2006 Changes
 

What are folks hearing for 2006 changes?
Will the skyteam programs become better aligned with each other?
Similar rules, upgrade reciprocity, etc?

Keep the Bad Ideas to Yourself
 

PLEASE:

Let's not post any ideas or guesses that would cause a cut in benefits.

switch to NW
 

I ask becaue every year I don't know whether to switch to NW rules.
I am former MSY, IAH and NYC resident with CO, but now find myself in the land of the red tail. Also know as the land of 30 year old DC9s with 16 (half empty) first class seats.
80% of my CO Plat miles and segs are from NW segments.
I have to balance the complicated rules each year to decide when to jump.
I'm sure NW would match the Plat on 1/1/06.
Of course it is all pointless speculation if the rules are matched or if NW merges with Delta to throw the whole thing up in the air.

My thinking..... I think a company in bankruptcy is more likely to go the extra miles in attracting new and retaining loyal customers.... I'd think your best bet would be NW and DL.

Jiburi

PS...If your elite status is on CO, I'm fairly sure that NW isn't going to comp you the status. CO doesn't comp NW elite members, and same is for the reverse. It might be in the agreement with NW/CO somewhere.

NW will not match a CO Plat due to their close relationship. I already tried and it fell on deaf ears.

I suspect NW & DL will be trying a little too hard to get new elites and probably hand out status like candy such as UA does. Personaly, I'd rather focus on flying on a stable airline (well, more stable) and see where the apples land in the next couple of years.

While that would be conventional wisdom, just looking back at all the bonii I've received from CO this year, I don't think NW can come close.

CO has really done well with promos this year.

So in the last couple years the quality of service that I've received from Continental has on the whole gone up. This year's upgrade ratio has been staggering, so much so that I can remember the trips in coach. Also when I've had difficulties with something going wrong the Continental folks have fixed it, painlessly, even when it was my fault or my travel agent's. In fact the only complaints I have is the relatively uncomfortable coach seats and the international upgrade issue, but that's midigated by the relative ease that I've gotten standard business first awards when I've wanted them.

More bonuses would be nice of course, but I'm happier with them now then ever before. Of course hosting 2 flyertalk gatherings in under a year doesn't hurt either.

Scott

Mich - I did the switch but as the other posters said they won't do a status match. I used their 2X EQM promo to 'earn' Silver and my next trip is taking me to Gold (amazing note: if I had done all the same flying by CO rules I'd still only be Silver with them - and this is after re-earning Silver for next year). About the only thing NW will offer if you ask for a match is an elite challenge.

No doubt about it. CO has gone the "extra mile". :p

Agreed. I also am sure you would be disappointed with DL. Here is a quick example of DL "service."

I flew on a paid BF ticket to Europe over the summer and was not happy to see my luggage come out in around the middle of the pack at each destination. When I got back I commented about this on the DL FT forum and was surprised to hear that this was "normal." Many of the DL elites wrote that they actually don't put the priority tags on their bags because they found that their luggage usually comes out sooner that way. What does this say about the attitude of the DL luggage handlers? And management can't control them either, apparently.

I know that priority luggage handling is a relatively minor service, but I think it says a lot about the way the airlines work.

????
By that logic pretty much all airlines are hit or miss in how they work. I've never met an airline that can get the priority luggage thing right. I suspect its utterly random back there in the loading platforms

Every CO long haul flight I've been on has been great, all EA bags before the rest. I think they should do BF before all that, but its still not bad.
LY does it right also.

You must be lucky. I've never had consistent results. I've had my bags come off in the first few, and I've waited around until the bitter end. CO, VS, BA, NW. All the same