Last week USeless Airways released the most ridiculous PR ever.
“As part of our continuing efforts to provide valuable benefits to our frequent flyers, US Airways is making a change to our Dividend Miles program…Beginning May 1, 2008, Dividend Miles will award the actual number of miles flown rather than a minimum number of miles flown for each segment. Also, members who redeem miles for award travel within 14-days of departure on usairways.com will be assessed a quick ticketing fee.”
I hate PR spin.
At any rate the quick ticketing isn’t a surprise, every other major airline charges that as well.
The surprise is the elimination of the 500-mile minimum.
How much savings can this possibly provide them?
Is it really worth angering your bread and butter Boston-LaGuardia shuttle flyers by giving them 180 miles instead of 500?
C’mon United, go after these shortsighted losers will ‘ya, you two would be just perfect together. Keep Continental my Continental!
avi, domestic or international?
I and my husband are continental gold elite members. I was told that they dont upgrade international…and, even if you pay extra and ‘pay’ miles to upgrade for an international flight, they will only let you know within 24 hours of the flight if u will actually get the upgrade..depending if they were able to actually sell the seat for money! and to top this all off, you have to pay a fee and have a certain class of ticket to even buy with miles an upgrade!
my mother (doesn’t have status) once got upgraded flying on an onepass ticket.
I found a solution!
Get a return First/Business to Europe with Continental via EWR.
Get a return Business/First with BA to TLV from Europe.
Should be a fun trip!
Thank you for the two suggestions to my above comment.
I should have been more explicit. Continental will only allow a person to book a return trip with mileage. BA lets you book a mileage ticket one way. If one wants to use Continental mileage with a partner airline, one must follow the Continental rules.
What I am looking for is to use eg my BA miles to fly Business to Israel via Europe and return with my Continental miles from TLV to EWR. I am looking for suggestions to how to convince Continental to allow me to get two business/first class tickets from TLV to EWR with 250,000 onepass points…and not have to book 2 return tickets with them, which would cost 500,000 points.
Any suggestions?
Thanks
Continental has milage tickets to israel as low as 70,000 round trip. That isn’t available obviously all the time or in high seasson but they do have it at certain times. they also have bus / first class for 140000 roundtrip at certain times (I think even for 100000 points. That is a pretty good deal I think. Even during high season u can get milage tickets in couch for 100,000.
another pretty good deal in my opinion is to fly with elal usuing american airlines miles. a couch ticket is 75000 and a bus is 135000 and that has no blackout dates. as long as its available (if you plan ahead its usually available) U can go with other partner airlines such as BA for the same amount but with elal u get a non stop flight so its much better.
Continental is ok, but they have many way too many gold and platinums in la, houston and nyc, so you never clear a first class domestic upgrade. That and theyre one pass is ok for free tickets domestically for 25k, but the minute you want a good free ticket especially to europe or asia in 1st or business class, they have limited or no availability.
i guess if you want free tickets within usa and canada, its ok. But if you want free $10,000 first class tickets to asia or europe, dont hold your breathe.
I have 132,000 BA miles (thanks to you suggesting my Starwood transfer to get 30% extra points) and 223,000 Continental miles (also, thanks to your suggestions theses past couple of years). My husband and I would like to take a long overdue honeymoon through Europe and on to Israel. We would like to take advantage of going first class or at least business class. Whats the best way to do this at the end of August, beginning of September? Or, if this isn’t possible, what best ways do you suggest and when, to use these miles?
Thanks.
First of all, what was the site you linked to? When i clicked it, it said the sight’s not operational anymore and redirected to their site to be able to fly between Atlanta and china.
Second, besides for the hogwash about providing benefits it also says something about offsetting fuel and other rising costs.
And MikeinMiami what exactly is wrong with Continental?
Hey as much as I love Delta, United is not that bad. Atleast their frequent flyer miles hold some weight…
Continental is worthless to Asia and europe using their worthless onepass program.
So you can keep your continental because they are terrible, anyway.
do you know any deals for landsend.com?
I forgot to mention “us” refers to the large group of family friends living in NY currently. So, we’re looking for something from NY to either San Francisco, San jose, or even Oakland if its cheap enough…
Dan,
My sister is law is getting married on the west coast (northern california) in mid-march, and we’ve got a lot of family and friends who are trying to find a decent deal on tickets.
Are group flights even worth while anymore? I heard that you don’t end up saving any money really.
We apparently missed those smoking deals you posted from NY to S. Francisco, and now I can’t find any good prices.
Got any advice for us?
Thanks!