Continental OnePass - Frequent Flyer Miles + Lots Of Perks!
Written: Aug 02 '03
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Product Rating:
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Pros: It's pretty easy to earn miles...
Cons: It's pretty difficult to get elite status...
The Bottom Line: If you have to travel a lot, hook yourself up with this program.
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| kristinafh's Full Review: Continental OnePass |
Preamble
I used to be one of those people who flew infrequently.
I used to be one of those people who didn't even care about what airline I flew on.
I used to be one of those people who would tune out the airline people when they went on and on about their "frequent flyer" type programs.
Then, my job changed. Now I care about all of this crap.
Signing Up
It's easy. Go to http://www.continental.com
There is a gray tab at the top labeled, "Frequent Flyer". Click on that tab and fill out the appropriate information. Once you do, you've got yourself a Continental OnePass account.
The Basics of The Program
There are two avenues of the program. The first, which is the easiest, has to do with earning miles. Continental allows you to earn miles through various avenues - flights, credit card purchases, shopping, etc...
The second part of the program is directly linked to you flying on Continental. Continental rewards their loyal customers through something they call an "Elite" status. Currently, there are three levels - Silver (30 segments/25,000 miles), Gold (50 segments/60,000 miles), and Platinum (75 segments/90,000 miles). You can only obtain these statuses through mileage/segments flown on Continental flights (or one of their airline partners).
What's a segment? For every ticket you are issued, that's a segment. When I flew from Indianapolis to Birmingham, UK, I was issued four tickets (Indy to Newark, Newark to Birmingham, Birmingham to Newark, Newark to Indy).
You have to earn all of your segments in one calendar year (January 1 - December 31) to qualify for elite status. For instance, if you have flown 30 segments by October 1, 2003, you would be labeled Silver Elite from that point until the end of the year. In 2004 (Jan 1 - Dec 31), you would continue with the label of Silver Elite.
Specific Information On Earning Miles
Besides the obvious way of earning miles - flying on a Continental flight - I also went through their partner list to familiarize myself with what was offered. I made sure to sign myself up for all of the hotel and car partner programs (Hilton, Avis, etc...). In turn, each one of those partners will directly (and electronically) credit your Continental OnePass account with miles for every time you stay/rent from them.
The next thing I did was to take my American Express card and sign up for their points program. Although it cost me $75 (per year), for every dollar I spend, American Express credits me with a point. I can transfer points over to Continental OnePass or any other airline of my choosing.
The last place where I earn points is by keeping an eye out for their shopping partners. I can earn 5 miles for every dollar I spend by shopping at Barnes and Nobles. I also have a reader's advantage card with them so hey - I'm getting LOTS of perks by shopping online :).
Miles don't expire however if you have had no activity on your account for 18 months, Continental will clean you out and shut you down.
Account Information
One thing that Continental seems to do better than most places - including other airlines - is the way that they update your OnePass account and the format it is presented in.
You can access your account right from the Continental web page. You can see how many segments that you've earned toward elite status, how many miles you've earned, and what your latest activity has been on your OnePass account.
I really appreciate the fact that Continental updates the activity very quickly. I always see my stuff updated within 48 hours of the activity. In some cases, it's updated within minutes.
Specific Information On Redeeming Miles
Continental's website has a ton of information on how you can redeem your miles. There are four categories for redemption - Travel, Upgrades, Non-Travel, and Auctions. The only one I've used is the Upgrades.
In my specific circumstance, I did not want to have to fly coach internationally. Bleck! I followed the instructions for upgrading which consisted of contacting a special number, giving my OnePass account number, and then waiting for the upgrade to go through.
Upgrading internationally - no matter what the airline - is a tricky thing. The flight has to be open to those types of upgrades (most are) and the company only allows a certain number of business/first class seats to be set aside for upgrades. You had to have purchased a ticket that allows for an upgrade. I could go into a ton more details that would probably bore you - but I won't. Anyone who really wants to know more can email me :).
I had no issue receiving my upgrades to business/first class. And by the way, the woman I talked with on the phone was as sweet as can be.
Purchasing Miles
At this time, Continental doesn't have any limitations on the number of miles you can outright purchase per year. When you go to redeem miles, you are allowed to purchase up to 25% of the total miles needed in order to complete the reward. For instance, if it costs you 20,000 miles to upgrade, you should have 15,000 miles in your account. You are charged $25 (plus tax) for each 1,000 miles purchased.
The Perks of An Elite Status
There are two WAY COOL things about falling into one of the Elite statuses. First, for domestic flights, you can be easily upgraded FREE to first class if there is seat availability. Most of the time, there are lots of seats available. Second, your luggage receives priority handling. That means, it's always the first to come out on the conveyor belt thus, you've got better luck in getting out of the airport quicker. There is a third benefit in that you are given the option to board the plane first. Eh. Doesn't do much for me but it may do something for you.
The End
For the casual traveler, none of this stuff probably matters. To the frequent business traveler, stuff like this is what makes traveling a little less painful. If you're not a member of Continental's OnePass program, get your butt over there and enroll. What do you have to lose?!
Recommended:
Yes
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Epinions.com ID:
kristinafh
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 - Top 50 |
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Member: Kristina Frazier-Henry
Location: Indiana
Reviews written: 1344
Trusted by: 1169 members
About Me:
Cannot breathe. Missing Barbara.
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