General CO complaints, horror stories and issues
 

As I potentially gear up for the Deny Continental the Freddie campagain and website (assuming I continue to have e-mails to Continantal ignored and our questions about this year's October suprize, the EUA, unanswered), I would like to gather people's testimonials in their own words.

What about Continental makes you feel they should not receive the Freddie as the frequent flyer's choice of best frequent flyer program? The EUA is certianly up there for some of us (especially the no 60 day notice and October suprize issues), but I know that I've heard other issues.

Should you have to wait 30 days to see if your international upgrade cleared, then get charged to place the miles back into your account? Should the elite line have a fake "enter your one pass number" recording in front of it (where you can press all 1's and still get through)? Should there be more rewards for 1k or 2k levels of loyalty? Were you denied Lifetime elite by being short less than 500 miles in your last qualification year? Are you upset that you spend thousands of dollars and hundreds of hours making platinum and the guy sitting next to you got it in the mail for free without asking? Did you call the Customer Care line and not get treated appropriately? Do you appreciate it that your 40 minute flight has a scheduled time of 2 hours, so that the routine delay on the ground can be considered acceptable and even result in the flight recorded as arriving early? Should the Freddie award winning website of CO be able to show you statements with details (and not just program balance) in real time and not a mont or more after the fact? Perhaps you tried to get upgraded on a flight to (the according to CO non United States destination of) Hawaii (enough said)? Your complaint might even be when was the last time your nuts were warmed in first?

Please post your feelings and horror stories here. People voting for the Freddie should know what you went through or how you feel before casting their vote. No Continental bashing for the sake of it, please. Just fair, honest opinions, taken from facts that speak for themselves. Thanks.

[This message has been edited by NJDavid (edited 11-26-2000).]

{dup, sorry}

[This message has been edited by NJDavid (edited 11-26-2000).]

Complaints,

1. 30 Day rule for International/Hawaii upgrades. That issue is a dead horse here, but is an IDIOTIC rule.

2. Comped Platinum Status. I can understand that CO would need to offer comps to remain competitive. BUT, if CO competitors do not offer Top Level Status when comping, CO should not either. This issue is a slap in the face to ALL elite members, not just platinums. I have often said that a comp should be in the form of a challenge.

3. Account Balances on the internet. CO needs to get with the rest of the industry on that one.

Constructive Criticism:

1. Lack of a complimentary confirmable upgrade is hurting CO. As a suggestion, I would say give out 2 with the elite packet and then give out 2 for every 20,000 flight miles beyond 75,000. That would then give an early qualifying Platinum some incentive to stay loyal to CO.

2. Either do not give out Priority Handling tags, or train your staff as to what they mean. Too many CO rampers think that Priority Handling means "Send this bag out LAST".

Positives,

1. Reliable Airline. Yes, they pad the schedule. That is more a result of the antiquated ATC system, than CO's failings. BUT, they get you and your bags to your destination on time more than most of the other airlines.

2. Unlimited Upgrades. Look at the boards for the other airlines. Their lower level elites do not have upgrade percentages anywhere near those of CO lower level elites. And, if they are able to secure an upgrade, they have to use certificates. EUA notwithstanding, a CO elite who does not live in, nor flies to a hub city, rarely flies coach.

3. Friendly Staff. LAX and the HP cities are an exception. The "Friendy SW Staff" is IMO, a myth. I think consistently across the board, CO has the friendliest staff.

Freddie

As far as the Freddie is concerned, I have experience with the US, AA and DL programs. CO is still the best. If I vote for another airline this year, it will be a protest vote over the Platinum Comping Issue.

I am today announcing the formation of
www.givecontinentalthefreddiejusttopissoffnjdavid

1) replace the stupid lockers at the PC in CLE...LUGGAGE IS TOO BIG FOR THEM. ANY LUGGAGE. What bonehead put those in?
2) Internatinal you know...
3) Free PC membership for Plat's
4) Nuetronium level at 100,000 miles
5)TWO ASSIGNED FC BIN SPACES. If you can assign seats...assign bins in FC. Boarding last used to be a perk of first...but now you must get on first to get luggage space.
6) Online statements...must be fixed NOW!
7) I want MY PLATINUM ELITE CARD TO READ, "SEGMENT KING". I don't want much... http://www.flyertalk.com/forum/smile.gif

[This message has been edited by cigarman (edited 11-26-2000).]

I'm sorry I'm more likely to join tUpgradeMe's group. I suppose I could find some nits to pick with CO, but overall I find their program and personnel to be superior to the others.

Sorry if anyone misunderstood.

I do not want CO bashing just to nit pic, or look for problems. I want to hear from other CO elite flyers what it would take for them to agree that CO has the best frequent flyer program in the air. My friend Boomer has an annual list of changes we would recommend if asked. As I see it, none of those have been acted upon. I definitely have my own list (including explanations of CO breaking it's own rules) and those have had no action. I just want to hear from everyone, giving a voice to everyone who wishes to be heard.

Just as I respect my fellow flyertalkers opinions about how they want to spend their travel dollars, I intend to lobby quite heavily for others to hear the opinions of myself and any others who have been denied a voice. I believe that by preventing Continental from having the erroneous belief that they have the best FF program, they may decide to listen to it's elite members once and for all.

So again, I call for those with opinions to speak up here. And as always, I appreciate the candor, and respect others rights to not agree.

NJDavid, I have a few CO flights coming up in the next few weeks.

If there's time, could I respond after the first of the year? THen I can get a clear perspective of what horror stories I have a feeling I will experience (I just hope the upgrade gods smile on me or I get the barefoot people and the gropers and the lady who shoves my sat people!)

Since unlike most of the CO elite members, I achieve platinum status mainly by flying long-distance international routes. So here goes my wish list for ensuring the Freddie Award:

1. A few Systemwide Confirmable Upgrade to
the very top tier members, if Co wants
to keep planes full of international
flights out of the emerging EWR Global
Gateway, this is a MUST! If not System-
wide, more GG123 type bonus mile
opportunity to rack up miles necessary
for UGs.

2. A Priority luggage system that DELIVERS
particularly in the US.

3. More sophisticated training of the
international flght crews and concierges.
At the current level of Japanese announce-
ments, most Japanese passengers without
English knowledge would be in dire danger
in case of emergency.

4. Pre-seat assignments even when using Z
fare for elite members.

In genereal, though, I have been pleased with CO's business first service on trans-pacific routes; they are far superior to UA and NWs.

While I agree with the complaints outlined here, and in fact I support trying to get CO to fix what is broken with the current system, I'm not sure I can support the tacit intent behind this thread.

In response to CameraGuy, I've ALWAYS found the HP agents here in PHX to pleasant if not quite helpful.

As a CO comped Gold, I was recently taking my the return portion first flights on CO out of PHX.

Firstly I was late checking in - 30 mins before departure. Secondly my box ( Yes I was lugging a HEAVY box ) broke as I arrived at checkin, but I was so thoroughly insulted by the HP checkin agent, named Michael. I decided there and then that I will not be subjecting myself to such treatment again.

This was in addition to the decidedly average level of service on my Continental flights PHL-IAH-PHX-IAH-MIA. I am a KL Royal Wing and always travel in First on NW domestic.

In the last year I did travel in coach on NW, and while that was fairly average it was also a very full and much delayed ( 5 hours )flight due to storms.

I will in future be sticking to NW + KL

I can't believe what I'm reading.

I'm a consultant in NY, new to frequent flying, and I've been researching about Elite levels as I thought I'd make it this year.

I've been reading these upgrade topics, and I now understand that what I was excited about finally reaching has been watered down so much by Continental Airlines that it's not worth it.

It's bait and switch. You you work very hard and spend money to finally get to a status level, and you find out that it's almost meaningless, as they've moved all the benefits to a higher level. Is it really leagal for them to change what a status level will get after you've already spent the year working at it?

Continental should be ahsamed of itself. I'm sure that I won't allow myself to be fooled again by trying for a higher status level, only to find out that they bait and switch again, and move the benefits even higher. They will definitely loose the business of myself and my small firm. Maybe that's not much lost income for them, but as a businessman, I learned that loosing customers usually is a trend.

I'll finish up making the status as cheaply as I can, and then see if another airline will honor it as I've read here.

Thank goodness for finding your board in my searching (I found it listed at something called the Mileage Workshop - a great resource.) Now I know not to waste my money at Continental.

A plug for Davids great site:

The Airline Mileage Workshop

NJDAVID - Why would you want "General CO complaints" ????? Were you not very insistent on the Hilton board that you wanted very SPECIFIC complaints of actual service ??? Why the change ???? You seemed to get upset with posters who disparaged Hilton with general complaints ??? Seems very
odd to me ......kazman