Continental Leaving Skyteam for Star Alliance!
Aug 1, 2009, 10:09 pm
#76
Join Date: Aug 2009
Programs: Flying Blue, AAdvantage, Dividend Miles, Hilton HHonors, Mariott Rewards, Hertz #1 Circle
Posts: 10
And they no longer acknowledge Elites from other SkyTeam member airlines
This really has been poorly orchestrated by Continental. If you are a elite member with another airlines which is part of skyteam they have nothing on their website about the change. You find out when you arrive at the airport that since they are leaving skyteam in October they have stopped with the host of benefits that used to be provided to all member airline elite members. I called continental reservations because my elite number was in the reservation and the agent said that "they are no longer honoring skyteam except for milage accumulation and award tickets"
I wonder if skyteam or the DOT knows that they are no longer honoring their past agreements?
I wonder if skyteam or the DOT knows that they are no longer honoring their past agreements?
Aug 1, 2009, 10:20 pm
#77
Join Date: Jul 2005
Location: Atlántida, Canelones, Uruguay (MVD) and rarely GNV
Programs: AV LifeMiles, CM ConnectMiles, BA Exec Club. Former:ex-ASGold, ex-UA1K, ex-COPlat, ex-NWGold.
Posts: 2,673
This really has been poorly orchestrated by Continental. If you are a elite member with another airlines which is part of skyteam they have nothing on their website about the change. You find out when you arrive at the airport that since they are leaving skyteam in October they have stopped with the host of benefits that used to be provided to all member airline elite members. I called continental reservations because my elite number was in the reservation and the agent said that "they are no longer honoring skyteam except for milage accumulation and award tickets"
I wonder if skyteam or the DOT knows that they are no longer honoring their past agreements?
I wonder if skyteam or the DOT knows that they are no longer honoring their past agreements?
The only benefit CO has taken away from other Skyteam airline Elites is free 1st/2nd bag checking. And that is not a Skyteam-mandated benefit. CO didn't do that until Delta/NW stopped giving the benefit to CO (and other ST) elites.
You still get all the mandated ST benefits if your elite status is properly updated in the reservation. Right up through the final CO flight of 10/24/2009. If your ST level allows it, you should be able to check in at First/Business counters, get EliteAccess priority boarding, Skyteam yellow priority bag tags on appropriate itineraries, etc.
BTW, there's a huge page on the alliance change on CO's website, linked both from the "Alliance Update" important notice on their home page, and for over a year from their airline partner page.
Sorry you got bad information from one CO rep. But that doesn't mean CO has started shafting ST elites. Sounds like that one rep had the same attitude/knowledge that all of Delta's offshore call center used to have when I tried to explain that NW (pre-merger) and CO were partner airlines and I wanted to put my NW or my CO FF# into a DL reservation.
Aug 2, 2009, 7:50 pm
#78
Join Date: Apr 2002
Posts: 2,388
Welcome to Flyertalk!
The only benefit CO has taken away from other Skyteam airline Elites is free 1st/2nd bag checking. And that is not a Skyteam-mandated benefit. CO didn't do that until Delta/NW stopped giving the benefit to CO (and other ST) elites.
You still get all the mandated ST benefits if your elite status is properly updated in the reservation. Right up through the final CO flight of 10/24/2009. If your ST level allows it, you should be able to check in at First/Business counters, get EliteAccess priority boarding, Skyteam yellow priority bag tags on appropriate itineraries, etc.
BTW, there's a huge page on the alliance change on CO's website, linked both from the "Alliance Update" important notice on their home page, and for over a year from their airline partner page.
Sorry you got bad information from one CO rep. But that doesn't mean CO has started shafting ST elites. Sounds like that one rep had the same attitude/knowledge that all of Delta's offshore call center used to have when I tried to explain that NW (pre-merger) and CO were partner airlines and I wanted to put my NW or my CO FF# into a DL reservation.
The only benefit CO has taken away from other Skyteam airline Elites is free 1st/2nd bag checking. And that is not a Skyteam-mandated benefit. CO didn't do that until Delta/NW stopped giving the benefit to CO (and other ST) elites.
You still get all the mandated ST benefits if your elite status is properly updated in the reservation. Right up through the final CO flight of 10/24/2009. If your ST level allows it, you should be able to check in at First/Business counters, get EliteAccess priority boarding, Skyteam yellow priority bag tags on appropriate itineraries, etc.
BTW, there's a huge page on the alliance change on CO's website, linked both from the "Alliance Update" important notice on their home page, and for over a year from their airline partner page.
Sorry you got bad information from one CO rep. But that doesn't mean CO has started shafting ST elites. Sounds like that one rep had the same attitude/knowledge that all of Delta's offshore call center used to have when I tried to explain that NW (pre-merger) and CO were partner airlines and I wanted to put my NW or my CO FF# into a DL reservation.
I wonder how CO will handle itineraries spanning the 10/24 date? I would really like to earn SM but I don't know if they'll be able to split my miles across my SM for the outbound and MP for the return...
