One of the biggest downsides of award redemption is that you don’t qualify for upgrades. Delta will offer it later this year, but only to Gold members and higher.
Continental just announced that they will allow for free upgrades for all Continental elite members who either have the Onepass Plus credit card (currently known as the Continental World Mastercard…I’m assuming that OnePass Plus will be the future name of the combined United Mileage Plus and Continental OnePass reward programs) or the Presidential Plus credit card.
Upgrades will be allowed on all current routes that provide free upgrades on paid tickets, not on BusinessFirst routes. So for Hawaii for example, the nonstop flights from Newark and Houston will not be eligible as they are BusinessFirst flights, but the flights from Los Angeles and Orange County to Honolulu or Maui will be eligible for free upgrades.
The upgrades will be prioritized according to elite level just after revenue tickets. So a Platinum on a paid ticket will be upgraded before a Platinum on an award ticket, who will be upgraded before a Gold on a paid ticket, etc. Platinum and Gold members on an award ticket will also be able to upgrade a companion on a paid or award ticket at the gate.
Time for the rest of the airlines to match!
As I posted elsewhere on FT, if people cant get UPed now on paid tkts what makes them think they will be get UPed on free tkts
Nothing has changed until CO does away with the Confirmed UP at time of purchase for the expensive Coach fares, and I dont see that a changin anytime soon as CO is making some nice $$ off of it
So this will IMO only led to more people beingdisappointed when tey find they are in fact flying in the cabin they Ca$hed out for, Coach
@steve2:
If I can get upgrades as a Silver then surely others can as well. It’s just a matter of picking your flights wisely.
@Dan;
well most top Elites Im in contact with over @ FT have had their % go way down this year so far
Great news
Is silver status is enough for eligibility for upgrades?
since Continental is eventually going to join with United, is it wise to get the Continental credit card (30,000 miles)now before they join?
@reuven hunt:
Yes.
@rafi:
Yes.
by sayins not flights that have businessfirst
@what do you mean:
You don’t get free upgrades for a flight like Newark-Tel Aviv which is a BusinessFirst flight.
You can get a free upgrade on Cleveland to Honolulu via Los Angeles, or Newark to Mexico City, or even Houston to Tokyo if you go via Continental’s island hopper…
is the continental one pass VISA signature eligible for these upgrades?
@shaya:
No.