It's Official: No More Elite Bonuses on Codeshare Flights with Virgin
 

CO went and did a sneaky thing. On the OnePass web site where it used to say that they gave elite bonuses for "Continental code-share flights operated by other airlines (ticketed as Continental)", they changed it to say "Continental code-share flights operated by other airlines (ticketed as Continental) excluding Virgin Atlantic flights". This change occurred within the last few days, because I checked it a week ago when I booked a CO ticket with a Virgin codeshare flight.

I'm upset. Continental gave no warning of this change. I did a due-diligence check of the web site to make sure my flight to London would earn all bonus miles. And their web site at that time said it would. Now they suddenly change the site and I'm out several thousand miles.

I doubt I will be able to change the flight to CO metal without bleeding another one or two hundred bucks change fee. I doubt Continental will otherwise give me the bonus points that I thought were mine.

Continental disrespects their customers once again.

Actually, CO might not be at fault on this. Remember, VS has to PAY for any miles that CO awards for its flights, and so VS might have decided to stop paying for beyond-base mileage as a cost-cutting measure.


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Has YOUR airline won an award lately?

avek, I understand what you're saying, but that doesn't excuse Continental from giving wrong information to their customers that can lead to the loss of several thousand expected miles. Continental is derelict in updating the web site in a timely manner to reflect this, and is derelict in educating their OnePass agents and customer service reps.

The OnePass customer service rep I spoke to just last week insisted I would get the miles. And now they change their web to state the opposite.

Not ten minutes ago I got off the phone with Continental reservations to possibly change my ticket. The rep checked with her supervisor and they're still saying I will get the miles -- that completely flys in the the face of what their web site is now saying.

(Edited for spelling)

[This message has been edited by anthonyanthony (edited 11-01-2003).]

Anthony:

Assuming for now that this move was prompted by VS, CO might have been given little or no advance notice of the change -- hence the confusion and lack of understanding on the part of CO's reps.

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Has YOUR airline won an award lately?

Isn't the CO/VS code-share arrangement a block space one whereby CO pays VS for its seats whether they are used or not? Since you're travelling on the CO code, why would VS be paying CO for the miles?

The agreement has been modified - it's a "normal" codeshare agreement now.


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Has YOUR airline won an award lately?

Despite the fact that the rep said you'd get your miles, others (like Debbiejo) have had the opposite experience. While I think it sucks that they aren't giving out the bonuses, at least the web site has been updated to reflect this fact. Of course since this is really *really* in the fine print details most folks will not realize that they don't qualify for bonus miles on VS until after they're not awarded.

I doubt you'll get anywhere complaining about this before your flight, and afterwards they'll just point you to the rules and state that you should have known when you bought your ticket.

I'd suggest you call the 800-WE-IGNORE folks or the OPSC. A supervisor may be able to help you get onto a flight to LGW, but I wouldn't count on it. Remember, the squeaky wheel gets the grease!

Also remember that CO OP and NW WP both say they can change the rules "at any time" with no advance advance warning to customers.

They could also shut down both programs tomorrow and we lose all of our miles. :bad thought:

RM

Does this also mean that EQM are out? It doesn't seem right that the terms of a ticket can be changed after issue.

Anthony, I totally understand why you're pissed off about this. On October 16th I purchased a CO/Virgin codeshare ticket on Continental.com from SFO - LHR (CO flight numbers on Virgin metal). NOWHERE in the Continental rules did it say these flights were not eligible for elite bonus miles (I am Gold). About ten days ago when I read DebbieJo's post about this problem I contacted Continental by e-mail and they sent me an e-mail back assuring me I would get elite bonus miles for these flights. Now I see they did exactly what you said above - changed the rules in the past couple of days on the website - and I also find it very sneaky. If I had had fair warning or information I would have chosen a Continental flight on Continental metal into Gatwick. In spite of all the recent changes to OnePass I had decided to stay with Continental. However, this underhanded change may be the straw that breaks the proverbial camel's back and sends me to another airline in 2004.

In an earlier post (I believe Debbiejo) mentioned that UC Customers WILL receive EQM. I wonder if this is still true......

There is evidence in debbiejo's experience that the change took place Aug 1! That, plus the fact that in my conversations with CO, I was told that the agreement with Virgin was amended to exclude bonus miles on VS coded flights (but still awarded on CO coded flights) on Aug 1.

If true, the web site was wrong for three months! And the reservations and OnePass agents have been giving out wrong information for three months! That means I should have been told about this when I asked about it prior to buying my ticket.

[This message has been edited by anthonyanthony (edited 11-01-2003).]

As someone who recently came within minutes of buying a CO ticket on Virgin (I was able to switch to CO metal at the last minute), this sounds like an outrage. First, as a platinum member, the bonus mileage is a huge determinator in which airline I'm going to fly across the Atlantic (roundtrip, the bonus mileage can be almost 9000 miles from EWR), so to have the change "snuck in" is ridiculous. I'd be pissed to have fallen into this trap (as so many other now will).

Second, and perhaps most importantly, it makes a mockery of this codeshare business. It's ludicrous to have to check whether my CO-ticketed flights actually earn me CO frequent flyer benefits. What's next: CO flights on CO Express not earning the benefits?

I've tried really, really hard to locate this change on the Continental website and cannot find it. Please help me locate it.

I'm sure Gordon's working on that, too.