United and Continental Merge

[Guest Tony n Terrific]

I hope this merger will workout for the benefit of all. For Contienental, United and for its customers. The merger will save over $1 billion over 3 years and will provide service to 144 million people yearly to 59 countries and 370 destinations.

 

http://money.cnn.com/2010/05/03/news/compa...merge/index.htm

Edited May 3, 2010 by Tony n Terrific (see edit history)

[Stone]

I hope this merger will workout for the benefit of all. For Contienental, United and for its customers. The merger will save over $1 billion over 3 years and will provide service to 144 million people yearly to 59 countries and 370 destinations.

 

http://money.cnn.com/2010/05/03/news/compa...merge/index.htm

 

I heard the news. My first reaction is what will happen to my mileages accrued at both carriers. Are they (the combined companies) going to require 70K miles in your account to be eligible to a free round trip ticket between US and China, as it recenly increased from 60K miles to 65K miles?

 

My second thought is what will happen to the prices of US-China routes. Continental and UAL are both major carriers of US-China rountes. I hope this merger will not create any monopolistic power over prices.

[Guest Tony n Terrific]

I hope this merger will workout for the benefit of all. For Contienental, United and for its customers. The merger will save over $1 billion over 3 years and will provide service to 144 million people yearly to 59 countries and 370 destinations.

 

http://money.cnn.com/2010/05/03/news/compa...merge/index.htm

 

I heard the news. My first reaction is what will happen to my mileages accrued at both carriers. Are they (the combined companies) going to require 70K miles in your account to be eligible to a free round trip ticket between US and China, as it recenly increased from 60K miles to 65K miles?

 

My second thought is what will happen to the prices of US-China routes. Continental and UAL are both major carriers of US-China rountes. I hope this merger will not create any monopolistic power over prices.

The merger has been in the wind now for some weeks. I planned on going to Nanning at the end of May. The price R/T the 1st week of April was $1,112 todays price is $2,681 for the same flight on Continental. Greed is good. Air China was less for $2,014.

Ps. The fare on Continental today for the 1st week of September is nearly 50% less at $1351 R/T.

Edited May 3, 2010 by Tony n Terrific (see edit history)

[Stone]

This merger news is probably good for stock prices overall. But may not be so good for passengers or airline employees?

[dnoblett]

I hope this merger will workout for the benefit of all. For Contienental, United and for its customers. The merger will save over $1 billion over 3 years and will provide service to 144 million people yearly to 59 countries and 370 destinations.

 

http://money.cnn.com/2010/05/03/news/compa...merge/index.htm

 

I heard the news. My first reaction is what will happen to my mileages accrued at both carriers. Are they (the combined companies) going to require 70K miles in your account to be eligible to a free round trip ticket between US and China, as it recenly increased from 60K miles to 65K miles?

 

My second thought is what will happen to the prices of US-China routes. Continental and UAL are both major carriers of US-China rountes. I hope this merger will not create any monopolistic power over prices.

Thinking the same, in the past I used United twice to travel to China, they offered the best price, recently I booked my wife on Continental because they offered a lower airfare than United. With the merger this will reduce this price comparison option.

 

As for air miles, I have United Mileage account, the Continental flight will add miles to my United account because they were code share partners.

[tsap seui]

I hope this merger will workout for the benefit of all. For Contienental, United and for its customers. The merger will save over $1 billion over 3 years and will provide service to 144 million people yearly to 59 countries and 370 destinations.

 

http://money.cnn.com/2010/05/03/news/compa...merge/index.htm

 

I heard the news. My first reaction is what will happen to my mileages accrued at both carriers. Are they (the combined companies) going to require 70K miles in your account to be eligible to a free round trip ticket between US and China, as it recenly increased from 60K miles to 65K miles?

 

My second thought is what will happen to the prices of US-China routes. Continental and UAL are both major carriers of US-China rountes. I hope this merger will not create any monopolistic power over prices.

The merger has been in the wind now for some weeks. I planned on going to Nanning at the end of May. The price R/T the 1st week of April was $1,112 todays price is $2,681 for the same flight on Continental. Greed is good. Air China was less for $2,014.

Ps. The fare on Continental today for the 1st week of September is nearly 50% less at $1351 R/T.

 

Hey Tony, as you know, those prices jump all around as the plane fills up. Looking months out into the future will only get you high prices, it used to, years ago get you lower prices but that has changed.

 

I have a very simple formula that I use now, and as an example here is how my trip in late Feb of this year worked out...

 

In late Jan I started looking on the United and Continental websites, and the Travelocity site for both UA and Continental. United was $1,290 and COntinental was $1,350 on their websites, they were both a tad cheaper on Travelocity for the same flights.

 

I waited until two weeks out from when I wanted to fly and started looking daily at all 3. They all three started dropping just a little, then COntinental dropped to $857...the next morning I went to my travel agent, AAA, and bought the R/T ticket at that price. COntinental held that price for two days only, and went right back up to $1,300.

 

I had already gotten my visa, I knew that at the worst I would pay $1,300 something, so I played the game and watched the computer. The airlines almost ALWAYS do something like this a couple of weeks or less out from a flight date.

 

I just use AAA because I like the local people and they help me easlily get my visas, so, for $25 dollars I buy my ticket through them, but I do the legwork and find the prices...usually off of Travelocity, sometimes Continentals site, and rarely off of Uniteds site, as they seem to be okay with Travelocity under selling them.

 

You can always look at the seating and see how the plane is filling up, and if your mindset is, okay I know that I will at least pay XXX, then you can afford to wait...cause buddy, they DO drop the prices...for a very short time only.

 

Good luck with your upcoming trip.

 

tsap seui

[Guest Tony n Terrific]

I hope this merger will workout for the benefit of all. For Contienental, United and for its customers. The merger will save over $1 billion over 3 years and will provide service to 144 million people yearly to 59 countries and 370 destinations.

 

http://money.cnn.com/2010/05/03/news/compa...merge/index.htm

 

I heard the news. My first reaction is what will happen to my mileages accrued at both carriers. Are they (the combined companies) going to require 70K miles in your account to be eligible to a free round trip ticket between US and China, as it recenly increased from 60K miles to 65K miles?

 

My second thought is what will happen to the prices of US-China routes. Continental and UAL are both major carriers of US-China rountes. I hope this merger will not create any monopolistic power over prices.

The merger has been in the wind now for some weeks. I planned on going to Nanning at the end of May. The price R/T the 1st week of April was $1,112 todays price is $2,681 for the same flight on Continental. Greed is good. Air China was less for $2,014.

Ps. The fare on Continental today for the 1st week of September is nearly 50% less at $1351 R/T.

 

Hey Tony, as you know, those prices jump all around as the plane fills up. Looking months out into the future will only get you high prices, it used to, years ago get you lower prices but that has changed.

 

I have a very simple formula that I use now, and as an example here is how my trip in late Feb of this year worked out...

 

In late Jan I started looking on the United and Continental websites, and the Travelocity site for both UA and Continental. United was $1,290 and COntinental was $1,350 on their websites, they were both a tad cheaper on Travelocity for the same flights.

 

I waited until two weeks out from when I wanted to fly and started looking daily at all 3. They all three started dropping just a little, then COntinental dropped to $857...the next morning I went to my travel agent, AAA, and bought the R/T ticket at that price. COntinental held that price for two days only, and went right back up to $1,300.

 

I had already gotten my visa, I knew that at the worst I would pay $1,300 something, so I played the game and watched the computer. The airlines almost ALWAYS do something like this a couple of weeks or less out from a flight date.

 

I just use AAA because I like the local people and they help me easlily get my visas, so, for $25 dollars I buy my ticket through them, but I do the legwork and find the prices...usually off of Travelocity, sometimes Continentals site, and rarely off of Uniteds site, as they seem to be okay with Travelocity under selling them.

 

You can always look at the seating and see how the plane is filling up, and if your mindset is, okay I know that I will at least pay XXX, then you can afford to wait...cause buddy, they DO drop the prices...for a very short time only.

 

Good luck with your upcoming trip.

 

tsap seui

My SO told me the reason air fare is so high now is because of the Shanghai Expo coming up. Oh well I beat the airline before by buy a R/T tick to Shangai then buying a domestic flight in China to Nanning. By doing this, I saved the last time I flew over $400. Not this time.

Thanks Ronnie for the info on this. I always bought my ticket about a week before my flight. I just love the thrill of it all.

[george lee]

any reasons why not use cathay pacific airlines? i always use it and found it around 850 to 1000 R/T, service was nice and flight attendents are always top notch. the cheapest was 770 R/T 4 years ago. on my last trip, i was bumped to first class because of overbooking on economy class and accumulated 85,000 points so far. i used 40,000 to san fran R/T in march. cathay is partnered with AA so you can earn miles as well.

[Guest Tony n Terrific]

any reasons why not use cathay pacific airlines? i always use it and found it around 850 to 1000 R/T, service was nice and flight attendents are always top notch. the cheapest was 770 R/T 4 years ago. on my last trip, i was bumped to first class because of overbooking on economy class and accumulated 85,000 points so far. i used 40,000 to san fran R/T in march. cathay is partnered with AA so you can earn miles as well.

I live in Cincinnati-Dayton area. No Cathay here. Have to pick it up on the West coast I belive. I am at the mercy of the domestic carriers here in the Midwest. Bu Hao.

Besides if my wife would ever find out I spent $2K plus on an airline ticket should never talk to me in English again.

[tonado]

Pretty soon Delta will merge with American.

[shenzhen]

I hope this merger will workout for the benefit of all. For Contienental, United and for its customers. The merger will save over $1 billion over 3 years and will provide service to 144 million people yearly to 59 countries and 370 destinations.

 

http://money.cnn.com/2010/05/03/news/compa...merge/index.htm

 

I heard the news. My first reaction is what will happen to my mileages accrued at both carriers. Are they (the combined companies) going to require 70K miles in your account to be eligible to a free round trip ticket between US and China, as it recenly increased from 60K miles to 65K miles?

 

My second thought is what will happen to the prices of US-China routes. Continental and UAL are both major carriers of US-China rountes. I hope this merger will not create any monopolistic power over prices.

I've always used Delta because of living in the southeast close to ATL. I imagine this merger will play out like the Delta-Northwest one. They were code share partners so no one lost miles and requirements for free tickets did not change. The new mileage system is however the old Delta one.

 

Regarding flights to China the merger did reduce options and increase price. Used to I could fly directly from Shanghai or use Korean Air as code share partner and go from Hong Kong/Qingdao/etc. Now they force you to go through Japan using the old Northwest flight and their website only gives you the Hong Kong/Korean Air option as a high price (3-4X) alternative now.

 

It will save some money ... all on the back of the employees as they are kicked in the ass and booted out the door.

[Daviation]

any reasons why not use cathay pacific airlines? i always use it and found it around 850 to 1000 R/T, service was nice and flight attendents are always top notch. the cheapest was 770 R/T 4 years ago. on my last trip, i was bumped to first class because of overbooking on economy class and accumulated 85,000 points so far. i used 40,000 to san fran R/T in march. cathay is partnered with AA so you can earn miles as well.

I live in Cincinnati-Dayton area. No Cathay here. Have to pick it up on the West coast I belive. I am at the mercy of the domestic carriers here in the Midwest. Bu Hao.

Besides if my wife would ever find out I spent $2K plus on an airline ticket should never talk to me in English again.

 

Cathay does fly from New York. They are usually my favorite (probably flown them 25-30 times... lost count).

 

But just flew Hainan for the first time a few weeks ago. Quite good... and couldn't beat the price - $680 RT SEA to PEK.

[ktmracer]

Anybody that is a little short on miles for a free United trip, check around their site for a program called "Miles + Cash". Wife's trip in May with July return is 35,000 points + $468 for direct roundtrip to Beijing.

 

Also, there are no travel websites that offer cheaper United International flights than United direct. Yeah,Yeah, Blah, Blah some may say they do, but with 2-3 connections or other incidentals.

[tsap seui]

Anybody that is a little short on miles for a free United trip, check around their site for a program called "Miles + Cash". Wife's trip in May with July return is 35,000 points + $468 for direct roundtrip to Beijing.

 

Also, there are no travel websites that offer cheaper United International flights than United direct. Yeah,Yeah, Blah, Blah some may say they do, but with 2-3 connections or other incidentals.

 

I have never done more than one connection with any airline going to China, I refuse to take a flight that takes longer than a total 17 hours for me to get from Dulles International to Beijing. Usually fly a short hop to Newark and fly Continental to Beijing. Have flown direct, twice, on United from Dulles...opps, sorry to disagree, both times I got the cheapest United flights on Travelocity.

 

tsap seui

[ktmracer]

Anybody that is a little short on miles for a free United trip, check around their site for a program called "Miles + Cash". Wife's trip in May with July return is 35,000 points + $468 for direct roundtrip to Beijing.

 

Also, there are no travel websites that offer cheaper United International flights than United direct. Yeah,Yeah, Blah, Blah some may say they do, but with 2-3 connections or other incidentals.

 

I have never done more than one connection with any airline going to China, I refuse to take a flight that takes longer than a total 17 hours for me to get from Dulles International to Beijing. Usually fly a short hop to Newark and fly Continental to Beijing. Have flown direct, twice, on United from Dulles...opps, sorry to disagree, both times I got the cheapest United flights on Travelocity.

 

tsap seui

Travel velocity? yeah right, got any examples?

here's one:

http://travel.united.com/ube/shopInput.do?...ngPageFlag=true

 

http://travel.travelocity.com/flights/Sele...defaultCheckout

 

Both same dates, times, stops. Well, gotta ride, no biker posers here

that's right we ride to Sturgis, no trailers there uh Tsap.