Persistence Pays Off
Sep 19, 2003 | 3:56 pm
#1
Original Poster
Join Date: Nov 1999
Location: ABQ
Programs: SPEBSQSA
Posts: 3,796
Persistence Pays Off
Sorry to say this has nothing to do with the new Elite Qualification changes, but I just wanted to share a personal *victory* in a dispute with CO.
To level-set… I made an award reservation for PHX-OGG (F Standard, btw) on May 2, 2003. I was excited to find F availability for the two of us, and made the booking. However, I was charged 75,000 miles each instead of the documented 60,000 miles each. With no luck with OnePass (what did I expect,) I went a bit up the line, with the following note to Mark Bergsrud…
Mr. Bergsrud:
I am writing to you as a last resort as no agents (or supervisors) can answer my question. As a Vice President for a major corporation myself, I can identify with how busy you really are.
On May 2, 2003, I changed an award reservation I had previously made from LAX-HNL. When I made the reservation, Continental did not directly serve OGG, so I was "working around" getting there. This change was handled quite well by the agent who assisted me (I'm sorry, I no longer have her name) except for one thing... the award was now going to "cost" 75,000 miles per person (a total of 150,000 miles) instead of the listed Series 2 award that stated "60,000 for rewards ticketed before June 4, 2003." Please see http://www.continental.com/onepass/r...D281C106ABF48, as well as the attachment (in case the URL changes.)
The agent played with the reservation for quite a while, and determined that I was being "penalized" the addition 15k miles per person because "I was flying from Phoenix". Since Phoenix is in North America, I couldn't understand this, and neither could she. Further discussion with her supervisor resulted in that "all rewards to Hawaii are 75k miles per person now." Again, that is contradictory to the Series 2 Travel Reward chart. (She was able to play and get an IAH-OGG award for 60k.) After about an hour, I told her to go ahead and ticket it; I would follow up on resolving the mileage issue later. Quite frankly, I didn't want to lose the new reservation.
The 120,000 miles from the original reservation were redeposited, and I was able to ticket the reservation with another agent on 5/5/03. If possible, please provide kudos to the original reservation agent... she really provided excellent service.
Mr. Bergsrud, I'm really just looking for an answer as to why I was charged 75k for this reservation. Yes, I would like to have my 30,000 miles back, but I would be satisfied to know WHY I was charged the extra miles. I can be reached via email (at this address) or telephone at xxx-xxx-xxxx.
Finally, let me thank you again for taking the time to check this out. I am hoping to find myself in the air again (after a three-year hiatus), and look forward to sharing the skies with Continental again.
Being patient, I followed up with Mr. Bergsrud every month, just checking status. My last follow-up on 9/16 went like this…
Mr. Bergsrud,
Just following up with you as I still have not gotten an updated status on this. I will be in Seattle at the NCR Conference next week, as will you. Perhaps we could chat then...
Low and behold I received an email from Mr. Bergsrud today stating
I have instructed my staff to deposit 30K miles into your account. See you in Seattle.
The miles have been deposited in my account. I still don’t know *why* the 75k was charged instead of the 60k, but I have my miles back. In reality, I think he’s done this just to get me “off his back”. He probably also did not want any confrontation at the conference. However, I will go out of my way to seek him out and thank him.
Just thought I’d share that persistence does pay off.
------------------
Bob
To level-set… I made an award reservation for PHX-OGG (F Standard, btw) on May 2, 2003. I was excited to find F availability for the two of us, and made the booking. However, I was charged 75,000 miles each instead of the documented 60,000 miles each. With no luck with OnePass (what did I expect,) I went a bit up the line, with the following note to Mark Bergsrud…
Mr. Bergsrud:
I am writing to you as a last resort as no agents (or supervisors) can answer my question. As a Vice President for a major corporation myself, I can identify with how busy you really are.
On May 2, 2003, I changed an award reservation I had previously made from LAX-HNL. When I made the reservation, Continental did not directly serve OGG, so I was "working around" getting there. This change was handled quite well by the agent who assisted me (I'm sorry, I no longer have her name) except for one thing... the award was now going to "cost" 75,000 miles per person (a total of 150,000 miles) instead of the listed Series 2 award that stated "60,000 for rewards ticketed before June 4, 2003." Please see http://www.continental.com/onepass/r...D281C106ABF48, as well as the attachment (in case the URL changes.)
The agent played with the reservation for quite a while, and determined that I was being "penalized" the addition 15k miles per person because "I was flying from Phoenix". Since Phoenix is in North America, I couldn't understand this, and neither could she. Further discussion with her supervisor resulted in that "all rewards to Hawaii are 75k miles per person now." Again, that is contradictory to the Series 2 Travel Reward chart. (She was able to play and get an IAH-OGG award for 60k.) After about an hour, I told her to go ahead and ticket it; I would follow up on resolving the mileage issue later. Quite frankly, I didn't want to lose the new reservation.
The 120,000 miles from the original reservation were redeposited, and I was able to ticket the reservation with another agent on 5/5/03. If possible, please provide kudos to the original reservation agent... she really provided excellent service.
Mr. Bergsrud, I'm really just looking for an answer as to why I was charged 75k for this reservation. Yes, I would like to have my 30,000 miles back, but I would be satisfied to know WHY I was charged the extra miles. I can be reached via email (at this address) or telephone at xxx-xxx-xxxx.
Finally, let me thank you again for taking the time to check this out. I am hoping to find myself in the air again (after a three-year hiatus), and look forward to sharing the skies with Continental again.
Being patient, I followed up with Mr. Bergsrud every month, just checking status. My last follow-up on 9/16 went like this…
Mr. Bergsrud,
Just following up with you as I still have not gotten an updated status on this. I will be in Seattle at the NCR Conference next week, as will you. Perhaps we could chat then...
Low and behold I received an email from Mr. Bergsrud today stating
I have instructed my staff to deposit 30K miles into your account. See you in Seattle.
The miles have been deposited in my account. I still don’t know *why* the 75k was charged instead of the 60k, but I have my miles back. In reality, I think he’s done this just to get me “off his back”. He probably also did not want any confrontation at the conference. However, I will go out of my way to seek him out and thank him.
Just thought I’d share that persistence does pay off.
------------------
Bob
<font face="Verdana, Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif" size="2"> You only live once -- but if you work it right, once is enough.
Joe E. Lewis
</font>
Joe E. Lewis
</font>
Sep 19, 2003 | 9:11 pm
#2
Join Date: Mar 2002
Posts: 337
So is the moral of the story that VP's of major corporations take care of each other in their little secret fraternity?
Sep 19, 2003 | 9:17 pm
#3
Join Date: Dec 2000
Location: IAH
Posts: 536
No, the moral is "Stalk CO brass and WIN!".
Sep 22, 2003 | 1:53 pm
#4
Original Poster
Join Date: Nov 1999
Location: ABQ
Programs: SPEBSQSA
Posts: 3,796
<font face="Verdana, Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif" size="2">No, the moral is "Stalk CO brass and WIN!".</font>
------------------
Bob
<font face="Verdana, Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif" size="2"> You only live once -- but if you work it right, once is enough.
Joe E. Lewis
</font>
Joe E. Lewis
</font>
Sep 22, 2003 | 2:17 pm
#5
Join Date: May 2000
Location: Kfar Saba, Israel
Posts: 4,172
<font face="Verdana, Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif" size="2">Originally posted by AZ_MISMAN:
Low and behold I received an email from Mr. Bergsrud today stating
I have instructed my staff to deposit 30K miles into your account. See you in Seattle.
</font>
Low and behold I received an email from Mr. Bergsrud today stating
I have instructed my staff to deposit 30K miles into your account. See you in Seattle.
</font>
What's in Seattle?
Sep 22, 2003 | 7:19 pm
#6
Original Poster
Join Date: Nov 1999
Location: ABQ
Programs: SPEBSQSA
Posts: 3,796
NCR Teradata Partners conference (http://www.teradata-partners.com). For data warehousing.
edited... I need to learn to type someday!
------------------
Bob
[This message has been edited by AZ_MISMAN (edited 09-22-2003).]
edited... I need to learn to type someday!
------------------
Bob
<font face="Verdana, Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif" size="2"> You only live once -- but if you work it right, once is enough.
Joe E. Lewis
</font>
Joe E. Lewis
</font>
Sep 22, 2003 | 7:22 pm
#7
FlyerTalk Evangelist
Join Date: Sep 2002
Location: Between AUS, EWR, and YTO In a little twisty maze of airline seats, all alike.. but I wanna go home with the armadillo
Programs: CO, NW, & UA forum moderator emeritus. Eurobonus Millionaire
Posts: 38,721
Did you find your Mark?
Sep 23, 2003 | 8:33 am
#8
Original Poster
Join Date: Nov 1999
Location: ABQ
Programs: SPEBSQSA
Posts: 3,796
Found him and had about 30 seconds to talk (we were in two different sessions.) No, I didn't tell him how stupid the new changes are. It was a business decision, and they'll find out soon enough how misguided they are.
------------------
Bob
------------------
Bob
<font face="Verdana, Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif" size="2"> You only live once -- but if you work it right, once is enough.
Joe E. Lewis
</font>
Joe E. Lewis
</font>