Yet another incentive to become Gold again, after a year as a Silver.

Sounds like music to my ears, since all my travel purchases must always go through a travel agent.

Thank you, Scott.

Overall, I'm happy to see the program revamped and some fees removed. For myself though, I can't say I've been really affected by any of fees in the past, and I've always been Platinum. As a HI resident, I'm disappointed to see Hawaii redemption awards increasing to 40k (coach) / 80k (BF).:td:

The extra 5000 points is what I used to get as a Platinum bonus for flying just two RT EWR trips. (125%). But that's gone too. So it's more difficult to get the same number of miles now, and it requires more to use the fewer I've accumulated. I wish we could go back to 2008.

It's like when you get your driver's license: for the first few months, you still remember what it was like to walk, or take public transportation ;-)
It goes away fast, I'm told!!!

Indeed, the RTW prices are great on CO. Currently they offer 6 stops, 3 in any one region. But I think that is a wacky SkyTeam thing. I believe that *A RTWs are 16 segments no matter what.

We are most definitely going to need a FAQ to answer questions about how CO members book reward tickets on specific *A carriers.

And of course, a thread about *A upgrade experiences, once it all goes live.

Thanks for the info, however at least with UA, RTW award only allows 5 stopovers and maximum 10 segments. 16 segments (open jaw included) are for paid *A RTW only. Also UA/US RTW award is 200k/300k/400k Y/C/F.

I haven't had time to fully digest this information (or to read the 9 pages of replies), but am I understanding this correctly: on paid BusinessFirst tickets, the OnePass miles earned has dropped from 150% to 125%? So, I pay several times the price for a ticket, and the corresponding bonus is only a fraction of that differential? Really, I always felt 150% was too low.

I am sure there are positive changes here, but this one jumped out at me.

Are awards still available on Qantas and did redemption rates change?

CO Insider -- can you confirm this? I'm PLT through next year and have found the flexibility to freely change or redeposit reward reservations for my entire family to be one of the best benefits for me. If I book reward travel from my PLT account and then change it, nobody pays a fee even if the other passengers are not elite? While xyzzy's views make sense to me, the policy as written doesn't clearly say that charges for each passenger are based solely on the booking account's elite status.

QF rewards are still available. The reward chart for QF was outside of the Skyteam chart - so it would be outside of *A chart.

US had QF rewards while they were *A, but eventually QF went out of US.

My guess is that QF rewards will remain for some time in Onepass after CO joins *A - in case UA makes any changes in their flying to Australia. Later I suspect they will go away.

Scott already confirmed this.

Just wanted to add my 2 cents and overall I too am very pleased with the "enhancements." ;):D

Quick question for CO Insider, will CO continue the practice of pseudo selling seats in front-cabins on award tickets but not deliver?

Sweet!^^

I am now even happier that I matched to CO last year and already requalified as Plat for next year.

I had some qualms about it due to 50% EQM and a likelihood that I'll need to start booking on Orbitz for Business. This solves that problem. Also really appreciate the clear award chart, the free SDC for Plats and reduced fees.

For family members whose travel I influence, who travel much less than I but are in reach of lower-level status, this makes CO a more likely recommend for them also. My college-age son already made Silver this year, and this makes it likely that MrsXS and MsXS will do more travel on CO and partners as well.

I could probably find some nitpicks but I don't care to. Overall this is really great. Thank you CO!

Lurking in from UA forum, the changes are significant, and mostly positive. The biggest one is full EQM on all fare, including discounted fares. That was one of the reasons for me to hold back on fully switching over to CO, especially as an NY airport based UA flyer.

If only CO has UA's p.s.-like service.. sigh.

1.5 EQS for high dollar fares?!?! :mad::mad:It'll be very hard for my father and I to make Platinum next year. Other than that, the changes are welcomed.

I might just do the same, and switch to my US address.

With these recent changes, exclusion from mileathon promos etc., it seems CO no longer wishes to attract overseas elites.

Frankly, a 500 mile bonus on a 10,000 - 15,000 mile round trip is insignificant - especially on a BF fare.

Although I have flown 26 times across the pond with CO in the last 12 months, and generally enjoyed the experience, I may just switch to VS, maybe even BA.

Sorry guys.

i recall seeing ANA flight at KIX from SZX. not sure about NRT. but it is highly possible since tokyo is the biggest city in japan.
it is strange that HK is in south asia when szx is in north asia.

I just got the email on this - the 100% base is a very welcome change.

All I want to know next is whether CO will engage in starnet blocking like UA, and then it's very very tempting to switch over. I always did enjoy *A, just not US. ;)

Thanks. I missed it. Really happy to hear this.

They have publicly stated several times that they have no intention of doing so. Only time will tell in reality.

Sorry, I didn't mean to intentionally leave Qantas out of my original communication. The short answer is that the rewards we offer on both Qantas and Eva Air are indeed isolated in their own reward charts and will need to be booked directly with our International Airline Partner Desk at 800.344.3333. As many of you have predicted, our partnership with Qantas likely change or end shortly after we enter Star Alliance. These details are not yet finalized, hence no announcement.

Hi belynch, love the loaded question, and I know you've been talking this up here and with my colleagues in Customer Care. When booking a front cabin reward ticket, you should expect to travel in the cabin in which you're confirmed. If you're unable to confirm front cabin space on all legs of your itinerary, then we'll allow you to waitlist on Continental flights as a courtesy, and even stand by at the airport if you had previously waitlisted. With BusinessFirst travel rewards, we'll even refund the difference in miles if the BusinessFirst segment doesn't clear (regardless of whether your non-BusinessFirst segments did). The process is working well, and we're seeing numerous reward customers getting into the front cabin that weren't before. However, in markets where we also offer complimentary Elite upgrades, we've identified a case where our Elite upgrades are being handled ahead of previously-waitlisted customers by our Elite Upgrade Automation. Our choices are to either discontinue reward standby in these markets (like before mid-2008) or to live with this imbalance temporarily until our EUA can be expanded to account for these customers. To us, going with the latter is a no-brainer, but the solution is complicated and is waiting its place in queue to be developed. We're all for doing the right thing, but in a year where we're making an unprecedented alliance switch, it's in competition with some other non-negotiable priorities.

Scott,

Thanks for the information about Elite qualification levels staying the same, which you had stated earlier in the year that they would.

My last question then is, will there be a new higher 4th tier at about 100k?

NH doesn't fly to SZX as far as I know. It is codeshare with CA. The only non FM/CA fly into SZX is OZ. NH do have a daily flight from NRT-CAN, but that is a bit out of the way if your ultimate destination is HKG.

^^ Fantastic changes indeed - kudos Scott and OP Team ^

While I'll always have fond memories of QF F flights from years ago, I haven't seen the point of QF awards ever since they doubled or even tripled in price. So, I suppose it won't be a huge loss if QF awards are cut. Will just have to prepare myself for the thought of 14 hours on UA - but at 160,000 for F compared to 300k+ for QF, it's a no-brainer.

Speaking of Australia, If I read the chart correctly, the *** notation for Oceania implies that CO Micronesia flights to Australia (CNS) are at the lower Oceania rate vs. the Australia rate, which I assume applies to all other *A carriers. However, down the in the region definitions, Oceania mentions pretty much mentions all CoMike destinations except CNS. If my interpretation above is corrected, you may want to add CNS (* if serviced by CoMike) to the Oceania definiton.

The *A awards seem to be worse compared to US.

http://www.usairways.com/common/reso...wardtravel.pdf

They do, however, seem to be very well aligned with UA's.

http://content.united.com/ual/asset/...pace_chart.pdf

It's UA new F, so how bad can it be?

But what about NZ in J? If you can deal with the stop in AKL, that is a fantastic J product.

Ouch...big jump in Australia award miles. I know most of these changes are positives for Plats, but as a lowly first time Silver, the upped rewards are a killer. Oh well, guess that means I'll just have to find some more reasons to fly.

Good news from CO across the board today! Thanks!

I think I like these all, except the no more miles with Emirates. Mainly because I booked some signficant Emirates travel in early November, sigh. Wish I'd seen that one coming. :(

My favorite and most important to me is the simplified award chart. :p

Scott - Can't believe it took switching alliances for you guys to get that thing straightened out! :p

In all seriousness, this all looks great but I do have one question:

Will Presidential Plus cardmembers continue to earn a 25% premium on RDM's?

Same for me as a Plat though with 120K so far expecting now 175-200k with DEQM, why go for plat when GE is the same in *A for Intl travel. We discussed this in another thread so no need for anyone to reply, its my particular travel habits.

But we have EWR and ....well EWR. :eek:

I have also heard this at the DO and it seems to me CO will not go that route, time will tell but my money is on no *net blocking.

Kudos to CO Insider for stopping back a few times today to answer questions on the improvements to OP, we all know that he is extremely busy yet he stopped back 3-4 times today to reply. I see that in another unnamed forum, that an Insider there posts then comes back weeks later, some of the members are quite upset at that and even his presentation of the changes. Keep up the great work Scott, we really appreciate the presence that you bring here on FT. We may not get everything changed the way we want it but at least we know that CO is listening to the population out here. My 2 cents, Kudos dude.

Overall, the changes look positive. The biggest negative, will be the Emirates loss. I booked a F flight earlier this year, for December, and counted on that flight to put me over the hump to retain Platinum. :(

I can say it is quite refreshing to have a reasonable discussion with an airline representative. No hit and run PR announcements, and changes that are mainly positive for elite members.

You're only losing EQMs, and those were only on the 5 flights anyways. It is a loss, but not a huge one IMO.
Well, the DEQMs on your connecting flights might make up for it. :-:

Fantastic, Scott! Rumor has it that we are about to switch to a travel agency for all corporate bookings, and I was already mourning kissing Plat goodbye. I'm breathing much easier now.

So far so good...for the most part. I only wish the redemption chart resembled US more than it does UA. (Now that's the only thing I think that is enviable over at US :D)


Be careful what you wish for.....a new higher tier might look like the 'old plat' only at a cost of 25K extra EQM :eek: DL elites are experiencing a new Diamond level that looks a lot like their plat of a few years ago.

Well I wish this went in effect last week. I also missed out on the deqm as well.

I have 23k miles. I just flew IAH-CDG (half points) last week. Then I had a flight on AF CAY-CDG for 4400 miles (100% points) on 09-08 (deqm starts 09-09) and then CDG-IAH (no miles) 09-09. Now I am not silver and I have a flight IAH-PHX next week for double miles which would get me silver. Then I have a flight on Saturday on KLM IAH-AMS-OSL. So I hope to get deqm. I need to call and pay the fare difference to get the higher fare class to get the double points on the way back.

I said all that to say, I am so happy that I can get 100% miles on the cheap tickets and not booking through co.com because my company uses Griffin Travel. Ugh!!!

You will not. It is CO/CS/CM/CoEx/CoCo only.

That makes me feel better about the AF flight that I had on 09/08. LoL!!! I am going to call tomorrow and ask for a bump to silver since I will make it on my next flight on Thursday.

Goodie! I get EQMs on award flights! I must have missed that note on the new features. :)

One thing that I would like to see...but am not holding my breath...is full elite bonus miles on all international flights covered under the ATI. For example, AC's TATL flights earn no RDM bonus...only LH, US and UA flights get the RDM elite bonus on UA MP.

Kind of worthless for CO to be in this big ATI with all the other carriers like AC, BMI, LOT, Swiss, etc and CO elites don't want to take those flights because they'll be hit with no elite RDM's. Skyteam folks aren't used to this ugly reality in Star. I know myself I won't fly TATL if I don't get my MP elite RDM bonus...maybe I'm a minority because I'm such a miles ho--but a lot of you are just as bad ;)

Nothing is more annoying than getting no elite bonus RDM on a long flight