Hi Rawhide, invitations for the Presidental Plus card were sent to a very limited audience, but for now we'll also be honoring applications from customers who didn't receive the mailing.

I couldn't agree more. I have the personal Amex Plat and the Chase WC. I am canceling the WC at next renewal. Amex's benefits from extended warrantees, SPG Gold membership, Avis Select Preferred, Plat Travel Services to the Concierge put this and any other Chase card to shame. Not to mention they put in the packet how you will get a concierge service. They also market that with the Chase WC. In three years I haven't even been able to get the phone number for this so called concierge. Chase has ruined its reputation with its lack of service toward CO card holders and broken promises. The only way I would pay them a dime is if it included Silver Status. And again, if you spend enough on the card every year to get 25K EQM and Silver Status you may as well get an Amex Cent/Black Card. You get Gold Status automatically. I don't see this program lasting very long...

Invitation
 

The other interesting marketing collaterall in the invite is the letter that it comes with --this is the first time I've received any marketing material from CO "on behalf of Larry Kellner" ...and signed (albeit digitally) "Larry". I guess this is supposed to make the invitation seem even more premium and exclusive.

But as others have said, this offer just isn't worth it for me. And as others have said, there really isn't much sense in keeping the regular CO Chase cards open either. With occaisional offers from Amex like 25% bonuses on transfers of -all- points and not just points from CO purchases, Amex has the potential to award more OnePass miles than CO's own card with Chase.

I also don't trust Chase. There seems to be modifications to the cardholder agreement on a monthly basis -or more often, with supplemental updates that come in between statements. If I do charge anything to my card, I usually pay it off online even before my statement is printed.

I wish CO would dump Chase all together and just pick a better bank partner that could provide a better overall customer experience.

I thought it was a Seasons Greetings card before I opened it.

Well said. ^

CO used to be teamed with (I believe) Merchantile Bank. I had such a CO card at one time. I am not sure what caused the switch to Chase - but it likely was a better deal with more income to CO.

I got my CO-branded VISA back in the days that the card was issued by HSBC (I think HSBC sold off all of its U.S. credit card business). The old card had a photo image of a CO A300 on it.

I concur with others that this new card has some enticing benefits, but ultimately doesn't offer enough to compete aginst AMEX Platinum. And while I haven't had any true horror stories with Chase, I did have a difficult time getting them to send me some of the intitial VISA Signature card perks. Not surprisingly, I havent been too impressed by what I've seen of Chase. CO could probably do better.

OTOH, Platinum Travel Service (PTS) from AMEX has been disappointing, too. My experince has been that credit card banks seem to over-promise and under-deliver, which I find somewhat surprising since its such a lucrative business. They seem to put more effort into marketing for new customers rather than keeping their current ones.

I haven't looked -- how does the automatic (no extra fee per ticket/rental) travel/car rental insurance of this card compare with that of the Amex Platinum card?

Trip cancellation insurance?
 

Anyone know how the automatic trip cancellation insurance included with the card compares to the bare-bones Access America cancellation insurance offered when you buy a ticket at continental.com? Obviously the Access America coverage includes interruption protection which the card does not. But may be worth $5-10 per ticket as a benefit...

I received the card when I got home yesterday. Marketing did their homework; fantastic packaging, heavy blue outside envelope with a paper seal. The first thing you see when opening it is a letter from Larry. I discounted this card as a viable offer for me immediately, and here is why. The card's annual fee is offset by a free Presidents Club membership. But my company pays for these type of expenses, and there is no way for me to break the cost out for a personal credit card. Continental should reduce the cards annual fee and let their customers worry about the PC fees. If they do that I would be more inclined to sign up for the card.

To me, missing Elite next year, the primary advantage over Plat AMEX would be the eliteAccess benefits. I'm not missing something with Plat AMEX about this am I? Plat AMEX just offers the PC membership, correct?

Also it seems that I would have access to the PC as well as the affiliate clubs regardless of whom I am flying with even if it AA, correct?

i thought the same thing. was bummed to see it was only a credit card offer.

I predict this caed will be a lukewarm success, if that. Not unlike the Diner's Club "MONTAGE", which sent out a fancy offer...and died in a death spiral almost everyone predicted in the DC threads years ago.

Chase/CO do not seem to give much credit to the astuteness of affinity point-living crowd...we all know how to analyze the core value of the perks, and this one is not very well endowed.

Not to mention CO makes using said Nonepass points a real chore..and plays such games w/ availability as to make it a poor decision for me (personally) to ever accumulate CO Nonepass points until I need them...then I move them over from Amex's MR program. Rarely these days will I ever charge on an airline-spcific ccard and get boxed in w/ miles that inly work for that given airline.

P.S. To the poster several back - Continental's affinity bank partner in the late 90s used to be an excellent bank Marine Midland, which, acording to wickipdia, was "absorbed" (ok, bought) by HSBC in 1998. Not sure timing or how CO detached from HSBC and then first aligned w/ Chase. I agree w/ several posters above - I don't trust Chase myself and won't use this card ever again (though I still keep it active).

Not to mention the limited audience that they are catering this new card to will probably limit its popularity.

Has anyone reading this thread applied for one yet?

Not An Easy Upgrade
 

I went ahead and bit the bullet...Simply because I have the CO Word MC, and I was going to purchase a PC club membership anway, so financially it was a little a savings to go with this offer.

However bewarned, the "upgrade process" w/ chase is no where near as seamless as with Amex.

1. Called the Number on the Link posted by CO Insider, the CSR said that she could not do it (upgrade from CO Word MC), and gave me another number to call.

2. Call #2 number, the CSR had never heard of this card, put me on hold

3. Was transferred to a Supervisor who also didn't know what the card was, he put me on hold so he could go and ask. Finally came back and said it was done and everything would transfer and that I should get the card next week, so we will see.


Took about 25min

Did you get the $75 waiver on your annual fee since you were upgrading? I am kind of on the fence about this card, while I know I would like the benefits, I have the Co biz card as well as the WC for personal use. Annual fee just hit for the WC card.

My wife received an application last week. She's Silver Elite. I guess I didn't get an application since our CO Chase VISA is in my name (???)

Anyway, the ad comes wrapped in a textured, deep blue cardstock that's definitely fancier than the usual credit card offer. But with a computer generated address label (albeit in cursive script) and the Continental name and logo in the return address corner, its hard to mistake as personal mail. Also, the inside of the envelope (it's really more of a multi-folded "wrap") is printed with a stylized version of CO's route map printed in grey and white. I found it interesting that the IAH and EWR hubs are cearly present in the handsome graphic, but somehow CLE didn't make the cut...

Like others, I don't see this card posing much of a threat to AMEX Platinum. I'd drop my Plat. card for a better deal, but CO/Chase's latest card just doesn't offer enough.

Yes, the supervisor told me that I would get the $75 waiver.

However that also is a "wait and see" since chase is involved. In my experience with them, problems only arise when you ask for something to be changed on your account, so if this goes though without incident I will be surprised.

If you're going to get this card, and do not have a CO Mastecard, is there any reason not to sign up for the World MC, get the bonus miles, and then transfer over to this card?

CO and Chase will have to bump up the benefits on this cards to compete with AmEx Plat, which seems to be the target user. Silver Elite status would probably do it and that really doesn't give away too much from the OnePass Elite program since Silvers are rarely upgraded.

Yup, the fancy packaging definitely grabs your attention, but the product itself fails to close the deal.

I'm a little surprised that they aren't offering bonus miles with this one. So I could get a regular CO Chase card now and get 20,000 miles, or get this one (for a $300 fee) and get zero miles?

The Presidents Club membership would be an appealing benefit for me, since I don't have one. As a OnePass platinum, though, I only "need" that card for certain domestic trips. Does anyone know of another promotion thru the SkyTeam alliance (perhaps DL AMEX?) that could accomplish the same thing for, like, $100? $300 is too rich for my needs.

Received and answered an extensive online survey about a year ago, about a potential charge card with upgraded benefits. Seemed to indicate that it would be in $300-400 range and asked many what if questions...what would you want in a card for $400 etc. Most of the offerings pointed to elite status, PC membership and benefits similar to AMEX Plat. I indicated that it would take a lot (i.e. elite status at least) to entice me to pay that much for the CO card. Surprised they offered only PC membership. Amex Plat for me right now.

I feel honored then. I didn't give any thought to this thread until I received it today. Beautiful packaging. I'm a bit on the fence as others. I gave up on Amex years ago so I don't have that issue. Being that next year I'll either be Plat by March or struggling for Silver in December, the concept of not losing elite access for 2008 with MC PC is a thought if the latter happens. Bonus miles for signing up would be very nice.

Seriously? I've flown CO exactly once this year, and I got one. And I earned my CO Plat status for the prior two years by flying almost exclusively on NW!

CO must have some pretty bizarre criteria for selecting their audience . . .

I still haven't gotten one....I guess I didn't make Larry's short list!

I received the fancy direct-mail piece this evening, and I agree with iahphx

I carry a plat AMEX and use it extensively for all the additional benefits, above and beyond just PC access. I do also carry a CO World MC and agree too with Weatherboy.

I have had experienced dreadful customer service from Chase, and only carry this card for the option of earning additional OnePass Miles.

So, no - I won't be following-up with this offer. Also, how much do you think Chase/Continental paid to produce and mass mail these? I am sure they spent $$$ on this project.

Here's another thought to consider - with the introduction of this card I wonder if CO will phase out AMEX plat membership/entrance to the PC and using this new card instead? :(

FWIW, my theory is it uses a combination of recent affinity card acquisition, unused credit on existing cards, and credit score. I never got targeted for any of these things, and then I broke down and got a (free) FL card via a hawker at ATL, mainly to get the come-on, a little bear in a pilot costume, for exogenous reasons. Now, AA keeps upping the signup miles ante, F9 wants in, and then this CO, which would have made a wonderful "Seasons Greetings" mailing instead.

Agreed. CO should have included 20k bonus miles with this card.

How many that received the invitations are current Chase CO cardholders?

Few, I would bet. If those cards are securitized, I doubt the holders would be too happy about double-dipping cannibalization.

I am a Chase CO Cardholder. - the invitation is now in the shredder :D

Oops. I need to read more carefully.

I received one. I'll stick with Amex Plat. Overall, more value for the $$. Took advantage of return protection today for the first time.

The return and lost item protections on the amex plat are awesome,
Those protections, DL/NW/CO club access, the avis preffered select status, spg gold status, and all of the other benefits make the business plat card easily worth the $300/yr. charge, and puts this CO card to absolute shame...

New Card Worthless
 

This entire card program should be viewed as a GREEDY emabarrassment. If they spent a little less money on the invitation they might be able to put back the 5% discount. When is the last time you got a Seasons Greeting card thanking you for your business?

Not only is the card WORTHLESS, especially for Elites since it dilutes the entire elite program. Have you ever been on a flight where almost EVERYONE lines up on the blue carpet, which is actually a DARK, dirty blue from being overused and never cleaned. How about those security lines that are longer than the non-elite ones, where the people that you KNOW rarely fly buy the elite statue and don't even know what they need to do to get thru security. Now people that NEVER fly will be able to get on those lines and make it even worse.

CO Miles are also worthless as you will find out whenever you try to use your miles for an upgrade to a sem-popular destination(forget a popular one).

I would not even fly Continental if I didn't live near a hub that they monopolize. I am planning on giving up my existing WC card this year as soon as the renewal time hits the books. The 5% made it worthwhile but now that it is gone earning double miles on the ticket purchases doesn't mean a whole lot.

Do I sound pissed?

I'm a CO Chase cardholder and I didn't give this new Chase offer a 2nd thought b/c at least my Amex Platinum gives me discounts and affiliation satus I use - and I did receive miles (can't remember how many?) when I signed up with Chase (but I recall 25,000 Membership Reward points when I switched my Amex to Platinum). So my personal opinion is this is a SORRY offer, other than the pretty packaging which is now shredded and trashed...

Yes, you do sound pissed.

I do not think elite access dilution is that big an issue in this case. If one earns 25,000+ EQMs in a calendar year they'll have elite status and will be standing on the blue carpet anyway.

Therefore, I'd argue the only way the card could dilute the elite access benefit is by allowing those folks who are not traveling at least 25,000 EQMs to go across the blue carpet. Moreover, as the "Chase Elites" are not traveling 25k+ EQMs a year and since the card is not being marketed to a broad audience (I presume) I'd guess the chances of <25k leisure flyers stopping up the elite access system to be small.

...but after all this is an airline we're talking about here - and when was the last time they made any sense?

w/r/t to Chase being greedy...,

Setting aside my personal feeling for Chase, I fail to see why CO/Chase can't offer the 5% discount/double flight mileage/some other promotion for the life of the card. The double flight mileage promo Chase had 2 years ago (IIRC) was great and helped folks (or at least me) overlook their glaring deficiencies in the customer service field. Ditto for the 5% off. But of course "they" have to go and screw up a good thing.

It's not like once upon a time we had a friend in the business who believed the right relationship was everything. But alas Chase, despite all your idiocies you were right about one thing: it is my choice…

My choice: no Chase.

Elite Dilution
 

My wife, who is Silver also got the invitation as did a few friends of mine w/NO medal status, they have just flown Continental a few times over the past few years.

BTW, I have a DELTA Amex card w/NO annual fee and double points all of the time.
I do also have the Chase Marriot card which offers a pretty good bonus of 10 times points for hotel stays paid on the card.

BTW, in the past I have been successful in getting Chase to waive the Continental card annual fee but NOT the Marriott fee.

Full Presidents Club Access
 

I dont know much about the AMEX Card everyone is talking about but I assume that the ability of one to get into the club is only when flying and only the individual with the card. The way I understand and read the invitation on this one is that you get a FULL PC membership which means that you get the privilage of bringing in 2 guest. Also you would be able to access the club without needing to be flying that day like others have said. One bit of advise I would give would be to have an general elite discount or a discount based on one's specfic status. When you compare this card to actaully buying membership, I would still save through the elite discounts if the other offers were not important. I assume also that one would not get the PC certificates or the annual coupons like one currently gets with the world card??

Mine got my status right, but explicitly referred to me as a current MC cardholder, and invited me to "upgrade." I won't do it. I've concluded airline miles are virtually worthless now -- too hard to use -- and that I'd rather have the cash back from my Fidelity Visa.