Scott O’Leary, Managing Director, Customer Experience for Continental Airlines and known these days for being “The CO Insider” on FlyerTalk recently posted this update for the new policy regarding exit row seating for Platinum and Gold OnePass members.
“Well, just when this topic was sinking to page three, we’re going to stir things up once again. I’d first like to thank many of you for your feedback regarding our exit row pre-assignment policy. The feedback from our customers, especially here on FlyerTalk, is something we do take to heart. As I’m sure you’ve read in many of the posts from this thread, there were a lot of good suggestions as to how we might re-shape this policy. In turn, we modeled many of the suggested scenarios, and ultimately decided on a change that shouldn’t dilute this benefit and won’t be complicated.
Effective today, we’ve updated our exit row pre-assignment policy to include our OnePass Platinum and Gold Elite members, Northwest WorldPerks Platinum and Gold Elite members and to SkyTeam Elite Plus members from our other SkyTeam Partners. All remaining customers will still be able to assign Exit Rows at check-in, including online check-in at continental.com. Here are some important details to note:
1. It’s not yet available online for some of you. Until we’re able to change this logic at continental.com (which will likely be Q1 2007), all OnePass Gold Elites, WorldPerks Platinum and Gold Elites and other SkyTeam Plus members will need make these requests over the phone. In the mean time, only OnePass Platinums will have access to assigning exit rows in advance online.
2. We’ve just started to communicate this change. This updated policy is very new and is still very much in the process of being circulated internally. As with any time we change a policy, it sometimes takes a little time for it to fully circulate to our front line. Please be sensitive to this when calling in, especially over the next week.
Thank you again for your feedback. We really do appreciate it.”
It looks like both FlyerTalk and OnePass should be given high marks for helping shape new policies in today’s world of interactive communications among the members of such programs and the programs themselves.
