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).]

There is no such thing as a "choice" when the seats are never available. This statement is VERY misleading...

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I wholeheartedly agree PG! Yet could it possibly prove to be a bit like the earlier "tax simplification" that we had? http://www.flyertalk.com/forum/wink.gif

My accountant isn't exactly crying or going to the poorhouse! http://www.flyertalk.com/forum/biggrin.gif

I suppose that Randy is perhaps compelled to be a bit diplomatic when addressing these "sticky" airline issues! http://www.flyertalk.com/forum/smile.gif

Perhaps Randy was taken somewhat out of context. Perhaps in the long run, we'll see some mileage sales or something like that.

FWIW- I have redeemed 7 or so tickets in the past 2 years on CO and NW. Precisely 1 has been in the "peak time" in large part because of the additional 5,000 miles needed.

I don't believe their stats for one second.

I also can't believe we aren't offered some sort of apology from CO. I think that it is absolutely the least we are due.

What we are seeing here, though, is a reminder of who is really in charge. If there are a lot of deferred liabilities on their books, and they want to get rid of them, they could inflate them to no limit.

Let's not fool ourselves - the airlines and hotels are in charge, and as much as they might pretend, they don't give a rat's behind about the customer when times get tough. When it comes down to it, we are just a means to an end -money.

If CO alienates enough customers with their bad business decisions, and they find they need money, they'll just go call in another favor from the whores in Washington, who will just write them another check. WHo needs customers when the government will bail you out each time you screw up.

This is rapidly becoming a race to the bottom.

Liar, Liar, Industry on Fire

...Travel is the industry that can’t talk straight. It is so enmeshed in its own deceptions that it doesn’t even know when it is lying anymore. It doesn’t seem to understand why customers now simply assume the worst about the state of travel. And it is unable to see how badly the culture of lying has eroded its credibility.

Consider, for example, the contretemps at Continental, which unfolded this week against the growing mistrust between travel providers and their customers.

In the January issue of Continental’s in-flight magazine and on its Website, Continental chief executive Gordon Bethune makes a simple, unequivocal statement about the state of the airline’s much-admired frequent-flyer program. “We will not cut benefits from OnePass,” Bethune said.

So what did Continental do, even as Bethune’s message continues to appear on the Website and still rides in the pockets of every seat in its fleet? It cut the benefits of OnePass. That has created a firestorm among OnePass members, who are probably overreacting to the exceedingly modest program changes, but who are justifiably incensed that Bethune is saying one thing while his airline has done something else.

The culture of lies is so inbred in the travel industry that it has risen to the level of performance art...

http://www.zyworld.com/brancatelli/branc.htm

He, he, he. Now doc is posting news articles from other parts of FlyerTalk in new threads elsewhere on FT!!! http://www.flyertalk.com/forum/smile.gif

doc, I say this in 100% jest, but I just thought it was funny! Maybe it was a slow news day elsewhere on the 'net! http://www.flyertalk.com/forum/wink.gif

BTW, I do with all you CO flyers the best of luck getting these changes fixed... seems like a bad deal to me.

Have a great weekend! http://www.flyertalk.com/forum/smile.gif

Ah! Please also see:

http://www.flyertalk.com/forum/Forum20/HTML/004280.html

Sounds to me like CO will be applying for a change of it's airline code to FU soon.

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So they are still available? http://www.flyertalk.com/forum/biggrin.gif

There could actually be quite a rush to obtain these telling code "symbols!" http://www.flyertalk.com/forum/wink.gif

new·speak ('nü-"spEk, 'nyü-), noun, Usage: often capitalized. : propagandistic language marked by euphemism, circumlocution, and the inversion of customary meanings. Etymology: Newspeak, a language "designed to diminish the range of thought," in the novel 1984 (1949) by George Orwell. Date: 1950

Please also see:

Airlines Raise Bar on Upgrades,
Freebies for Frequent Fliers

http://www.flyertalk.com/forum/Forum1/HTML/006279.html

http://www.flyertalk.com/forum/Forum20/HTML/004335.html



[This message has been edited by doc (edited 01-31-2002).]

And you guys will still probably award them the Freddies again!!!

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Well, I surely don't know, but I would NOT bet on it! http://www.flyertalk.com/forum/wink.gif

More on Gordon and CO can be found today in a front page (A1) article in the WSJ!

http://www.flyertalk.com/forum/Forum20/HTML/004360.html

Northwest is pulling the same stunt. They are trying to pass it off as an "easier, more convient plan" for it's members. They cliam they are doing away with the blackout dates because it was forcing travelers to take vacations during the non-blackout times, when that was not actually the desired time the passenger wanted to travel. Well, isn't that why they started the blackout dates in the first place? To give more affordable travel to those with flexible plans?

Yew, NWA is doing a similar stunt! http://www.flyertalk.com/forum/frown.gif

Please also see related threads:

http://www.flyertalk.com/forum/Forum35/HTML/002563.html

http://www.flyertalk.com/forum/Forum35/HTML/002574.html

http://www.flyertalk.com/forum/Forum35/HTML/002593.html

http://www.flyertalk.com/forum/Forum35/HTML/002595.html

http://www.flyertalk.com/forum/Forum35/HTML/002596.html

There is a free letter writing campaign protesting these changes and snail-mailing a letter on your behalf. Just fill out the web form.

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Anything new on this www.saveonepass.com effort?

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

Lagging indicators?

http://www.flyertalk.com/forum/Forum20/HTML/002773.html

http://www.flyertalk.com/forum/Forum.../001633-2.html