Question & Issues You Want Answered and Addressed at DO IV
Jan 19, 2009, 2:44 pm
#1
Original Poster
Join Date: Oct 2004
Location: Clinging to the edifices of a decadent past from the biggest city in America nobody really cares about.
Programs: (ಠ_ಠ)
Posts: 9,077
Question & Issues You Want Answered and Addressed at DO IV
Okay everyone here's a rough draft of comments through post 175.
Continental.com & Customer Technology
No excuses please, SHARES needs a better front end interface at the airport.
Will we see logical codeshares (or in other words will co.com start to actively promote smart codeshares to markets CO does not directly serve)
Trip Alert SMS when landing with an update on the connecting flight information (if applicable.)
...and speaking of trip alert, when will CO update their trip alert notification to include all delays/gate changes/etc. in a timely manner and allow GA's to push out trip alerts when the status of a flight quickly changes?
When will CO start filling the middle seats in Y from the back to the front rather than from the front to the back?
Automated phone system does not respond to all touch-tone phones - can CO do anything to improve this?
Hub Airports & Customer CareWill we see logical codeshares (or in other words will co.com start to actively promote smart codeshares to markets CO does not directly serve)
Trip Alert SMS when landing with an update on the connecting flight information (if applicable.)
...and speaking of trip alert, when will CO update their trip alert notification to include all delays/gate changes/etc. in a timely manner and allow GA's to push out trip alerts when the status of a flight quickly changes?
When will CO start filling the middle seats in Y from the back to the front rather than from the front to the back?
Automated phone system does not respond to all touch-tone phones - can CO do anything to improve this?
Why eliminate the free standby at the airport?
The Same Day Confirmed fee (SDC) backfires at EWR; consider modifying the policy to be more adaptable (more info)
Irregular operations are still a disgrace
Why does CO (re)classify delays as "weather" and "force majure" events when they are clearly not?
What airlines are considered when a CO flight goes mechanical and a customer must be rebooked?
What are the long term plans for CLE?
EWR
OnePass & Alliances:The Same Day Confirmed fee (SDC) backfires at EWR; consider modifying the policy to be more adaptable (more info)
Irregular operations are still a disgrace
Why does CO (re)classify delays as "weather" and "force majure" events when they are clearly not?
What airlines are considered when a CO flight goes mechanical and a customer must be rebooked?
What are the long term plans for CLE?
- FIS facility?
- FRA service?
- President's Club in D concourse?
EWR
- Improving but still faces challenges
- Better vendors in C
- Way better vendors at A
- Security lines at EWR: better enforcement and the possible introduction of CLEAR?
Fees
Star/SkyTeam Alliance & Awards
the Elite Tiers & Qualification
Upgrades
Shop OnePass
Product & Routes:- $150 to change redeposit combined with spotty availability makes it hard to book an award without being dinged this fee.
- Why are Silvers and Golds charged the same fee a non-elite pays.
- Why are Plats charged a close in booking fee - especially when other top tiers do not?
- Consider offering a "fee waiver" for every xx,000 miles a customer flies
Star/SkyTeam Alliance & Awards
- Will CO Gold = *A Gold?
- Join date?
- When does mileage collection and redemption on star partners start?
- When does mileage collection and redemption on sky partners end?
- Will CO elites be able to book into E+?
- Will UA or other *A elites gain access to the exit rows on CO?
- How does CO release award seats; is there any set metric that can guarantee an award seat on a flight (i.e. book 330 days out)
- Will CO block access to partner awards?
- What benefits will *A elites have access to when flying on CO?
the Elite Tiers & Qualification
- Platinum qualification: will it stay at 75k or will we see the threshold increase?
- Plat vs. Gold differentiation: there's not much there.
- Will we see additional options for elite qualification (TATL points?)
- Similar waiver for online ticket purchases for united.com tickets given the closer nature of CO's agreement?
- Million Miler Program: Consider an option for qualification that awards longevity as well as brute mileage flown. (e.g. xx years at top status = MM)
- Why not MM at 1,000 segments?
- OnePass currently lacks and needs recognition for high-revenue customers
- EUA seems to randomly select upgraded seat assignments and disregard customer preferences - is there any way to amend this?
Upgrades
- Will the CO system (EUAs) remain or will there be a shift to an instrument based system?
- When will the reciprocal NW/CO upgrades end?
- Reasonable and logical options and/or special benefits for Platinums attempting to upgrade in BF markets? (i.e. break/rebate on upgrade fees, x amount of fee waivers, etc.)
- Retool the way Y/Bups are processed; still give priority to the high fares but also be more cognizant of status (see Steve Gadfly for specifics)
Shop OnePass
- No means to verify if there is a record of you using the program
- The new 6-8 week delay in posting of miles after CO receives the report from the merchant in the event of "returns"
- Having to print out a missing miles document, attaching all the receipts and mailing it in.
- No means to find out if they received the package
- A wait of another 4-8 weeks for the merchant to respond.
Routes: MUC, DXB, PVG (any new route specials coming up?)
Lounge Access Options
Lack of transcon inventory - does CO care they can't meet demand F seats?
Inflight ATC communications was promised; what's the status on this?
E+ will it come?
...and on that note have the execs ever flown transpac in Y? Seriously?
Buy-on-board as an option/supplement to current options (i.e. offer customers the ability to pre-purchase upgraded meal for long-haul flights)
Petsafe: expensive fees
Price gouging in markets without competition
BF retrofit schedule
Baggage Fees
CHQ/XJET: plans for the future? Will flights increase/decrease. Do customers notice a difference
Why was participation in the AMEX 2 for 1 program not renewed?
Lounge Access Options
- How long will the NW/DL lounge reciprocity remain?
- When will the UA lounges become accessible to President Club members? (and vice versa?)
- What's the fate of the ORD PC?
- Potential airports for future and/or improved PCs? (with special note to)
- The old BWI RCC: can it be reopened as a PC - especially as how it can serve both UA and CO passengers easily
- With the UA/CO gear up can the LAX lounge have showers added?
- How will the US lounges play into this?
Lack of transcon inventory - does CO care they can't meet demand F seats?
Inflight ATC communications was promised; what's the status on this?
E+ will it come?
...and on that note have the execs ever flown transpac in Y? Seriously?
Buy-on-board as an option/supplement to current options (i.e. offer customers the ability to pre-purchase upgraded meal for long-haul flights)
Petsafe: expensive fees
Price gouging in markets without competition
BF retrofit schedule
- How does 767 fit into this with the 787 delays?
- Estimated time frame for 777, 757 retrofits?
Baggage Fees
- Did CO consider the lack of charging a baggage fee dilutive?
- Enforcement of baggage fees backs up the gate and fills the overhead bins
CHQ/XJET: plans for the future? Will flights increase/decrease. Do customers notice a difference
Why was participation in the AMEX 2 for 1 program not renewed?
Last edited by J.Edward; Feb 5, 2009 at 12:05 pm
Jan 19, 2009, 2:45 pm
#2
Original Poster
Join Date: Oct 2004
Location: Clinging to the edifices of a decadent past from the biggest city in America nobody really cares about.
Programs: (ಠ_ಠ)
Posts: 9,077
General Answers (expect this to trickle in after Saturday)
Continental.com & Customer Technology
:-:
Hub Airports & Customer Care:-:
OnePass & Alliances::-:
Product & Routes::-:
Last edited by J.Edward; Feb 5, 2009 at 11:53 am
Jan 19, 2009, 2:46 pm
#3
Original Poster
Join Date: Oct 2004
Location: Clinging to the edifices of a decadent past from the biggest city in America nobody really cares about.
Programs: (ಠ_ಠ)
Posts: 9,077
Polls gone wild!
Last edited by J.Edward; Feb 6, 2009 at 7:24 am
Jan 19, 2009, 2:49 pm
#4
FlyerTalk Evangelist, Ambassador: World of Hyatt
Join Date: Jul 2001
Location: NJ
Programs: Hyatt Globalist, Fairmont Lifetime Plat, UA Silver, dirt elsewhere
Posts: 46,919
I was waiting for this 
The number 1 issue for me is the $150 award mileage redeposit fee, particularly when combined spotty award availability.
It becomes very expensive to book whatever is available and then change if something opens up.
The number 1 issue for me is the $150 award mileage redeposit fee, particularly when combined spotty award availability.
It becomes very expensive to book whatever is available and then change if something opens up.
Jan 19, 2009, 3:03 pm
#5
Join Date: Apr 1999
Location: Homosassa, FL & Ringwood, NJ -UA-G(Lifetime); SPG-Plat (Lifetime)
Posts: 6,120
Extortionary in-cabin pet fees! 2 cats X $125 ea way =$500 RT. It does not sit well when our seats are less than $125 ea way.
Jan 19, 2009, 3:04 pm
#6
FlyerTalk Evangelist
Join Date: Jun 2003
Location: DEN
Programs: UA MM Plat; AA MM Gold; HHonors Diamond
Posts: 15,866
All things *A related...
Jan 19, 2009, 3:10 pm
#7
FlyerTalk Evangelist
Join Date: Aug 2005
Location: DCA
Programs: Kommissar Giga-Posting Direktor, PWP; Fasano Nouveau Aristocrat; CO Platinum; BD Gold; MR Gold
Posts: 18,733
Whether there are any medium or long-term plans to raise the Plat threshold to 100k.
Jan 19, 2009, 3:22 pm
#8
A FlyerTalk Posting Legend
Join Date: Sep 2002
Location: LAX/TPE
Programs: United 1K, JAL Sapphire, SPG Lifetime Platinum, National Executive Elite, Hertz PC, Avis PC
Posts: 42,165
Why is CO aligning to UA, instead of the other way around? What are their real plans for the upgrade model going forward?
Will we end up like AA with SWUs and free domestic upgrades for 100K top tiers, but certs for everyone else?
Will we end up like AA with SWUs and free domestic upgrades for 100K top tiers, but certs for everyone else?
Jan 19, 2009, 3:23 pm
#9
Join Date: Dec 2006
Location: SJO
Programs: CO Gold
Posts: 1,229
I want to know why , I as a gold/silver , pay the same change fee for a change in a reward ticket as a non-elite member, you want us to pay a fee, thats fine, but shouldnt it be LESS than what a non-elite pays?
all good/bad things factored in, I may consider getting lowest tier on both CO and other airline (DL here I go) if I have such costs to redeem my miles (Which keep getting devaluated all the time, and yes I know skymiles are like zimbawean dollars LOL)
all good/bad things factored in, I may consider getting lowest tier on both CO and other airline (DL here I go) if I have such costs to redeem my miles (Which keep getting devaluated all the time, and yes I know skymiles are like zimbawean dollars LOL)
Jan 19, 2009, 3:26 pm
#10
Join Date: Sep 2006
Location: CLE
Programs: CO Gold - 1MM, IC Plat, Hertz PC
Posts: 1,644
- Long Term Plans for CLE, including the hub's future after *A and the moving of the Intl Customs area to term C?
- Intl Upgrade fees, will they ever be removed?
- A mini PC for the CLE D Concourse?
Jan 19, 2009, 3:27 pm
#11
Join Date: May 2003
Location: At This Point, Only G*d Knows!
Posts: 3,467
Are we going to see the same Award re-deposit fee that DL/NW just introduced for their top tier elites?
Dan
Dan
Jan 19, 2009, 3:32 pm
#12
Join Date: Jun 2005
Location: AUS
Programs: AA Exec Platinum/MM, DL Gold/MM, Hilton Diamond, Accor Platinum, Hertz Presidents Circle
Posts: 6,960
A couple of questions related to exit from Skyteam and the relationship to NW:
1. When will reciprocal upgrades end?
2. When will reciprocal lounge access end?
3. How long will NW members be able to earn miles on CO flights (and vice versa)?
And ditto on the award redeposit fee question for plats. That's what's driving me away from NW/DL into CO's arms. I hope DL miscalculated and that they're not the start of a trend.
1. When will reciprocal upgrades end?
2. When will reciprocal lounge access end?
3. How long will NW members be able to earn miles on CO flights (and vice versa)?
And ditto on the award redeposit fee question for plats. That's what's driving me away from NW/DL into CO's arms. I hope DL miscalculated and that they're not the start of a trend.
Jan 19, 2009, 3:48 pm
#13
Join Date: May 2008
Location: PTY
Programs: Onepass
Posts: 213
Details regarding:
1. When will CO join *A?
2. Will we be able to collect/redeem miles on *A airlines before CO moves to *A?
3. Updates on the NEW BusinessFirst- when will the retrofits start? When will CO receive the new 777s? Will the remaining 4 777s (a total order of 6) be 200ERS or another variant?
1. When will CO join *A?
2. Will we be able to collect/redeem miles on *A airlines before CO moves to *A?
3. Updates on the NEW BusinessFirst- when will the retrofits start? When will CO receive the new 777s? Will the remaining 4 777s (a total order of 6) be 200ERS or another variant?
Jan 19, 2009, 3:51 pm
#14
FlyerTalk Evangelist
Join Date: Jan 2006
Location: Half the distance to EWR than PHL.
Programs: UA, AA, B6, BA, Hilton, Hyatt, Marriott, IHG, SPG
Posts: 11,695
1) Many people who are not eligable for a free 1st checked bag have verbally said they don't like the nickle and diming of the passengers. Is there a noticable drop in these travelers compared to the very few airlines that do not charge for the 1st checked bag? (keep in mind without the non one-pass/skyteam elites we'd be flying in a lot of ERJ's and the occasional 735 on domestic routes if they all disappeared)
2) Landside EWR still has its challenges. Any hope for improvement?
2) Landside EWR still has its challenges. Any hope for improvement?
Jan 19, 2009, 4:03 pm
#15
Join Date: May 2007
Location: CLE
Programs: OnePass Platinum, Starwood Platinum, Avis First, Hilton Silver, Marriott Platinum
Posts: 2,751
I'd like to hear about the plans for COEX - will XJT flights increase or decrease; CHQ's future, etc.
What is the overall satisfaction with XJT and CHQ - is there a true difference? If so, what is being done to bring them (ok, especially CHQ) up to CO standards and keep them there.
I'd also love to find out why there are no mainline flights between CLE-ORD and if there is any plan for that.
Thanks!
What is the overall satisfaction with XJT and CHQ - is there a true difference? If so, what is being done to bring them (ok, especially CHQ) up to CO standards and keep them there.
I'd also love to find out why there are no mainline flights between CLE-ORD and if there is any plan for that.
Thanks!