[Joe Zambito]

Continental Airlines calls its best customers “Elite”, but this is in name only and not in practice!

If you travel as frequently as I do, 141,861 miles in the first 5 months in 2009, and pay thousands of dollars on airfare, then you want to be rewarded for your loyalty and get upgraded when first class seats are open. With Continental Airlines – don’t count on it!

Consider this – I am a Platinum Elite which is Continental’s highest ranking frequent flyer; however, on my most recent flight I was #1 on their upgrade list and with 3 seats open in first class I thought the upgrade was a lock-in. Not so – a Continental employee (flight attendant) got one seat and two other travelers lower on the upgrade list got the other two seats. This is called Elite status!!! Continental doesn't Elite you - they “Delete” you!

I wrote Continental’s Customer Care Department but I have not received a response. Maybe, they Deleted their customer care department too!

When looking for an elite frequent flyer program - Delete Continental from your list.

[ChrisH]

The Continental standby system automatically orders people in the appropriate order, based on elite status, regular revenue customers, employees, etc., and it also clears them in the appropriate order, automatically, if the correct computer entry is used. To clear someone out of order, you would have to go around that entry, and specifically select certain names from the list, and assign an open seat. I've seen agents do this before, to get friends, coworkers, or others on the standby list on the flight. Most passengers are none the wiser, unfortunately.

If you were #1 on the list, and were not cleared, but an employee was, and people with less status were cleared, that is grounds for disciplinary action on the part of the gate agent. It can EASILY be traced as to who was cleared first, and who did it, and whether the appropriate computer entries were used. EVERY key stroke an agent types is recorded, and is in the flight history, which is supposed to be printed, and filed with all other flight paperwork.

If you feel you were not cleared for a seat you should have gotten - in other words, you know for a fact you were #1 on the list at the time of the list being cleared - then I would continue to follow up with this complaint. This sounds like a problem with THAT gate agent, rather than a policy of how Continental treats their elite flyers.

[Joe Zambito]

The gate agent acknowledged that I was 1st on upgrade list. She told me to board the plane and if a seat was available I would be called. I asked her that if 3 seats were open can I get upgraded now? She said that those seats may get purchased and they usually do get purchased. This was told to me as boarding was taking place and I found it highly unlikely that seats would get purchased at this point. I politely said - okay, and boarded the plane. While in my seat I refreshed the upgrde list from my Blackberry and I was still #1 on the upgrade list. The flight attendant was in uniform, went to bathroom and changed out of her uniform and took a seat in first class prior to the upgrade announcement on the plane. Two additional seats were open and announced for upgrade. I told the flight attendant, who was very nice and felt bad because she believed that the flight attedant in fist class should have been in coach and in addition she asked the gate agent why I wasn't upgraded when I was 1st on list. The gate agent said since I was on a flight from SNA to DCA that stopped in Houston but on the same plane that she wouldn't upgrade me. Also, we had to get off the plane in Houston and reboard same plan with a new boarding pass. I wasn't even listed on the Houston upgrade list. I believe that the gate agent, under her discretion deleted me from the list. I have asked Customer Care to contact me with a response. They have not responded to my request with an answer.

[The_Judge]

This is the epitome of why a passenger, revenue or non-revenue, should NOT be told what number they are on the list. That number can fluctuate depending on an almost infinite number of circumstances. He may have been at the top of the list at one time and then depending on what goes on, he may drop down. I sincerely wish agents wouldn't give numbers out as it only makes the gate agent look like a fool.

I do feel bad for someone when they feel they didn't get something they deserved. That being said and truly no offense to the OP but an economy ticket was purchased and that's what you received.

I remember when I was working, CO (and NWA but I never ever saw it or did it myself) supposedly used to post the standby list for public viewing. I never really agreed with it but it would have put a stop to the practice the OP is talking about. Did they do that in this case?? Is that how you know who was given the 3 F-class seats?

[ChrisH]

As an agent, we were always told never to tell someone where they stood on the standby list, because, as you say, it changes constantly. If you tell someone they are #1 right now, they will assume they are #1, and will stay #1 on the list, which is not always the case. many reasons can exist that result in the standby list changing. Disables customer, unaccompanied minors, are all given priority, even above Elite customers. People who were oversales from one flight, and placed on another flight, as standby, are also given some priority. MANY things can change the order of a standby list.

We were also always told to post the standby list 30 minutes before departure, which at the airport I work at, was cutoff time. Theoretically once cutoff time is reached, and the list is posted, nobody else is to be added to the list, so it shouldn't change at that point. BUT, I usually still never posted the standby list. I would always just tell people that if I had open seats, I would call your name if you were cleared. I hardly ever gave out someones position on the list, and if I did, I always made sure to tell them that this is where their position stood, at the moment, but to be aware that it can change.

I know on Continental's website, you can look at the standby list, when viewing the flight status of a particular flight. It is open to public view.

Originally Posted by The_Judge

This is the epitome of why a passenger, revenue or non-revenue, should NOT be told what number they are on the list. That number can fluctuate depending on an almost infinite number of circumstances. He may have been at the top of the list at one time and then depending on what goes on, he may drop down. I sincerely wish agents wouldn't give numbers out as it only makes the gate agent look like a fool.

I do feel bad for someone when they feel they didn't get something they deserved. That being said and truly no offense to the OP but an economy ticket was purchased and that's what you received.

I remember when I was working, CO (and NWA but I never ever saw it or did it myself) supposedly used to post the standby list for public viewing. I never really agreed with it but it would have put a stop to the practice the OP is talking about. Did they do that in this case?? Is that how you know who was given the 3 F-class seats?

[The_Judge]

Originally Posted by Joe Zambito

The gate agent said since I was on a flight from SNA to DCA that stopped in Houston but on the same plane that she wouldn't upgrade me.

I understand now. I am guessing CO's policy is the same as NW's was when I worked. If there aren't seats available the whole way, SNA to DCA, you cannot be upgraded. You purchased that trip but it has a stop in Houston. Their policy is gonna state that it's a direct flight from SNA to DCA and even though it's available on the first part, it's not on the second, I'm guessing. They can't/won't split the segment the way it was sold in the reservation into a SNA to IAH then resell an IAH to DCA.

Anyway, I didn't explain it too well but basically what they're saying is if it's not available on the both segments, even though it's technically one flight because of the same flight number, you can't be upgraded on either flight if it couldn't be cleared all the way to DCA from SNA, is my guess.

[stratokat]

As a Platinum Elite flyer, I have never seen it so bad with CO. Upgrades are far and few between on most flights. And now the airline is coming up with increased revenue brainstorms that will reduce Elite flyers' comfort opportunities even more. I have been a loyal Elite customer for over 10 years and I miss Gordon Bethune!! GoToMeeting is becoming a lot more attractive these days.

[millionmiler]

Having traveled nearly 2 million miles on Continental over the last 15 years, I absolutely agree.

Continental has fallen in quality since Gordon Bethune left. Mr. Bethune understood that if you treat your loyal customers well, they'll fly with you more frequently. He also knew that customer's would be more interested in flying an airline that he was willing to fly. He frequently flew both coach and first class, ensuring that both customers and flight staff were getting what they wanted and needed.

The arrogant Larry Kelner was the beginning of the end. The first bad sign was that he RARELY flew. What kind of manager doesn't check his services?! His first video feed for the take-off sequence demonstrated this when he referred to the airline as "his" airline, instead of acknowledging the fact that there were thousands of people that make it happen. He finally realized this in his third year; but, by then he approved cut-backs on the Elite benefits and made it harder for those people to make changes, get upgraded, or receive competitive benefits (like Delta's recent changes).

Kellner's next mistake was placing Continental under the worst performing "Star Alliance," which reminded many of us of the evil empire. I can't say anything nice about this. Their partners stink, and the benefits are no longer competitive. I've never had so many flight disruptions, lost baggage, or uncomfortable first class seatings than with United and USAir (Useless Air).

Couple this with two aircraft accidents and multiple highly advertised incidents and you have a disaster -- Kellner should have been fired early on!

It's clear that his successor, Smisek, is going to be the end of what used to be a great airline. By merging what used to be the highest ranked (in customer service) with one of the lowest ranked (United) IS A HUGE MISTAKE. Heck, even United has earned the distinction of a dedicated hate-website Untied.com; where you can see blockbuster hits like "United breaks guitars."

Hopefully, the employees that provided the outstanding service and recognized the value of the customers under the Bethune-era that in turn made Continental a great airline will be able to find new jobs. If they ever found their own airline -- I'll fly them!

I have all but stopped flying Continental. I know I'm not the only one. Many of the Kellner refugees have been sitting next to me at Platinum and Diamond Medallion members on Delta and so on...

[jimworcs]

I have all but stopped flying Continental. I know I'm not the only one. Many of the Kellner refugees have been sitting next to me at Platinum and Diamond Medallion members on Delta and so on...

That is jumping from the frying pan into the fire!

[millionmiler]

Originally Posted by jimworcs

That is jumping from the frying pan into the fire!

Somewhat true, but the probability of a delta platinum medallion getting upgraded is about 3-4x that of continental-- which offsets some of the pain. As a platinum on both I get about 1/4 flights upgraded on Continental and 3.5/4 flights upgraded on Delta, even in premium markets like DC, NY, and San Francisco.