Why I am leaving Continental and switching to American for the rest of the year!
 

If you want to be great in business, do the small things right--a tougher challenge than many expect!

I am planning to switch to AA for the rest of the year. I am going to sign up for the Platinum Challenge. I was hesitant to involve myself with AA, since I don't like the idea of being treated like chattel for the first 10,000 miles, but today's experience with CO taught me I have to be a big boy, grow up, grin and bear it.

I don’t think I irritate easily--which probably means I do ;) I didn’t mind spending over an hour on hold last night while the airline figured out why a Y fare didn’t clear immediately for a domestic upgrade. That problem got resolve; I was happy.

The problem I encountered today is that I can't check in online. :( Since last November, I haven’t been able to check in online for international flights. I am flying overseas LAX/EWR/ZRH, but I can't check in. The reason: Continental still has an expired passport attached to my profile; I have begged, pleaded and cajoled the carrier, but it hasn't been removed.

The passport expired last November. I have flown three times on the new passport. I removed the old passport number from my profile; I inserted the new one in. Every time I book a ticket, I make sure it has my current passport number. I have asked seven times to have the new number attached to my profile--CSR at the airport, in a Presidents Club, on the phone--but it hasn't happened. The result: I can't check in online.

What really irritates me is I paid over $3,000 for this ticket. I could have paid much less, but I wanted to jump to the head of the line for upgrades. I can't check in, so I can't waitlist for an upgrade. I feel like I am a sucker. The problem isn’t resolved, and according to the co.com the help-desk, not immediately resolvable, so I am angry at Continental. If truth be told, I am probably more disappointed. Disappointment is worse, because anger dissipates.

I will hit Platinum this weekend. I have one more BusinessFirst trip to take in early July (it’s a Z fare, so I can’t cancel :( ); that should be it for the year. I don't see any reason to fly Continental for the rest of the year; there's nothing in it for me.

I hope Continental can fix my passport problem. I don't expect it to be fixed by July. I guess the next time I will have a chance to find out is January 2008.

Sorry to vent, but I find this situation to be very irritating.

Are you going to change your handle?

'

At an average of almost 30 posts a day, the OP could just start a new handle, and be in the thousands of posts in just days. :)

You're switching to America??

My prediction is that you'll get over it, especially after a few trips in AA Y. I almost left once after a bad experience in EWR, but I returned.

If you paid $3k for a Y ticket, I would think that this would be a full Y and that you should have gotten an immediate upgrade (space available, of course) - was it?

You will be even more disappointed with AA Business Class. Also, AA does not allow international check-in online.

I would suck-it up and stay with CO. Can't believe I'm saying that, when I avoid CO like the plague for other reasons that have no place on this thread.

I am still a fan of Continental, just not a happy one. Think Notre Dame Football until last year. ;)

I thought that option is now gone (until policy changes), so it might be a bit difficult to do that, right?

I don't blame you. I'm finding fewer and fewer reasons to fly CO. They missed 6K from me so far this year on 1 trip to India. They stand to lose ca 18K on a few trips to the UK and 1 to the far east over the next few months. I suspect they couldn't care less

The ticket was originally an H fare costing $2026. Yesterday, I change the return date by one day, moved the fare from an H to a Y (better chance of upgrade, I thought), the new total was $3529. I asked about canceling the ticket, but the refund was less than what AA charges from LAX to ZRH.

I bought the H to waitlist for BF, but the list closed early. I am wait listed on the return, but it won't happen--the flight is full. I am in first on the IAH/LAX portion (the return is now ZRH/AMS/IAH/LAX; yikes, I have to fly KL).

I didn't get the upgrade immediately on the return because the AMS/LAX flight is direct (with one stop), so that apparently causes some kind of confusion. It got sorted out last night.

LOL. In truth, I have wondered for the past week, why should I continue to fly on CO once I reach Platinum. Sure, I get more elite miles, but they expire. The thread that talked about elite for life hit a chord. AA has it Continental does not. It's easy for me to switch over to AA for the next six months; I should hit Platinum easily. There's an outside chance that I might hit Executive Platinum--found out about that recently too. In any event, it's accumulating the miles for lifetime elite status--that's what I want. :)

Are you allowed to auction in on eBay: I could make a fortune. I know you're all jealous! :)

Sorry to hear of the trouble, COFan.

If you're pondering changing carriers have you considered BA or LH for your Europe needs?

Back in the glory days when J.Edward was not quite so poor and starving he was lucky enough to regularly enjoyed BA's F/SS product across the Atlantic. If your travel is a split between international and domestic, why not leave the domestic to CO and the international to... well, just that - an international airline.

Simply put, CO gets the domestic tickets, UA (for me at least) gets the international tickets.

Not only do you "earn" more with another carrier (75k EQM + 100kEQM on CO = squat :( but 75k EQM on CO + 25/50/100k on AA/UA/LH/BA*/etc. = top tier in two programs) but should CO/CO's partners lack reward inventory you can always call the other airline.

FWIW I chose UA: a rational international upgrade policy, E+ for when your in coach, *A Gold and 1,000,000 BIS miles earns you PremEx (* Gold) for life.

Now with all that said, with different airlines come different beasts. UA aint all roses (nor AA/BA/etc.) but I have found it useful for various reasons to hold elite status in two different alliances. YMMV.

Please let us know what you decide and how it works out.

* BA uses tier points, not EQMs

There's nothing wrong with maintaining status in two programs. UA actually might be a better choice than AA, as you're based in LAX and UA has a substantial presence there. UA/*A could take care of all your Aisa, Europe, and intra-West Coast travel, as well as ps LAX-JFK, if you need that.

Edit - plus, you could just comp over to UA with your CO plat status, and immediately be a 1P. It sounds like you'll fly enough to maybe even make 1K if you flew the rest of the year on UA. AA you'd have to deal with the challenge.

CO is a good airline, but it seems you have your reasons for switching. But by god, WHY AA? Service on AA has basically hit rock bottom. Their Y is horrific, and their domestic F / international J is aweful. Being CA based, why not UA? Rember UA has a domestic F almost as good as CO, and E+ for when you're in Y.

Hey, how did you wind up here? Please return to the United forum where you belong! :D