Airline packages premium services

By Dan Reed
USA Today

In search of more high-fare-paying passengers, Continental Airlines will give preferred customers special check-in and security lanes, allow them to cut in front of others at the gate, and won't assign them middle seats.

Continental CEO Gordon Bethune told reporters yesterday that the airline now sells only 36 percent of its tickets at the prices historically paid by business travelers. That's down from 45 percent of tickets sold at those prices in the boom years of business travel in the late 1990s and early 2000.

"I hope this generates more customer loyalty," he said. "And that should get us a higher average fare."

Technically, the specific package of ground services that Continental will market under the "EliteAccess" program name is unique in the industry. But all five of the other big U.S. airlines — already provide their own combinations of similar services to top customers.

Continental previously provided most of those same services to its high-mileage frequent fliers. Now, the airline is extending those services, plus a couple more, to passengers traveling on full-price coach tickets, even if they aren't members of its frequent-flier program.

"This is nothing to write home about," said Terry Trippler, an air travel prices expert and online columnist at CheapSeats.com.

Continental and other carriers are "grasping at anything they can, and making big announcements to show that they're doing something for their frequent fliers," he says.

The EliteAccess program offers Continental's premium fliers:

• Faster check-in and ticketing at designated counters and automated kiosks.
• Expedited security screening at some airports.
• Priority lanes at airport gates that will allow EliteAccess travelers to move to the head of the line.
• A no-middle-seat guarantee.
• Bag tags ensuring first-on-the-carousel baggage service.