Olton Hall

The inside of the package has a simplified route map printed on it. I shows many routes out of EWR and IAH but only 5 routes out of CLE. Like I said, it's a very simplified route map made to look nice more than have any sort of accuracy to the point there isn't even a flight from EWR to IAH.

johnny_lats

I Like Continental as an airline. And I'm coming up short this year by about 6000 miles and I'm bummed about it, but there is no way I would put the $75,000 of spend on this card needed to get back to Elite, because then I would have another 75000 CO Miles to add to the 300,000 miles I can never use. This card was a real disappointing offer.

Machiavelli

Certainly not the most savy of travelers here, but I get along well...I am still rying to figure this out since most of the PC's are past security, right?

So, riddle me this Batman, how would one go about getting in the PC club when not flying?

Xyzzy

1. Buy a refundable ticket.
2. Go to the club on your way to the flight.
3. Change your mind and ask to be de-boarded (so CO can sell the seat to someone else)
4. Refund the ticket.

Actually, if you plan on doing this often, just have them change the date of the flight in step #4. It's a lot easier than charging/refunding over and over.

perezoso

Ditto on the "no way" I would charge a zillion dollars for a few miles part. I got one of these today and think it's a real w@nker of an "offer". If I was that desperate for the main benefit - few thousand miles - I'd lay on a quick trip somewhere. And charge that much on the card for that few "flex" miles? No way.

The paranoid part of me is a little worried by the new class of miles that is debuting here. Are more differences going to be drawn between these and the "classic" miles we all have in our accounts? For example, are the far more expensive "flex" miles going to find a "flex" awards twin that is subject to looser capacity controls? Just an example. In other words, are "flex" miles ultimately going to devalue our already "inflation"-prone "classic" miles?


.

xFF

PC members are (or at least were, as of July) permitted throught security to access clubs when not flying. See the thread here.

ILUVCITIBANK

Originally Posted by TheMan View Post
...the card... dilutes the entire elite program


To TheMan -
don't get too worked up...this card is a dud before its launched; I don't know a lot about butt in seat flying, but I do know a thing or two about credit card affinity programs and what works, and what does not. This is as still-born as Diner's Club Montage a couple of years ago...fancy announcement/invitation packaging...I looked it (the Montage) and predicted it would fail within five minutes of reviewing the affinity perks. Too bad it took Citibank a couple of years to figure out what I knew in ten min (ok, five min), but then that's why they pay those Wharton grads the big bucks and avoid every soliciting input from their 6 and 7-figure/annum affinity customers. Their loss.

Ditto for this one - it will never pass muster w/ any aggressive chargers that I know, or anyone that can do simple math to figure out the true hidden costs vis a vis perk package.

To really burden this card, its coming from Chase, which is, as so many have pointed out, the most greedy of the major banks, and then it rides on the coattails of the worst affinity program around (with respect to award availability) - Nonepass, the gutless wonder of affinity programs, where one can EARN the miles but DON'T PLAN ON USING THEM unless one is ok w/ the DOUBLE MILE AWARDS.

As for me ? My Continental/Chase card sits on a shelf collecting dust...and only when Chase, in those rare promotions, offers double miles, does this card get dusted off and used.

Doubtful there will be much dilution that you fear so much.

ctownflyer

He was asking about Amex Plat holders-not PC members.

dmunz

I got the offer today and the letter says:

"We're honored to have you as a Platinum OnePass Elite member. We would also like to thank you for being a Presidents Club member and for using your Continential Airlines MasterCard."

I'm curious how (or if) the personalization was on other offers. Did everyone get the same level of detail? For example, if you are just a PL, did your letter say that? What about P-Club (only, non-elite) folks?

FWIW
DLM

Machiavelli

Thank you ^ ...now, outside of picking someone up, I need to start finding a reason to hang out. $1 p/h parking has to be worth a drink or two while I work.

J.Edward

The PC is a good study spot. Free booze, no family to distract and whenever you need a break, you can just wander around, watch the planes and catch lunch at Pappadeux's (sp). Makes for a good study day IMHO... in fact, maybe that's what I'll do tomorrow for LSAT class...

CO 1E

LOL!!! Nothing like boozing it up while studying.

Xyzzy

Mine made reference to my status and the fact that I have a Chase MC (though it is now the free one).

TVCMH

I noticed that Cleveland was missing but it looked like an international-only route map.

jguidera

I agree. In order to make this worth it for me it would need to include true elite status (i.e. silver elite for example) and all of the privileges that entails so long as you maintain the card. Not just elite security line and boarding, but seating, upgrade potential, award availability, etc... Something along those lines would seriously have me considering either replacing my Amex w/this card or adding it as a second card.

Higher status based on spend would be nice, but certainly not a "gotta have" for me.

As I compare this to my Amex plat, I had to say "no" to this because frankly Amex provides virtually the same benefits and more for the same (or similar) price, which makes this card of limited value to me.