only 50%EQM with compassion fare.
Oct 12, 2007, 2:07 pm
#1
Original Poster
Join Date: Feb 2005
Location: TPA, RSW,SRQ
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only 50%EQM with compassion fare.
Just booked a compassion fare from IAH to LGW. You can only book fare by calling CO. First the Res person quoted a fare $400 more than I had seen on co.com. Told here there was a "Q" fare and she found that and then gave the 10% compassion bereavement discount and I booked the ticket. When I checked the booking on line it shows only 50%eqm, and I also lost 500 miles for not booking online. It seems hard to accept this as the compassion fare can only be booked by phone, and I gave all the details requested about deceased, funeral home etc..
Last edited by flyingfriar; Oct 13, 2007 at 12:12 pm
Oct 12, 2007, 2:11 pm
#2
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Interesting scenario. I would have put the regular "Q" fare on hold on continental.com, and then call to have them adjust the fare, and then complete the purchase online. If that's possible.
Last edited by rkkwan; Oct 12, 2007 at 4:42 pm
Oct 12, 2007, 3:25 pm
#3
Join Date: Mar 2006
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If you're close enough to the deceased even to qualify for the compassion fare, why are you worrying about the 50% EQM's and lack of the 500-mi co.com booking bonus?
Oct 12, 2007, 4:16 pm
#4
Original Poster
Join Date: Feb 2005
Location: TPA, RSW,SRQ
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It was my sister in law aged 54 who died very suddenly. I am priest and all my travel on CO is on my $, and luckilly I made silver this year for only the 2nd time in 10 years. I am interested in flying and use CO as I am based in Houston but have family in UK. The possibility of an upgrade once in a while is something to look forward to. I raised the point as a matter of interest to this forum.
Last edited by flyingfriar; Oct 12, 2007 at 5:42 pm
Oct 12, 2007, 4:26 pm
#5
Join Date: Sep 2003
Location: Houston, TX
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If getting 100% EQM and booking bonus are worth the 10% to you, then cancel the ticket and rebook online.
Oct 12, 2007, 10:51 pm
#6
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You can get the bereavement discount afterwards... that seems to be a good way to get around the EQM issue.
Oct 13, 2007, 6:08 am
#7
Join Date: Apr 2007
Location: nyc
Programs: CO Plat & MP 1K
Posts: 870
Come on, I think the question and the request is perfectly reasonable. Sometimes focusing on things like this is good for bereavement and not focusing on the tragedy. I would call Continental.com support and see if they can fix it to 100% EQM.
Oct 13, 2007, 10:23 am
#8
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Only in this forum would it be considered reasonable. If it weren't for the arcane details, the OP's posting would probably show up in the "shocking but true" sections that many newspapers have in their online versions to generate eyeballs.
Oct 13, 2007, 1:22 pm
#10
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Oct 13, 2007, 3:49 pm
#11
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Location: Southern, CA, USA
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That sounds like CO all the way. The planes are full and they are in the drivers seat. They couldnt be more chinsey in your case
Oct 13, 2007, 5:04 pm
#12
Join Date: Feb 2000
Location: New York, NY, USA
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The whole bereavement thing exists only for PR reasons. The airline couldn't care less. On the day my mother died two years ago I paid for a first class ticket EWR-DFW, was denied boarding, treated like s**t by an evil b**ch at EWR, sat in the airport for hours and then in coach and never got a refund for the difference between first and coach. That experience pretty much eliminated the strong loyalty I had had to CO. Worrying about EQMs seems quite irrelevant during a time of grief.
Oct 14, 2007, 12:56 am
#13
Join Date: Mar 2006
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If you read my other posts about CO, you will quickly realize that I am far from the typical CO apologist that frequently posts on this site. But the OP's question, IMHO, totally exceeded the bounds of good taste, that even I was taken aback.
If you don't like CO's chinsey bereavement policy, then buy your own seat in H class on their website and get 150% EQMs. Perhaps if more people close to you die, you might actually make Platinum before the year's out...
Oct 14, 2007, 1:06 am
#14
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Now, now...go easy on the boy. He spent a couple years here just whining about platinums and upgrades. Now he's branching out a bit, trying to contribute to the discussion, and testing the waters. Sure he gets in too deep once in a while. But the young lad will be a stronger man down the road. Cut the boy some slack. 
Oct 14, 2007, 1:23 am
#15
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Now, now...go easy on the boy. He spent a couple years here just whining about platinums and upgrades. Now he's branching out a bit, trying to contribute to the discussion, and testing the waters. Sure he gets in too deep once in a while. But the young lad will be a stronger man down the road. Cut the boy some slack.