Continental Airlines Is Joining The Unfriendly Skies
There’s no longer the one bad guy in the unfriendly skies. They are all jumping on the “You got to pay to play” exta fees bandwagon.
Continental Airlines just announced a $15 service fee for the first checked bag for certain customers who purchase economy-class tickets. However, the service fee will not apply to EliteAccess customers, including those seated in First or BusinessFirst, OnePass Elite and SkyTeam Elite members, customers traveling on full-fare economy (Y) class tickets, or military personnel and their families traveling on official orders.
The policy will apply immediately for tickets purchased for destinations within the U.S., and between the U.S. and Puerto Rico, the U.S. Virgin Islands and Canada for travel commencing on or after Oct. 7.
They also announced changes to its OnePass Elite mileage bonus program where members earn bonus miles based on Elite status in addition to actual flight miles on each flight. Effective for travel on or after March 1, 2009, Platinum Elite members will earn a 100 percent mileage bonus (instead of 125 percent) and Silver Elite members will earn 25 percent (instead of 50 percent) for tickets purchased on or after Nov. 15, 2008. Bonus miles for Gold Elite members will remain unchanged at 100 percent.
In addition, for travel on or after Jan. 1, 2009, Continental will discontinue awarding its OnePass members a minimum of 500 base miles and Elite qualifying miles on flights where the actual mileage between origin and destination is less than 500 miles. Instead, customers will earn the actual flight miles for tickets purchased on or after Nov. 15, 2008, for travel on or after Jan. 1, 2009.
Also effective for reward travel booked on or after Jan. 1, 2009, travel reward mileage requirements will increase for travel between North America and Tel Aviv (Series 10B) and Hawaii and Tel Aviv (Series 10C). SaverPass rewards will increase by 20,000 miles for economy and First/BusinessFirst tickets, and EasyPass rewards will increase by 50,000 miles for First/BusinessFirst tickets.
Cash in those miles while they mean something or before the mile requirement is out of this world.
By Karen Loftus
Karen
Vegas’s Billion-Dollar Secrets – What They Don’t Want Tourists to Know
Visit Florida’s New CEO Bryan Griffin Shares His Vision for State Tourism with Graham
Chicago’s Tourism Renaissance: Graham Interviews Kristin Reynolds of Choose Chicago
Graham Talks with Cassandra McCauley of MMGY NextFactor About the Latest Industry Research
Destination International’s Andreas Weissenborn: Research, Advocacy, and Destination Impact
Graham and Don Welsh Discuss the Success of Destinations International’s Annual Conference
Graham and CEO Andre Kiwitz on Ventura Travel’s UK Move and Recruitment for the Role
Brett Laiken and Graham Discuss Florida’s Tourism Momentum and Global Appeal
Graham and Elliot Ferguson on Positioning DC as a Cultural and Inclusive Global Destination
Graham Talks to Fraser Last About His England-to-Ireland Trek for Mental Health Awareness
Kathy Nelson Tells Graham About the Honour of Hosting the World Cup and Kansas City’s Future
Graham McKenzie on Sir Richie Richardson’s Dual Passion for Golf and His Homeland, Antigua
ADS PRO 
Phocuswright reveals the world's largest travel markets in volume in 2025
Higher departure tax and visa cost, e-arrival card: Japan unleashes the fiscal weapon against tourists
Cyclone in Sri Lanka had limited effect on tourism in contrary to media reports
Singapore to forbid entry to undesirable travelers with new no-boarding directive
Euromonitor International unveils world’s top 100 city destinations for 2025