board for coach and take all the overhead space.

ONce on Lufthansa my section was called next to last I get on the plane and most of the section was full. I almost had to check some very fragile beer steins because the people overloaded the overheads with baby strollers
and very big bags (more than two for some!)

The beer steins got home ok, I got home
frazzled because the person next to me stretched out and snored the whole trip.
CATMAN

JAWS 43 May I suggest MEGA-URANIUM-235 status
for Continental's most frequent flyers.

Don't know about your experiences at CO-EWK
(Newark) but just as I started to board all
of sudden 100 people charged on and NONE of
Them were ELITES (I don't remember them being
called... I was in the back of the plane and
they all ended up setting up front in coach.)

It was like walking on the NYC subway tracks
at rush hour. A very nice and pretty flight
attendant gently took my arm and moved me out
of the way so the "herd" could pass.

I'll have to face the train in two weeks.
I'm working out to be ready. CATMAN

Dear Catman - your LH-experience must have been a long time ago (not the snoaring - the more than one handbag). Nowadays LH is very very very strict: ONE handbag they really try to force trough for Inner-European-flights. Coming from an international one (2 handbags allowed) and doing the last segment FRA-ZRH, discussions about sense/nonsense of that one-bag-rule for connecting international-flights can be time-consuming and delay (my) boarding ... (and in add people around me laugh about my Schwyzerduetsch = Swiss german dialect).

Rudi... That Lufthansa flight happened about
two years ago. Then the flight attendant
smiled at me and said first in german then
in English "I can't wait for the new baggage
rules to take effect!"

My lesson from that... if I buy gifts they
get shipped. I'll pay a little more now to
avoid problems boarding.

I flew Lufthansa again about eight months ago
and I made sure everythign was shipped or
checked except my small backpack with
a change of clothes, toiletries and the cameras. I flew in business class but I saw
teh attendants made sure the two bag rule
for int'l was enforced. They were tougher
with my "commuter" flights around Germany.

THey also guessed I was from New York the
minute I opened my mouth! CATMAN

as gold elite member i enjoy the priority boarding. in fact on aug 3, 1998 a trip i took from boston to ewr the boarding of the flight they called first class and all 98 bronze sliver and gold elite staus which is good that way i know if i still have to make that last minute phone call i can still board early. not have to woory about the non elite staus.

nancy, I hope you mean the year 1998, when you say "all 98 Gold & Silver Elites".
We all enjoy the privilege of early boarding
so we can get the overhead space, etc. However, my comments, Catman's comments, and others are intended to help
alleviate the stampede. I have been on flights that when early boarding was called,
I could almost believe that 98 Elites boarded. Of course, it was not that many,
but it sure seemed like it.

Nancy, you probably were lucky everyone acted
"civilized."

I had to take an overnight flight EWR to O'Hare on United and the flight attendant took a deep breath and said "we are now offering early boarding for Premier..." and before he could get out his sentence 75 people showed up at the door and a few started charging in. I ended up having to
wait for the train to go through before I
could get on even though I had a first class
ticket!

United must be a popular program to have so
many Premier members. I had to get two friends who flight United 100 days out of the
year to finally sign up. Ditto COntinental
(though I believe it flying the EWR/Houston
link)

Told the flight attendant of my suggestion and wrote it to United. It makes sense, right guys?

I will NOT be trampled, whether it's business
or a very very very needed vacation in Maui
next month!

And NANCY, could you do me a favor and put
a few punctuation marks between each sentence? Your entries are hard on my eyes
to ready. CATMAN

to catman soory about punctuation and your eyes i'll do better next time i gave you my word.

nancy - I think I have to confess, that I love you - at least I don't feel alone anymore typing many errors and using a funny english.

WHOA!(As we say in TEXAS), rudi. What's this "love stuff" about you and nancy on English? nancy is from New Jersey and, in New Jersey, english is hard to understand. Just ask Catman.

Catman - it seems to be you (New Jersey) turn: ???

TO stick with the topic at hand -- another
thought -- maybe when they call each catagory
make everyone LINE UP first for each one and
then let them board. This may add a few more
minutes to teh boarding process but maybe
start it a litle earlier. Rudi -- you can answer this: I think Lufthansa does this on
some busy flights.

I will answer the "language question" next.

This is off the topic but please allow me to
respond because you guys make me laugh about the "language" thing and I need it sometimes!

New Jersey is actually several different
"countries" with different "languages" and
"cultures." I live in an URBAN area (J.C.'s
right across from NYC) so I speak NEW YAWK
as opposed to nancy who lives in a suburban
community and speaks differently from those
at beach towns who speak differently.

IT took a speech class at New YOrk University
to lose it. But I speak JERSEE when excited and talking too fast. My friends have learned
to like me for what I am.

Though I would rather have a Texan or German-
Swiss accent, more intereting to listen to.

But let's get to the topic at hand. If you
want to talk about the language thing -- please respond to my e-mail address.

One more thing -- JERSEE people are great friends like I hope we all can be. HAPPY FLYING! CATMAN.

yes Catman - LH ("the germans") are famous for asking to line-up (according to "classes").

Because LH knows - how pushy our northern neigbours (N of Switzerland) can/would be otherwise ...

And yes - I (we?) try to take/accept/like people as individuals (also language-wise) - let's fight MASSES.

Thanks guys for not blasting me out of this thread, but once in a while every thread needs a little humor.

I think that each category should be called
individually, though maybe 1st Class & Gold
(or whatever-"the best of the best") are called together, then the next 2 categories
together, etc. Airlines are trying to cut boarding time so we must come up with something that works. LU must have a pretty good solution, but how much time does it take? Probably the same.

the LH policy may not be time-saving - but spares some ellbow-pushes (when you line-up and enter, not really in the plane then).

the LH policy may not be time-saving - but spares some ellbow-pushes (when you line-up and enter, not really in the plane then).

Maybe the U-S Airlines should study how the
overseas carriers and how they do things like
preboarding and customer service. A friend
of mine told me that some British Air flights
are doing the same line up thing. It could
work -- again maybe start boarding five minutes earlier.

Then that could get people to show up ON TIME
for flights. (very close connections or
delayed flights would be exceptions.)

And yes, I think we all need a little humor
every once in awhile considering the busy
"high flying" lives we lead! CATMAN

to catman what do you think of nj you do know that you aren't that far from nyc.

hello nancy - I feel so unhappy that you address only catman - how do you feel about NYC and your NJ?

to Rudi soory i love nyc alot beacuse you can do so munch in a day in fact i skiped work to take a limo ride around the city for a day

thank you nancy for addressing me directly -I am so happy -even more when I recognize how nervous you are when addressing me (looking at your typing) - but I understand ....

nancy - which front desk was like an orphin today - you touring NYC ?

nancy - which front desk was like an orphin today - you touring NYC ?

I hope the airlines are reading those of us
who are making logical suggestions about
elite catagories. (Or maybe we can have a
contest for best new elite catagories??!?)

Nancy, let's stick to the topic at hand.
You can contact me at my e-mail address if
you want opinions about NYC.

And could you put a little punctuation in
your entries. It will make it easier to read. CATMAN

I was wondering when someone would jump on the "dialogue" on this thread. Thank you, Catman.

nancy, If you want to talk with rudi, then just click on the email button and talk 'til
the long horn steers come home.

Catman, Great idea about the contest or
whatever we want to call it. The airlines had better wake up and create some better
incentives for people that exceed their top
category. Once one achieves the top category the loyalty suddenly shifts to qualifying for another airline's top category.
That was kind of the purpose of this thread, to start a dialogue about "what's beyond the top categories/"

To Rudi are you elite with continental airlines or are you thinking about it.

One more idea for upper elite status -- (and
maybe now I'm getting out of control:) our own private number or e-mail address to the
airline's customer service department, open
24 hours a day so when something bad happens
to us... we can report it immediately, talk
to a live person and maybe help ALL FLYERS
(Even the non members.)

Frequent Flyer friends... for a change of
pace (maybe a few laughs) check out Mileage
Addict's entry on the BUZZ site "what to give
the flyer with the most frequent flyer mileage."

Yes, it may sound pretentious but imagine if
one of the airlines offered even a few of these things to us!!!!

Sometimes I daydream of winning POWERBALL
and flying around the world, and not have to
do it for work! CATMAN

nancy: no / yes.

you?

Maybe it's just me but why does nancy seem just like emmett_s. I'm convinced that they both are the same person - nancy is just emmett in drag. Same language, claiming to be elite when they are obviously not etc. etc.

I might be paranoid so don't flame me.

Thanks,

the explanation is simple:

REINKARNATION

nancy -do you remember your past life(s)?

Any more views on CONTINENTAL ELITE or any
other elite CATAGORY? Why I ask? that's the
topic folks... not nancy.

Nancy has a special elite catagory: Platnium
Quizzy (asks many obvious answerable questions.)

Maybe QUIZZY is not a word in the dictionary.

SOrry if I get everyone mad... but I'm to
stick to the topic at hand. Happy flying!
CATMAN

that's one of the (enjoyable) consequences of the (web-) surfing-"business" - sometimes waves can take you with them - and pass you over to the next one - and you can get lost.

ok catman - back to the topic - let's the topic reincarnate.

My Fiancée and I booked our trip to Hawaii from Houston for our October Honeymoon about 8 months ago using her one pass miles. We are both lowly Bronze members who have done every possible thing to boost our miles. Continental said they could not guarantee our reservations on first class even though we are willing give them 100,000 miles for the ticket. They explained that any passenger who has attained higher one pass status who books a first class seat using frequent flyer miles will automatically bump us back to coach. I understand that there is a need for reward levels but I do not think I should have to be bumped just because Continental is willing to take last minute reservations from an Elite member. We have mailed letters to one pass and we have heard nothing. What is your take on this deal?

I am SO CONFUSED!!! Catman-help! What is the topic? Is it still about another elite category or about suggestions for a more efficient way of boarding a plane. Anyway, the Rudi-Nancy/emmett_s exchange is funny.

About boarding... I think it simply boils down to courtesy. It is mostly people here in the US (and FRA) where I see tons of people trying to board even though it is not their turn to board the plane or crowding the boarding area.

A nice change to this chaos is when I board an SQ flight, in SIN for example. People are disciplined and corteous. There is an actual queue to get in the aircraft. People don't stand in the aisle taking their sweet precious time to stow their luggage. The best part about the whole thing is people do this on their own and don't have to be told. There is a lot of order. Most of the time, I have seen SQ completely board a 747 in 30 minutes!

Thank you, AuxTxHiker... I"m glad that you too see it's important to stick to the topic
at hand. And it is "Another Elite catagory."
(although the boarding debate is a good one,
maybe even for a separate catagory.)

Have never flown SQ but I have heard it's
one of the better world airlines. Lufthansa
also boards very civilized by groups and it
sticks to it. British also has civil boarding.

Maybe they should have a separate elite catagory for the people who have to rush on
the plane then take 20 minutes to stow their
baggage. The only exceptions are people who
have extremely close connections and have to
run to make the plane. (I am guilty of that
with those late United and American flights.)

It's called "Impatient." ANd they should get a little sticker or button so the next
time they board last. CATMAN

Pagerguy... you might want to put your topic
in a separate thread here. It seems interesting and I think the COntinental members can better answer it if it's not under ELITE catagory. CATMAN

I know, Catman, it's off the topic, but paperguy needs some help and since I do not see any topic postings from him, I am going to help.

paperguy, call CO marketing in Houston and explain to them that this is your honeymoon and you would like it to be as memorable as possible and CO could help if they could just
allow you to have the confirmed 1st class reservations. If they balk, just keep calling and ask for a manager or Director of
Marketing. Also, it's still over a month until October. Why not try to buy cheap tickets and use the miles to upgrade them. You can do this by asking for upgrades when you book your reservations. CO will tell you if seats are available for upgrades, if they are use the miles, if not, use the freebie tickets. While on this subject, try asking
about departures and returns on off peak days. Weekend awards to/from Hawaii are very hard to get.

Yes, Catman, I'm baaaack!!!!