17 May 2012 My Dear Friends from Continental Airlines, A simple question for you: what is wrong? What is it that is truly bothering you? I have been a steady United Airlines customer since 2004 and I grew to...
Was it the Way I Looked? Part II
Read Part I here As I mentioned in Part I, when I reached SFO Saturday morning to check in for my trip to Philadelphia via Chicago, the agent could not find my ticket. I had been re-booked by a...
How Did the United Airlines IT Transition Go For You?
I’ve been dealing with a number of family issues over the last week, so I apologize for the brevity of recent posts and the noticeable gaps between them. Just to warn my six readers, the next couple weeks don’t...
Armageddon for United/Continental Passengers on 03 March?
At 0100 Central Time on Saturday, 03 March, United Airlines will flip the switch, transitioning from its Apollo Reservation System it has used for the last four decades to Continental’s in-house SHARES system. Will the transition be smooth? History...
United’s Post-Merger Flight Status Screens a Step Backwards
As the 03 March 2012 Continental-United integration date moves closer, we are already seeing what the new “United” will look like in some stations. Philadelphia, for example, rolled out the new Continental-esque flight display screens for United flights last...
Reader Question: Should I Buy Up My MileagePlus Status?
Reader Sandy asks: Matthew, I received the following offer from United in my e-mail box. I was about 10K miles short of 1P [Premier Executive] status last year, so I am tempted to take advantage, though it looks expensive....
New United Airlines Routes, Including Washington Dulles to Honolulu
United Airlines recently announced a handful of new summer routes, including new non-stop service from Washington Dulles to Honolulu and service from Denver to Fairbanks, Alaska. Daily Service between Washington/Dulles and Honolulu United will begin daily year-round service between...
A Zone of Twilight Between OnePass and MileagePlus
As Continental OnePass and United MileagePlus work to fully integrate in March, the next month and a half will be tricky for those elites looking to take full advantage of reciprocal benefits but who never linked accounts. Last March,...
Swiss, Adria, and Croatia Airlines Award Space Now Bookable on Continental.com
Swiss, Adria, and Croatia Airlines award seats are now bookable on continental.com, meaning that 26/27 Star Alliance carriers can now be booked quickly and easily online. Only Ethiopian Airlines, which joined Star Alliance last December, is yet to be...
Continental Airlines Dissolves Partnership with Virgin Atlantic
Via Friendly Skies, Continental Airlines announced today that their partnership with Virgin Atlantic will abruptly end on 13 February. While the news was not unexpected, it also was not expected to happen so soon. Effective February 13, 2012 we...
Continental Airlines on the Phone vs. Continental Airlines at the Airport
I learned something today: do not bother to call Continental Airlines if you find your flight is delayed and want to re-route. Just go to the airport and sort it out there. Perhaps I just take it for granted,...
As American Airlines Departs, Opportunity for United at Burbank
News that American Airlines will suspend service from Burbank/Bob Hope Airport next month compounds a problem for an airport that continues to lose passengers even as it invests in a pricey infrastructure upgrade that will enhance the parking facilities...
25% Discount on United/Continental Economy Class Award Tickets to Europe and Southern Africa
I wouldn’t call this the sale of century, but if you are planning an economy class award redemption to the lower half of Africa or Europe (not recommended–go in business or first), you can save 20-25% off the published...
United Airlines Confirms Continued Use of "Rhapsody in Blue"
Lap it up as small victory in the “war of influence” (a war over whether Continental or United will emerge as the true post-meger airline), but United confirmed today it will keep “Rhapsody in Blue” as its signature theme...
Last Day to Transfer Continental Miles to Amtrak
In early November, I blogged about Amtrak-Continental partnership changes set to take effect tomorrow, 01 January 2012. As a friendly reminder, today is your last day to transfer Continental OnePass miles to Amtrak Guest Rewards and vice-versa. Elite status...
$31,313 or 240,000 miles? Maximizing your Frequent Flyer Miles
People often ask me how they can squeeze the most value out of their frequent flyer miles. I begin my answer by stating that maximizing monetary value and actual value are two very different things and ultimately there is...
Singapore Airlines, Egypt Air, and Air China Awards Now Bookable on Continental.com
Already the best Star Alliance award search engine, Continental has added the ability to search for and book Singapore Airlines, Egypt Air, and Air China awards on continental.com Already this year Continental has added a number of carriers to...
United Airlines to Launch Washington Dulles – Dublin Service
Just a quick note highlighting the announcement that United Airlines will begin flying from Washington Dulles to Dublin next May. The carrier will utilize a two-cabin 757 aircraft from the Continental fleet with lie-flat seats in business class. Dublin...
Amtrak Guest Rewards – United Airlines MileagePlus Partnership Changes
Not surprisingly, the Amtrak-Continental Airlines partnership will soon be scaled back. From 01 January 2012, you will no longer be able to transfer points between the two programs. Thankfully, it appears the train codeshares will remain and even after...
My Advice to United Airlines on Inflight Wi-Fi
It appears that United is finally going to add wi-fi internet access across its domestic fleet and possibly its entire fleet. This announcement, made almost off-handedly by CEO Jeff Smisek earlier today during United’s quarterly conference call, is long...
