The Frequent Flyer Program Other Airlines Use as a Model
Written: Mar 14 '01
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Product Rating:
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Pros: Miles stack up FAST, great elite program, easy redemption, super redemption sales
Cons: What a shame airlines can't give good service to ALL customers
The Bottom Line: If you only enroll in ONE frequent flyer program, why not pick the best? And the best is Continental OnePass -- HANDS DOWN!
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| mrkstvns's Full Review: Continental OnePass |
Frequent flyer programs cost nothing to join, so why not go with the best there is! For my lack of money, the best is Continental OnePass, and that's not just my opinion, that's also the opinion of most people who fly alot -- like the readers and editors of Inside Flyer magazine who consistently rank OnePass as the top dog of frequent flyer programs. There are a lot of reasons for Continental's track record: they offer excellent earning potential (you can really stack up the miles!), the have a good record for members being able to redeem miles for free flights, and they have an elite program that other airlines just can't seem to beat!
Earning Potential:
Miles stack up fast with OnePass -- even when you don't fly! Like with most carriers, there are opportunities to earn miles by using an airline-affiliated credit card. You get bonus miles when you sign up, plus miles each month based on how much you charge, plus a 1,000 mile bonus when you keep the card for over a year.
You earn 500 miles minimum per flight (about the same as with most U.S. airlines), but unlike some of the others, there are lots of opportunities to stack up bonuses with each flight. You get bonuses on certain routes, you get bonuses for flying first class, and you get bonuses when you buy tickets online through Continental's web site. Instead of just 1,000 miles on a short trip, you could rack up double or triple that.
Continental also has partner agreements with lots of other airlines, such as Northwest, Copa, America West, Air France, and British Midland (among others). Buy a ticket on those airlines, and you can earn Continental OnePass miles.
All of the airline frequent flyer programs have alliances with all of the major hotel and car rental chains, so you can earn miles that way too. You can also earn with AT&T long distance, and by getting a Continental credit card through Chase. The credit card is not a particularly good deal -- they have a fairly high annual fee and the interest rate is not particularly good, but if you manage it well, you can use it to stack up quite a few extra miles.
While most of the ways to earn miles are similar to programs offered by other airlines, at least there is no significant mileage earning program offered by other airlines that is not equalled or bettered by Continental OnePass.
Redemption Opportunities
Earning miles does you no good if you can't redeem them for free travel. All airlines allow only a certain number of seats per route to be awarded to frequent flyers, so there's always a chance that you won't be able to get a free ticket if you're going to a popular place and you're not planning far enough ahead. I haven't had much trouble with Continental in this regard, and I like that the newsletter that comes with the mileage statement each month includes a list of suggested destinations for people redeeming miles: these are routes that have large numbers of available seats, so if you just scan the list and find a place you like, you'll probably get it. I also like that the weekly C.O.O.L. travel email includes opportunities to redeem smaller amounts of miles (typically 7,500 or 10,000) plus $29 for a round-trip ticket somewhere. This is a great deal if you can jump on it, though it requires taking a trip with only a few days notice.
There are often "sale" redemption opportunities too! During the first 3 months of 2001, OnePass members were able to fly free to Germany for only 20,000 miles! During the fall of 2000, there were outrageous sales to Brazil -- just 17,500 miles from anywhere in the U.S.! For travelers who LOVE to go places, these sales are the kinds of events worth watching out for!!
Elite Program
Continental's elite program has historically been ranked as the leader in the industry, partly because it was not that hard to hit elite (you'd get the lowest level, Bronze, after only 20 flights). They changed the program this past year, discontinuing the bronze level and having silver qualify at 25 flights. A little tougher to qualify, which I think could drop the program from it's long-time number 1 rank in the Freddy polls. Still, it could hang in there, after all, elite members enjoy unlimited first-class upgrades (no coupons or other gimmicks), which a lot of people will like. I like the elite level even for coach travel because you get bulkhead seating and supposedly, your bags come off the plane first. I find that it doesn't always work that way though. On a recent trip home from Mexico City, my bags (tagged with the elite level tags) were among the very last off the conveyer belt. Could have been a customs delay or something, I don't know, but the elite baggage tags don't seem to do anything on the international arrival side of the airport (at least not at IAH).
How the Program Ranks
Continental OnePass has consistently earned high marks and numerous Freddy awards from Inside Flyer magazine (www.webflyer.com), which rates all of the frequent flyer programs, worldwide (see my epinion about Choosing the Frequent Flyer Program That's Right For You). When the magazine looks at the Mickey Mouse antics of other airlines (like expiring miles, toll numbers for redeeming awards, etc.), Continental looks positively unbeatable. Numerical scores are given for various features of each airline's program and then an overall numerical score is given. In numerical terms, Continental OnePass scored 8.6. No other airline, foreign or domestic, did better.
I have frequent flyer accounts with several airlines, but the one I concentrate miles in is Continental OnePass. Because the airline offers good service, good route coverage, and competitive fares, I see no reason to settle for second best.
NOTE: This is a repost of a review that was originally written 2/1/00, but has been updated to reflect some information from 2000 and 2001.
Recommended:
Yes
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