Continental OnePass Makes First Mistake of the New Year
 

Continental OnePass Makes First Mistake of the New Year

In an unexpected move, OnePass has announced that, beginning June 1, the
program is discontinuing its 20,000-mile off-peak (Sept. 1 . May 31)
domestic award.

This decision falls under the classic definition of the word "stupid." Why?

Well, for one thing, OnePass was the first airline program to require a
Saturday night stayover on its 25,000-mile award. Now, this change to the
program may cause members to wake up and re-evaluate their choice of
frequent flyer programs. Members still cringe at the restrictions OnePass
imposed on redemption of BusinessFirst awards.

TIP: Since awards from OnePass are valid for one year, you may make a
reservation using the soon-to-be-discontinued 20,000-mile award by May 31
and still use it into the future.

-MilesLink @ Webflyer


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Just check out the CO threads for Pax Rx to this and other "enhancements" to the newly renamed NONEPASS program! http://www.flyertalk.com/forum/frown.gif

D**n! I don't fly CO all that often, and have been sitting at 18,800 for a few years. I thought one more short flight was going to do it . . . tls

I dunno. Maybe they could "enhance" it further by requiring 2 separate Saturday nights stayovers for each award.

MisterNice

CO is eliminating ALL off-peak rewards.

So that includes off-peak tickets to Europe (40k) and off-peak to Asia (50k) in addition to 20k domestic tickets http://www.flyertalk.com/forum/frown.gif

Yes, the move essentially reduces the value of miles by using a technicality.
I went to the Continental board last night and saw that there were quite a lot of very angry people and a lot of angry posts there. Quite unusual for Continental but quite usual for some of the other boards of some other big airlines (no names mentioned).

For many, it would seem, as for myself, it is more the outright "lying," the seeming complete dishonesty and lack of integrity exhibited by CO and its' CEO that has really turned folks off so very much. Far more than the actual announced implementation of any new rules or restrictions - although this too has been an ongoing saga over the last year, this is very troubling as it becaomes a "credibility" issue.

From HoKeY fares to NONEPass, I predict that this years Freddie Awards will be going to another carrier other than the now far poorer CO OP program.

I agree wholeheartedly with Doc, and FWIW, you can expect something in the national media on this chicanery one week from today. http://www.flyertalk.com/forum/wink.gif

Previously, I was a very happy CO customer, as their service was generally very good, their routes and partners suited my travel patterns, and their generous domestic upgrade policy was very rewarding. I fear with this new move, and the continuing trend of degredation of benefits, this upgrade policy will go away. When that does, so will I.

What can be done?

www.saveonepasss.com

http://www.flyertalk.com/forum/Forum20/HTML/004220.html

markindallas, i agree that there are many angry posts in other forums...but i dunno when is the last time a CEO lied about the FF program benefits.

Not that I'm going to make any excuses for the dolts in Houson (and I'm not referring to Enron), but I still suspect that the Bethune lie may be the result of the right hand not knowing what the left hand is doing.

In which case (and in any case), I still hope the marketing department at CO gets their asses handed to them for this and all the other shenanigans they're pulling to alienate all those who supported them year after year in the Freddies.

well put-- and let's hope...

...Continental spokesman Rahsaan Johnson says that Mr. Bethune made a mistake when he said that there would be no cuts in the OnePass program...

http://www.flyertalk.com/forum/Forum20/HTML/004249.html

Not arguing with you, but former employees strongly suspect the elimination was know all along - even while January in-flight article was being planned in which the CEO promised not to reduce any benefits.

Secondly, it's kinda the CEO's job to know what both hands are doing.

...The changes may ultimately benefit consumers, said the guru of airline mileage programs.


"There's a little bit of give and take," said Randy Petersen, the publisher of InsideFlyer magazine.


He said airlines are trying to make things simpler and offer more last-minute mileage sales and bonuses to new destinations or ones where the carriers want to build business.


"I'm not trying to be pro-airline but, at the end of the day, I think people will be better served by the new philosophy," Petersen said.


Petersen, meanwhile, said the 20,000-mile ticket program was an outdated holdover from the mid- 1990s.


He did praise Northwest for publicly making the same change Continental did more quietly.


"Frequent fliers always feel like they're being jacked around on prices, but don't publicly lie to us," Petersen said.

http://www.nj.com/business/ledger/in...r/15a9876.html

Here is one lie from NW's PR release:

http://biz.yahoo.com/prnews/020122/hstu011_1.html

Since the 20K off peak award was offered for 9 months out of 12, how could this claim have been made?

Since CO/NW have not removed the Sat night stay restrictions, I don't see how the changes benefit the consumers. With most other airlines you don't need Sat night stay. AA also throws in a generous interpretation of stopovers allowed.

Simplicity does not necessarily benefit the consumers. Infact, simplicity does not benefit Inside Flyer either. If all the programs were simple, what would be the market for Inside Flyer?



[This message has been edited by PG (edited 01-24-2002).]