Just wondering why you guys haven't put up more of a fuss about the 50% EQM thing? Delta tried lowering our MQM earning to 50% on highly-discounted tickets, and there was such an uproar that it was withdrawn after one year. Why haven't you guys been vocal in getting the CO 50% EQM thing rescinded? Do you guys have significantly lower mileage requirements for elite levels?

Finally, how does this affect your ability to do Mileage Runs?

Welcome to FT! The problem is solved because if you book the tickets at continental.com, they give you 100% EQMs.

Last year they announced the changes to the 2005 Elite program in September, now we're still waiting to learn our fate with bated breath.

p.s. From the NonePass� Advisory: Remember, "your mileage may vary"

As the reptile said, those are the "rules of the CO game".

To be perfectly honest (and I may get slammed for this):
As someone who works where we book our own travel I like it.
It helps to keep the number of elites (competing with me for upgrades) lower.

For me, not in any way.

Agreed. DL never had this "workaround" which is why it never stuck at DL.

While the co.com requirement doesn't work for those with a travel agency mandate, it seems to work for a good chunk of the population. So it's not all the COers who are impacted, just those not allowed to book via co.com by their company's policies.

Aren't the flyers who have to book through travel agencies most likely to be ones who travel most often? Otherwise, why set up an internal / external agency, right?

I find it odd that CO would not have some provision where the 50% rule doesn't hurt their loyal,frequent flyers who have to book through agencies.

I think it may have hit their bottom line though there are not able to see it since those who would opt to purchase the higher fare via a travel agency makes up part of the difference.

I had 23 trips this year of which 14 went to CO (3 of which were on NW), 8 to UA and 1 to US. They still got a chunk of my biz but about 40 percent went elsewhere because of hte EQM.

I complained at first by e-mail, but mostly I've complained with my wallet. There's a reason I'm AA Plat this year and only CO Silver: because AA doesn't pull that EQM crap. I am one of those who must use the designated travel agent for biz travel, so CO.com not an option. The irony is that CO gives up my medium fare biz travel, for which I would get 50% EQM, but gets my deep discount leisure travel for 100% credit booked on CO.com.

I do think that AA's product is generally inferior, but they show that they value my business through full credit for miles, lounge access on int'l itinerary with Plat, and the give miles that I am actually able to use!

Unfortunately, there must not be enough people like me, or CO would be feeling the pain from it and would make some changes.

*lounge access on int'l itinerary with Plat,

Uhh, don't we get that too? 06 is my first year as plat and I am looking forward to that little luxury!

Yep, CO Plat do have access to skyteam lounges when flying internationally on that day.

The point is that AA Plat is midtier, so the equivalent would be for CO Gold (like me...) to get lounge access on international itineraries. AA is more generous here (though CO lounges are definitely more worth getting into than AA's, if not than BA/QF/CX's).

UA is like AA-- 50k EQM (1P status) gets same-day access to *A lounges.

Yes and no... what CO is trying to avoid are the high GDS fees that the systems travel agents have traditionally used pass onto airlines (and other vendors). They could care less whether it's you who books online or if you pay someone else to book your trip online, so long as it's done online (low cost).

BUT, so does offer Business Travel Manager to agencies. If your travel agent switches to BTM, the travel he/she books for you is all subject to the same EQM rules as CO.com. The problem is, BTM is !@#$!

I stopped flying DL completely when they dropped the option of segment qualification. Many of my flights are short hops, but it is not unusual for an IAH/JAN on a COEX flight to cost more than a full service IAH/LAX flight with the possibioity of an upgrade. I know others, who have had the option--DL doesn't own the store in their area--have left for the same reason. And I've been much happier on CO all the way around.

I have no issue with the EQM rules. CO has plenty of elites and will continue to have plenty of elites. The people they really care about, the ones paying higher fare classes, will end up getting upgraded more often than people who have a corporate travel agency that books in the lowest fare classes.

look at it this way, you buy a $200 ticket. you can do it two ways:
co.com:
Fare: 160
Taxes 40
CO net = 160.

travel agency:
Fare 160
Taxes 40
Distribution cost (GDS) 10
CO net: 150

that's almost 7% more revenue for CO if you book on CO.com.