Carrier also cuts bonus miles for OnePass elites

Continental has become the latest major carrier to institute a fee for checking just one bag. The carrier said that effective for travel October 7 and later, passengers on discount economy class tickets will have to pay $15 for the first checked bag; Continental already charges $25 for a second checked bag. The first-bag fee will not apply to first class or business class flyers, OnePass and SkyTeam elites, full-fare economy passengers or military personnel. With the change, Continental joins a number of other airlines with a $15 fee for the first checked bag, including American, United, Northwest, US Airways, Midwest and Spirit. Airlines that still don’t charge a fee for the first bag include Delta, Southwest, Alaska, AirTran, Frontier, JetBlue and Virgin America. Meanwhile Continental also said that starting with travel in March 2009, for tickets bought on or after November 15, it intends to reduce the amount of bonus miles that it gives to many OnePass elite-level members, in addition to their actual flight miles. Platinum-level members will get a 100 percent bonus instead of the current 125 percent; and Silver elites will receive a 25 percent mileage bonus, down from the current 50 percent. “Bonus miles for Gold elite members will remain unchanged at 100 percent,” Continental said. In another OnePass change, starting January 1, members will no longer earn a minimum 500 miles for any flight regardless of distance; instead, they will earn the actual mileage flown.