2010 OnePass Program Changes
 

Hi Everyone, here's a sneak preview of our 2010 OnePass changes, which we'll be broadcasting later today. Hopefully you'll agree that a good many of these changes are actually, dare I say, enhancements!

While most of our 2010 changes actually take effect in 2009, please note their individual effective dates. Here they are:
That’s it for now. I’m sure you have plenty of questions, so let ‘em rip! There’s more goodness to come, but this is all we can talk about for now. Thanks as always for your feedback and tough love. It really does make a difference.

Thanks for the Update
 

Glad to see that someone else is up early working in Houston.

On first glance I would have to agree that the changes are a plus for the program going into 2010.

Thanks for all your efforts CO Insider.

Thanks for sharing! Much appreciated.

Sorry to see that EQ points will drop to 1.5 for Y fares. This will certainly make it harder to requalify plat on points. What will happen to the B fares?

Waiving same day change fees is very nice indeed -thanks- but CO Gold/Plat = Star Gold does reduce the incentive to go for plat again next year....

thanks for the update...

I love #s 2, 4, and 6. Also I like the reward chart, much easier to read that then having to click through all the series on the website in my opinion.

I am curious as to #7, the change from 2 points to 1.5. Earlier in the year I had only 45k EQM with 90ish points until my international travel kicked in, but it was nice making platinum by buying full fare tickets to short destinations on ERJs. One of the biggest benefits of status is EUA but that option isn't even available if you are on an ERJ. If you are on flights often with first class cabins then you are already gaining plenty of EQM and the points don't even matter much. I just don't see the reasoning as to lowering it to 1.5 points when it really only hurts the regional hoppers who receive almost no benefits already if all they fly are ERJs.

If the threshold remains at 90 points, I would see myself buying fewer full fare tickets on regional jets since the main advantage for me would be gone. It would now take 60 full fare flights versus the previous 45. Overall though, I really like the changes.

Thanks for the update! It is appreciated!

Good Morning and thanks for some news to start the day!

Will this also apply to Copa Airlines?

To be clear, Elite Qualification Miles will still earn be earned at 150%?

Am I reading this correctly that being a Platinum is going to be completely fee-free as of October 27? No SDC, no close-in reward and no other fees?

The big down-side is the cut in F/C/D/J earnings. Will Y/B fares also drop to 125% (or 100% :eek:) EQMs? You do not Y will be 1.5 EQPs so it seems that is possible.

And I'm still going through the new reward chart - HI rewards are higher - but I haven't done a full comparison yet. It is wonderfully nice that it is now a single chart for all carriers. ^^ And I'm also quite happy to see that the RTW rewards have stayed close to the same (only Y went up, to 160K) and that the forward cabin on 2-cabin planes (including CO BF and VS UC) is considered a J reward, not an F reward. It is about time.

Thanks for sharing the details!

I get way more value from the waived fees as a Platinum (and will even more since they are dropping even more) than I do out of lounge access on international itineraries. Getting both is quite nice. :cool:

Do this apply to EQMs ?

Forgive me if I've missed a thread, but has anything leaked about the likely perks for CO Elites on UA and US?

This looks positive. Looks like CO has been converging Onepass and UA Mileage Plus benefits and listening to FTers.

Of course, the tiers, mileage levels, and upgrade features are still TBD.

I did hear yesterday (unofficial) that there would be seemless ticketing with Star Alliance and reciprocal upgrades.

No details on what reciprocal upgrades means - domestic? international co-pay + miles compatibility? if domestic - with who UA / US? And what about UA E+?

So some of the big stuff is yet to come. But thanks Scott for getting this info to us.

The upgrade chart is for only CO/CM/CS flights. Does this mean that CO will not be participating in the *A upgrade program? Or even upgrades with their new BFF UA?

Also, there is a typo on the EasyPass page. In the ** details for the routing note via the USA you have the word "included" where you probably mean to have "include." And, if I may, I'd suggest/request that you change that to read "via" rather than "include." I spent a few minutes just now trying to figure out if USAir was more expensive for any particular reason. :o

Maybe that is one of the things that he was not allowed to talk about.

On the net I think these are positive changes for CO (especially the 100% EQM through all channels). The remaining critical question in my mind is what will reciprocity/benefits look like with UA and US?

As usual I am impressed! Thank you CO Insider.
I am intrigued most by this:

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no surprise the new reward chart looks remarkably like uniteds in format and for the most part numbers.

good to see virgin/emirates redrmption remains

plat exemptions much appreciated

IMHO, very positive changes
 

Excellent ^
Excellent ^
Excellent ^
Excellent ^

Wonder what that could mean????????????

Question:

I have a RT Reward ticket to Germany for next May/June 2010.
Outbound on AF to MUC, then MUC to TXL on AF (via CDG), then return from TXL to USA on CO. This was a 50K reward, with one stopover.

The new chart shows 55K for USA-Europe Saverpass.

If I wanted to change a segment - say MUC to TXL on a nonstop LH - do I have to completely reticket and pay the 5k extra miles? Same if I want to change the IAD-CDG-MUC on AF to a non-stop IAD-MUC on LH or UA?

More questions:

1. What is BF considered (First or Business)? I assume Business.

2. What is the time frame for confirming Platinum Elite same day ticket changes for no fee? 24 hours before, anytime before travel? Does same fare class need to be available?

Wow -- that looks good! What happened with Amtrak? There will be no more EQM earning opportunities, but it looks like RDM earning will remain. Will there be any changes to the codeshare arrangements and/or mileage redemption with Amtrak? One could ask similar questions about US Helicopter.

Thanks, Scott! These are good changes, and are greatly appreciated... especially the 100% EQM for corporate travel. Thank you, thank you!!!

^^^

Correct. The chart is pretty explicit on this: "Business Class (includes First Class on two-cabin aircraft)"

And the platinum SDC fee waiver will be at the same time as all other SDCs.

Effective Jan. 1, 2010:
• All members worldwide will earn 125% base miles on F, C, J and D fare classes.
• All members worldwide will earn 1.5 Elite Qualification Points when they purchase and fly in fare classes F, C, J, D, Z, Y and B on flights operated by Continental. :td:

With the loss of earning on EK, does that mean that redemptions are going away as well?

FINALLY an actual awards chart all on one page ^^

Thanks for sharing this and keeping us informed.

I guess the extra 50% EQM bonus for European OnePass members who sit at the pointy end is going away. That's a change from 200% to 125%. Ouch!

EDITED TO CORRECT: I'm not sure whether I read it wrong or it changed above, but RDM will now be 125% and EQM remains at 150%... except for the "worldwide" which takes 50% EQM from those in certain special programs CO ran for those who live outside the US...

In the definition of the classes, the reward chart states:

Business Class (includes First Class on two-cabin aircraft)
First Class (applies only to Star Alliance partner flights that offer both a Business Class and First Class cabin)


So, yes, it sounds like BF is Business.

Wow, I'm very positively impressed. #2 & #6 are the most meaningful to me.

Scott, the only unanswered question is confirmation that the earning levels will remain the same (25 EQM/30 EQP, 50 EQM/60 EQP, 75 EQM/90 EQP).

Good to hear that there's no more complicated chart with redemption miles based on which airline I take. Now like many other mileage programs, CO has single mile regardless of airline. Great.

Thanks for the update, Scott. I am speaking for myself, but I know that I am probably voicing the opinions of many - I am very grateful for the time and consideration you give to FT and its members. It is nice to know that CO values its loyal flyer base and is looking to offer enhancements to its FF program wherever possible.

I agree that most of the "changes" are enhancements. I especially am grateful for the 100% EQMs on all flights regardless of where purchased. Those of us who are restrained by corporate policy give a huge ^ to CO for this.

While I agree overall the changes are positive, yet I find there to be a large devaluation for Europe based members, it seems that all awards leaving europe have increased in value including Asia. I can't believe you can fly from New York to Singapore via FRA for less miles than FRA-SIN.

I am honestly a little disappointed, now to decide if I book tickets before October first or not.

Very appreciated of the heads up though, truly world class communications from Continental.

Cheers,

Timo

Moving closer to the competition
 

As much as I like the double segment qualificiation, it was a bit out of line from the qualification standards for other carriers. So even though it is a cut back and means that my plat qualification last weekend would have been delayed until October, I can see why CO trimmed this back. It was far easier to make Plat than similar levels at AA.

As to the improvements on qualifying miles regardless of place of purchase, CO was non-competitive on this level. Overall, this is an improvement and I want to think that this board with its compliments and critiques had some influence on the changes which have taken place. Certainly the unfairness to elites who were stuck with corporate travel departments and halfed eqm's has been addressed, for the better.

There are still a couple exceptions for VS flights or *A flights in Oceania, but overall it is pretty stable. And at least they are identifying which are which where there are exceptions. ^

I like the move to simplicity---and unlike changes on other airlines they seem to actually be positive for travelers, or at the very least not negative.

I wonder. Upper Class on VS is one of three, not two cabins, because of Premium Economy. The same applies to some of NZ, BD and SK longhaul services, where Premium Econ is one of three cabins. In all those cases, however, the forward cabin is clearly C/J class, and not F - just like CO's BF class. So it would be wrong to charge them as an F redemption, which I hope CO won't try to do. The problem is there is some ambiguity in the regulations as they stand.

I like most of the changes ^^^. I wasn't planning on crediting Q-UPs to CO anyhow, as it wasn't competitive even when earnings were 150%. However, it is disappointing that almost all long-haul international awards ex-U.S. have gone up by 5,000-10,000 miles in J.

MHO
 

As an EWR based silver, with Corp HQ in BOS (meaning frequent short trips NYC-BOS), #5 is particularly bad. While I prefer CO out EWR to BOS, the fares are sometimes ridiculously expensive. Amtrak & DL were always good fall back plans to still earn EQM's. With both of those EQM earning options going away, it looks like US out of LGA will be back on my radar.

# 6 is good.

Big ups to CO for #10!!!!

This was the biggest shortcoming OP redemption, I am very glad to see this was addressed.

Thanks for the info.

I don't see Round-the-World milage fares listed on the chart. Will they remain the same as CO's current (220k for C class RTW)? or increase to match UA's (300k for C Class)?

Cheers from SFO

Overall good changes; a couple that I am a bit disappointed in, but I think CO knew they wouldn't be batting 1000. Co Insider, thank you very much for the update.