2008 OnePass Program Changes
 

Hi Everyone, although these aren't yet available at continental.com, there are some upcoming OnePass changes that we want to make sure you're aware of.

Effective Dec. 1, 2007:

• The 500 bonus miles for booking at continental.com will no longer apply to customers with a U.S. address effective Dec. 1, 2007

Below are the OnePass program updates that will be effective Feb. 1, 2008:

• Standard Rewards will be renamed "SaverPass" rewards (no difference in availability, just a name change)
  
  
• Continental Airlines and OnePass will reserve the right to change any aspect of the OnePass program at any time within 30 days' notice to active members (previously, 60 days were required)
  
  
• First Class reward mileage requirements will be changing for travel within or between the 48 contiguous U.S., Alaska and Canada. SaverPass rewards will increase to 50,000 miles from 45,000, and EasyPass rewards will require 100,000 miles instead of 90,000
  
  
• We will not be making any changes to the availability of our EasyPass rewards, however, some EasyPass BusinessFirst reward levels will change. Specifically, between North America and the following regions will increase:
  • Asia (series 4) will increase to 300,000 miles from 250,000
    
  • India/Africa/Middle East (series 10) will increase to 300,000 miles from 250,000
    
  • Southern South America (series 5a) will increase to 250,000 miles from 180,000

Changes to reward amounts will be apply to redemptions on or after Feb. 1, 2008. Tickets issued before Feb, 1, 2008, regardless of travel dates, will be honored at the lower reward amounts.

:td: But at least from then on - when I book two tickets I will now always book them in one record, get companion seat assignment in exit rows, then later split the record before EUA.

This might also cause me to look more closely at other booking vehicles, ie mixing airlines on out and return if I can get a better fare. I will be looking more at Orbitz now.

is 10B staying @ 250k?

This might be part of the simplification that CO spoke about at the DO. Maybe 10B goes away.

I know you're just the messenger, and thanks for spreading the news, but...

:td: :td: :td:

:td: One can only wonder how long until American FF programs are "enhanced" by eliminating these frivolous "saver" awards. Calling them "savers" sends a strong signal that the airline views these as an extra-special treat which any frequent flyer should be overjoyed to have the chance at (perhaps once in a lifetime or so). Perhaps 787 and new BF rollout will coincide with all TATL BF rewards costing 500,000 or so mi.

Meh. I don't redeem for domestic F, so...

Why make changes when 20% inflation will do? Ordinarily, I wouldn't care, as I don't redeem Sleazypass. However, with the signals being sent regarding "saver" rewards, this may be the future of nonepass redemption.

Perhaps I'm being overly negative. However, there's not much to get excited about, is there? Oooh, ooh, I know... They didn't make enhancements that suck quite as bad as Delta's! :td:

Holy mackerel! A 20% reduction in value? Ouch! :td: With the BOS club closing and now this, CO seems to be doing all they can to drive me away. :mad:

I do not have a problem with the name change. Most others use the term "saver" in the name - so CO is just aligning with others. A name is just a name (at least for now).

I'm so going to punish CO's insolence at the PC and in the pointy end of the aircraft in just a few hours.

The FA's Bombay-pouring skills had better be up to snuff...IAH-DFW's not a long flight. :p :D

I actually like the name change. For those casual flyers who don't know much about FF program or come to FT, finally they know that it's 50K roundtrip to get a domestic flight on the day they want. It's not 20K like 20 years ago, and not 25K like 15 years ago. It's 50K. And 70K to Hawaii, not 35K.

Maybe that will cut down on first timers coming here (or other forums) and ask/whine about why they can't get a ticket to Hawaii after finally saving up 35K miles for the past 5 years...

The sky is falling and the fourth horseman just appeared outside my office window.

Yes, entropy, EasyPass for series 10B (to/from Tel Aviv) will remain at 250,000 miles.

Bear in mind, Anglo Large Clawed Otter, the 'Program Changes' are only the bad news (which we're required by our own terms and conditions to announce in advance). As you've heard from the DO, we have a number of positive changes in the works (like priority standby for Elites), we're just not going to publicly announce them until they're live.

Thanks for the heads up at least.

So my CO address is to be domiciled outside of the US in order to get the online booking bonus? If so, ok then. (I don't have a CO credit card attached to the account anyway.)

The bizarre thing is the reduction of notice to do program changes from 60 days to 30 days. There must be a context of some sort to it.

I do have an issue with it -- it's marketing staging for a preemptive attack. ;)

Gee -- I wonder how many EasyPass awards to Asia, India/Africa/Middle East and Southern South America you've redeemed lately? :confused:

This certainly seems fare, I mean fair, especially compared to the lack of little to almost no notice of changes that have recently been made by other FF programs. I don't know what the people in ATL are thinking concerning come of the changes they have made.

^^^ For most of us here, I see little impact with the changes. We liked what used to be 1,500 bonus miles for co.com booking and OLCI - which dropped to 500. So no big deal. But as I stated above - many of us will starting looking around - at least for U+ fares on Orbitz, etc. which can mix airlines with no penalty.

Most of us here do not book EasyPass awards anyway. I would buy a coach ticket before I ever redeemed EasyPass if I had to travel.

From the last thread: Hi GUWonder, below is a list of OnePass participants who offer last-seat and expanded availability for EasyPass rewards.

• Continental/Continental Express/Continental Micronesia - last-seat availability
  
  
• Copa/Aero República - last-seat availability
  
  
• Northwest/Northwest Airlink - last-seat availability except for World Business Class, which has expanded availability
  
  
• KLM - expanded availability

Thanks for confirming what I thought was the case.

Speaking of changes.. Last week I heard the words that I've long dreaded but knew would eventually come. After booking 2 QF J-awards, the agent congratulated me on finding two seats and said I was 'lucky that I booked now, because next year the price is going up -- SIGNIFICANTLY'. :td:

Can you share with us how much is 'significant'???

The only sure thing about DL Management is that when given a decision to make, you can count on them to make the wrong choice.

ALSO
I've always believed that frequent flyers overestimate the value of their/our miles while the airlines underestimate the value (in terms of customer loyalty).

Hi Wx4caster, we're still formalizing the details, but yes they will be changing. What I can say is that the cost to Continental for these rewards has increased significantly, and this unfortunately will have be reflected in the reward amounts. On a positive note, the process to book these rewards will improve. At the time the change is implemented, all of our frontline agents will have the ability to book Qantas rewards in real time (as opposed to having to make a request and having to wait for the response).

The sky is slowly returning to its upright and locked position, helped by the fact that the fourth horseman just managed to buy me a glass of premium wine in a relatively uncrowded IAH PC...all with a credit-card, no less. ;)

The histrionics were a good bit of fun at close-of-business on a Friday, though. I had to get myself worked up for the expected denial-of-upgrade schpiel at the W Dallas Victory later this evening :p

IMO, CO laid a great walloping egg dropping the online booking bonus, though. That's over 15,000 RDMs to my bottom line each year.

Agents can see availability - and based on my experience - CO frontline agents got prompt response and could lock in real quick.

While I don't necessarily like these changes, CO Insider deserves credit for posting them in advance, and without any spin. These are changes, here they are, straight up.

Thanks for being up front with us! ^

Like many of the others said, these changes will not really affect me personally, but it would be such a nice change to have an improvement added as opposed to year in and year out downgrades to the program.

as a relative newbie to this co forum, i've gotta say i'm impressed with continental's willingness to share the info beforehand, (thanks, CO Insider) rather than leaving its most loyal flyers guessing. there's bad news all right, but i'm willing to believe there's good news coming at some point also.

it's a pity that the 500 mile bonus is going away for booking online, but i suppose that frees us all up to book wherever's cheapest.

really, i'm impressed with the transparency...i'm taking advantage of my status match (waiting for the credentials to change my profile to co plat) and it does seem that continental is willing to be upfront about changes, even the ones that aren't going to be well-received, which is a nice switch from what i'm used to at ua.

So glad that the process to book these rewards will improve, unfortunately since the mileage amounts will be inflated and CO is too cheap to even give you a 500 mile online booking bonus anymore, you won't have the miles to book the award. Don’t worry though, just like our 50% EQM on discount fares this is really a good deal for you guys....really its good deal.

Co is starting to act like Delta ( Ill never fly Delta ever)
The booking bonus was a nice "perk" I guess it was killing Co to have to give something for loyalty

Yes - back in the old days - before Internet, I used to anxiously wait for my new Elite OnePass card to arrive by mail each year and the associated enhanced benefits that were announced in the members guide that year. Just like a kid waiting for Christmas morning - each year brought enhancements (and this was before the FT term ENHANCED had any meaning).

So I guess you get as excited as I do by those priceless drink tickets and the other worthless crap included with your new card every year.

I think that with other airlines dropping this CO no longer sees offering it as a competitive necessity. Also, CO will offer bonuses, etc. if it thinks that by doing so it can get people to act a certain way. The number of CO.com bookings has clearly increased (for a variety of reasons, this promo probably being one of them). I guess they don't feel they need to entice people with this offer because it doesn't change behaviour as much as it once did.

No big surprise here. After DL did away with the online booking bonus, I knew this was coming. The only surprise is that they waited "so long".

My typical flight IAH-LBB is pretty much the same price across the board but I will miss the 500 mile online booking bonus. This takes about 12,500 miles/year away from me:mad:. Just please dont take my .com specials away for the Sat-Mon trip to Lubbock at 1/2 cost.

In those days - we got special gifts - gold or chrome luggage tags, but the big excitement was new Elite Perks - like the companion upgrades, the lower Elite qualifications from 60/40/20 down to 50/35/20. Of course this was before ENHANCEMENTS like elimination of the two person reward level, increase to 75/50/25, elimination of top tier special EasyPass type reward only a few miles more, etc.

Of course at other airlines (names redacted to protect the innocent) there is FAR more availability of "Standard" or "SaverPass" awards which means you don't need 50K miles for a domestic round-trip.

Greg

Namely because CO kicks you in the groin for EQM purposes if you purchase a discount fare from someplace other than www.continental.com.

I'm not sure I'd agree...with Richard running the place these days I'd bet with them (unfortunately)...he's very customer focused (we definately miss him at NWA)....

Soc

PS I can't wait until he's running NorthDeltaEntal Air)

nice perk yes...realistic today no...what other major airline is still giving this bonus? It was a tool to get ppl to book at co.com where the distribution costs are the lowest...it's served it's purpose and as other airlines have done it can go away

xyzzy, I don’t disagree with you that the online booking bonus is something that most of CO competitors no longer offer, my problem with CO is they are very quick to take away a benefit that competitors no longer offer and not a competitive necessity anymore, not so quick to match benefits that other airlines have (i.e. SWU) and when they do, its some half assed version of the competitions program.

I can't wait to see how they handle the million mile recognition, they are now trying to determine “exactly” how many miles we have all flown. to accurately accomplish this, CO is consulting with NASA to determine the exact speed of the Earth's rotation and factor that in to the equation to make sure they can adjust down your actual miles flown to "protect the integrity" of the million mile recognition.