When to Request Comp Status
 

I am currently AA Plat. American Eagle is discontinuing service to my city next month. CO Express will be the only airline serving my local airport. I have already flown 25k miles on AA this year. It is going to be difficult to fly 50k on CO in the balance of 2002 to requalify for gold in 2003.

If I wait awhile to request comp status from CO, can I get status for the full 2003 calendar year? I called OnePass customer service, and the person I talked to really did not sound sure of her answer to my question. She said if I sent in my request in late July I should get status through 2/04. Does this sound right?

When is the earliest I can request status that will cover 2003?

It varies between airlines from July to November. Whatever you do, you should make sure to get them to specify this in writing.

I am asking specifically about Continental Airlines. If members of this forum have experience with comped elite status from CO, I would like to know when they applied and the expiration date of the comp status.

I am UA Premier Executive and received CO comped elite status (Gold) last December. I approched OnePass in late November (2001) via e-mail and got a reply within a week requesting copies of supporting documents to be sent to Houston. By mid-December, my Gold status showed up on my online OnePass statement. My status is valid for 2002, which expires in February, 2003. I hope this information helps.

Utopia, yes this helps. Thank you. Now I would like to know if anyone requested comp status in April or July what were their expiration dates?

I know the answers I am looking for are out there. Please reply. http://www.flyertalk.com/forum/smile.gif

Sally L --

Is your home airport BPT? If so, I'm kind of curious -- what's caused BPT to drop from five airlines to one over the past few years?

You can be sure that the answers are out there, but are they gonna be the answers you really want? http://www.flyertalk.com/forum/rolleyes.gif

SallyL,

It was July in the year that I switched over from DL to CO when I moved to Houston. CO gave me Elete match through January but not for the next year. However, I did not know that at the time. I knew that I would not make it by the end of the year so I called CO's cust. svc. line and explained that I did not know the limitations back in July or I would have waited. I explained that I had only two more trips booked. They asked what they were and calculated the miles. They then put a note in my file stating that if I completed the two trips as stated then I would be given my status for the next year. They did send me confirmation of this via mail and I did get my status 2,000+ miles short of the required level.

Bottom line, call and ask early and get it in writing. They will work with you if at all possible.

bry99, Yes it is BPT. American Eagle is leaving because of the restriction on the number of American Eagle pilots in the AA pilots' contract. In order to add more American Eagle pilots AA would have to recall all 500+ pilots that were laid off after 9/11. AA is adding regional jets in what they think are more lucrative markets. The Saab 340B's between BPT and DFW had a high load factor, and AA said they were making moeny on this route. Needless to say we are very unhappy in BPT.

ASA left 11/00 or 11/99--don't remember. Their Delta connections to anywhere east of DFW seemed to go through Atlanta. As a result AA got most of the BPT business. The US Air connection service only went to New Orleans and was not well supported. I think the 5th airline you are referring to was the one that flew to Austin. They went belly up.

SteveHOU, Thank you this is the information I was looking for although I was hoping to hear that they would give you elite status through the entire folliwng year.

[This message has been edited by SallyL (edited 03-27-2002).]

These were the rules a year or two ago.

If you get a "match":
--Date "matched'--....Elite Status Thru
January - June30.... Dec 31 current year
July 1 - Nov 30.... Feb 28, next year
Dec 1 - Feb 28.... Dec 31 next year

I would call and get a definitive answer from a CSM, and have them document your account with the promise, and get their name.
713-952-1630...ask for a CSM right off the bat!

[This message has been edited by 1passguy (edited 03-27-2002).]

1passguy, Thank you for the information. I will be sure to get everything documented. Everyone seems to be cautioning about "get it in writing." This doesn't speak very well for the reliability of info received verbally from CO.