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Continental Makes Upgrades to Online Award Booking Engine

May 09, 2011
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2 min read
Continental Makes Upgrades to Online Award Booking Engine
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Continental.com is one of the better airline sites for booking awards - it shows a decent amount of partner availability and it can put together some pretty robust, complicated trips. Historically, my three biggest gripes with it were 1) That it will sneakily book you into the wrong cabin of service 2) That international first class is not searchable and 3) Not all Star Alliance partners are shown.

Well, this past weekend two of those concerns were addressed by some pretty nifty updates to the award booking tool at continental.com. Issues with the "sneaky" award pricing are now resolved by a "Mixed Cabin" icon that alerts the user to double-check that their cabins requested are indeed what's included.

The second change is the addition of international first class, which on one hand will make award searches easier, but harder because I'm sure more people will book these awards, thus reducing availability for those of us who are "in the know." However, I think these changes are a big step forward for frequent flyers and I hope the other airlines take notice. American and US Airways are awful at showing partner award availability (in fact, they pretty much don't at all) and Delta has a lot of things to work out from an IT perspective as well as with showing more partner availability online (I would LOVE to get back the nwa.com functionality of booking Korean Airline awards!).

While Continental definitely leads the pack, they still could improve the Star Alliance availability by adding Swiss, Turkish, TAM, Singapore and South African availability. And for those of you with US Airways, United or any other Star Alliance miles - you can use Continental.com to search for Star Alliance awards and then call your carrier to get them booked. All Saver Pass awards should be bookable using any Star Alliance miles. And for anyone with United miles, you can switch them to your Continental account instantly (and vice versa) for free using this method.

What are your thoughts on these enhancements? Is it selfish of me to be upset that first class awards are now showing online for all to book?

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  • Intro Offer

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  • Annual Fee

    $325

  • Recommended Credit

    Excellent to Good

Why We Chose It

There’s a lot to love about the Amex Gold. It’s a fan favorite thanks to its fantastic bonus-earning rates at restaurants worldwide and at U.S. supermarkets. If you’re hitting the skies soon, you’ll also earn bonus Membership Rewards points on travel. Paired with up to $120 in Uber Cash annually (for U.S. Uber rides or Uber Eats orders, card must be added to Uber app and you can redeem with any Amex card), up to $120 in annual dining statement credits to be used with eligible partners, an up to $84 Dunkin’ credit each year at U.S. Dunkin Donuts and an up to $100 Resy credit annually, there’s no reason that foodies shouldn’t add the Amex Gold to their wallet. These benefits alone are worth more than $400, which offsets the $325 annual fee on the Amex Gold card. Enrollment is required for select benefits. (Partner offer)

Pros

  • 4 points per dollar spent on dining at restaurants worldwide and U.S. supermarkets (on the first $50,000 in purchases per calendar year; then 1 point per dollar spent thereafter and $25,000 in purchases per calendar year; then 1 point per dollar spent thereafter, respectively)
  • 3 points per dollar spent on flights booked directly with the airline or with amextravel.com
  • Packed with credits foodies will enjoy
  • Solid welcome bonus

Cons

  • Not as useful for those living outside the U.S.
  • Some may have trouble using Uber and other dining credits
  • You may be eligible for as high as 100,000 Membership Rewards® Points after you spend $6,000 in eligible purchases on your new Card in your first 6 months of Card Membership. Welcome offers vary and you may not be eligible for an offer. Apply to know if you’re approved and find out your exact welcome offer amount – all with no credit score impact. If you’re approved and choose to accept the Card, your score may be impacted.
  • Earn 4X Membership Rewards® points per dollar spent on purchases at restaurants worldwide, on up to $50,000 in purchases per calendar year, then 1X points for the rest of the year.
  • Earn 4X Membership Rewards® points per dollar spent at US supermarkets, on up to $25,000 in purchases per calendar year, then 1X points for the rest of the year.
  • Earn 3X Membership Rewards® points per dollar spent on flights booked directly with airlines or on AmexTravel.com.
  • Earn 2X Membership Rewards® points per dollar spent on prepaid hotels and other eligible purchases booked on AmexTravel.com.
  • Earn 1X Membership Rewards® point per dollar spent on all other eligible purchases.
  • $120 Uber Cash on Gold: Add your Gold Card to your Uber account and get $10 in Uber Cash each month to use on orders and rides in the U.S. when you select an American Express Card for your transaction. That’s up to $120 Uber Cash annually. Plus, after using your Uber Cash, use your Card to earn 4X Membership Rewards® points for Uber Eats purchases made with restaurants or U.S. supermarkets. Point caps and terms apply.
  • $84 Dunkin' Credit: With the $84 Dunkin' Credit, you can earn up to $7 in monthly statement credits after you enroll and pay with the American Express® Gold Card at U.S. Dunkin' locations. Enrollment is required to receive this benefit.
  • $100 Resy Credit: Get up to $100 in statement credits each calendar year after you pay with the American Express® Gold Card to dine at U.S. Resy restaurants or make other eligible Resy purchases. That's up to $50 in statement credits semi-annually. Enrollment required.
  • $120 Dining Credit: Satisfy your cravings, sweet or savory, with the $120 Dining Credit. Earn up to $10 in statement credits monthly when you pay with the American Express® Gold Card at Grubhub, The Cheesecake Factory, Goldbelly, Wine.com, and Five Guys. Enrollment required.
  • Explore over 1,000 upscale hotels worldwide with The Hotel Collection and receive a $100 credit towards eligible charges* with every booking of two nights or more through AmexTravel.com. *Eligible charges vary by property.
  • No Foreign Transaction Fees.
  • Annual Fee is $325.
  • Terms Apply.