Are you saying that FlyerTalkers are putting on a show or CAL management?

No they don't.

I am incensed that CO has decided it's OK to punish Platinum Elites with poorer benefits.

Add to that substituting RJs for 737s to/from ABQ.
And cutting the late flight from IAH to MCO.

I am now booking my travel with other airlines.
It doesn't matter to me that the service MIGHT not be as good.
CO has punished me for being a loyal and very profitable customer.
So I will punish CO by denying them my money.@:-)

If enough of us do the same, maybe the bean counters will wise up.@:-)

I am disappointed but not surprised by this. After all, Continental is not the lead airline lemming but it is an airline lemming nonetheless.

I just noticed this :
Continental implemented a $25 fee for customers checking a second bag when traveling on Economy fare tickets purchased on or after April 5, 2008 for travel within the 50 U.S., Puerto Rico, U.S. Virgin Islands and Canada.

The $25 fee also applies when traveling on Economy fare tickets purchased on or after May 8, 2008 between Mexico, Bahamas, Caribbean, Central and South America* (excluding Brazil) and the 50 U.S., Puerto Rico, U.S. Virgin Islands and Canada.

Why is Brazil not included ?

Forgive me if this already has been suggested, but I just can't keep up with a thread of this size...

Is it possible that CO created the Million-Miler program in anticipation of these (and, perhaps future) cuts to OnePass benefits? MM status is, by definition, much harder to achieve than Plat status. The logic may be that a disgruntled FF might stay on just to keep inching closer to MM status. Of course, 1MM status is devalued by these latest OP changes, but it's not a worthless program.

Or perhaps there is a 100K/100 EQP tier in the works.

I could support this, depending on the benefits. But, why wait on an announcement? Maybe CO is gauging response to the latest changes, waiting to see if it needs to up the ante? Oh, the conspiracy theories!

Why bother? How much luggage does one really need in Brazil?

It just seems odd thats all .

There are legally binding agreements about number of free pieces and free weight allowance too. The Brazil-specific travel seems to permit 70 lbs per free allowance piece. Isn't it the same for CO flights to/from Brazil? Of course. So CO has to do the same as other airlines under the current arrangement of servicing Brazil.

Still not happy about it and probably will still move on.

Stopped by a friends office this afternoon when in Manny (Manhatten). He wasnt in but an old acquaintance was. We spoke awhile and 1 thing led to the next. I saw him pull out a Chase CO MC and told him about the upcoming 20k more for a free tkt.

He answered me and I couldnt believe what I was hearing.

Basically he happens to have the CO CC but its a 2-1 deal no fee. He told me almost everything over 1m a yr goes onto his AmexGold Biz Card, then he transfers it to CO and cashs in for free tkts, at EasyPass levels!! and doesnt care since its free! To make matters worse he told me he knows tons of people who do the same, especially around the Holiday times when the fares are high.

He said $2300 for a coach tkt or 140k no 2nd thoughts at all, its EasyPass, he also needed 6 tkts and no way could afford $15,000 for tkts. I told him TK via IST was $1300 per person, he said he wasnt interested in a stop. I said yea but you really used 140k instead of paying $1300 not $2300.

I guess CO ran the #s and saw the amount of transfers (Millions) coming in from Amex MR and if they followed the Miles it ended up as EP to TLV. If thats the case then CO wouldnt be able to sell the seats as rev seats, and they make a pretty Buck on the TLV run. So CO ups it by 20k and thusly Amex will pay CO more as more miles will be needed.At 1 cent per mile @ 180k means CO will get $1800 from Amex.

this might not be the last increase if everyone still wont care and will still cash in their Amex pts for CO miles and then do EP to TLV.

Since I dont charge no 1m a yr on my CC it will have an affect on me.

To make matters worse this guy has no status w/CO and flys JB whenever he can and except for the freebe to TLV hardly ever sets foot onto CO.

I dont like it but if this is indeed the reason why CO raised only the Miles to TLV, I cant really blame them

The problems you describe are with EasyPass, yet they raised the price of the Standard (Saver) awards. I'm not following.

If they want to discourage EasyPass, they can raise the price of EasyPass, or restrict it further (they already restricted it somewhat earlier this year).

Sounds to me like they need to start restricting transfers, not raising award levels - everyone is getting punished for a few who choose to push the envelope.

Now that's conflict of interest now isn't it? Transfers = cash in their pockets, why would they want to restrict those?