Wanted to thank everyone for posting their "lessons learned" - i'm in the process of deciding if DL or CO will be right for me in 2008, and the insights here are helpful.

50% EQMs on mileage upgrade purchased tickets
 

Has anyone heard anything more about this?

As a Plat living in SFO, and traveling to EWR, a free Elite upgrade is very very rare. (Unless on a full Y fare)

The main benefit to people like me is that we can upgrade using miles on Continental.

I work very hard to maintain my Platinum status, and spend a lot of money on Continental every year.

I do not travel for business and can use any airline.

If they are only going to give 50% EQM's on most of my flights even though I always book on continental.com, what is the point of flying on this airline?

I can always buy a FC ticket on Virgin America, or fly any airline in coach!

All tickets booked on co.com will get 100% EQM. Nobody said a single thing about that being changed.

And it doesn't matter if you upgrade or not. It's how you book your original tickets.

50% EQM's on mileage upgraded tix
 

I certainly hope this does not change.
Look at the post by sbm12 on this thread:
"Notes from the Customer Technology Session"
That's where I saw it.

That was about the bug on co.com. Not policy. No change. Sometimes, you just have to call OP service center to get your other 50% EQM back.

Wirelessly posted (Mozilla/4.0 (compatible; MSIE 6.0; Windows 98; PalmSource/hspr-H102; Blazer/4.0) 16;320x320)

Thanks.
I hope you're right.
I have experienced that glitch a few times

It was mentioned as a glitch for them to investigate. They agreed you should not be getting 50% in that situation.

With all due respect, I have to follow my corporate travel policy (book at expedia corporate travel ONLY, AND fly on lowest logical fare) or risk termination - how am I "getting what I deserve"?? Is the $15K+ a year that I bring to CO somehow worth less than the $15K someone else brings who can use continental.com? If so, then maybe some other airline deserves that $15K more than CO does.

This remark, if it was made, is a slap in the face to those who want to be loyal to CO, but are bound by circumstances beyond their control. And, no, I can't wait until the last minute to "guarantee" higher fare classes, lest I be audited by the travel department; same with booking on continental.com outside of policy.

Perhaps it's time to rethink (again) my choice in carrier...:confused:

I posted something along the same lines, because I am a status match to CO Plat and I am trying to decide to retain or try another SkyTeam carrier. My options would be DL, NW, or CO. If I fly the others, at minimum I earn 100% of either segs and/or miles.

I would go with NW. You can earn upgrades on CO and upgrades at NW are much easier. However do not expect a status match as they do not do that with other SkyTeam airlines.

I have thought about it since I am a short-haul, segment flier. But I have to connect from my small regional airport and I am not sure I am up to half of my segments being Saab 340s! :eek:

Otherwise, I really do like the CO model.

Yes, it is. Because CO pays more to have Expedia or your travel agent issue the ticket. Its MUCH cheaper for CO to use CO.com. That's why.

I would buy this logic if all the other carriers practiced this policy. But for it to be specific to CO makes me think that others (DL, NW, UA, etc) don't see it that way... Also, I pay the travel company to issue my ticket -- how does this affect CO?

How much does CO pay GDS per ticket to post their fares on other booking engines? Is it a percentage based on fare?

You can use them, at least as IAH, as I discovered Saturday with the purchase of premium wines at the Jet Set Party.