Now that Continental Airlines is part of the Star Alliance, OnePass Elite members have access to more lounges, perks in more cities, and perhaps most importantly, a new connection with United Airlines.

By the middle of 2010, the two major carriers hope to implement “reciprocal Elite access to upgrades and priority seating on both airlines…” This means that “OnePass Elite members will have access to unlimited domestic upgrades as well as priority seating in United’s Economy Plus cabin on purchased tickets when space is available.” Visit Continental Airlines for more details.

The response to United’s new “free unlimited domestic upgrades” hasn’t been entirely positive. There are those that say it will actually make it more difficult (or almost impossible in some cases) to actually get an upgrade. However, as a new perk, does it make things more appealing for Continental Airlines OnePass Elite members? Let us know where you stand.

Continental Airlines isn’t the only carrier with a mileage program push going on right now, but they are the only carrier with a “Mileathon” up and running. What is a “Mileathon” you ask? Well, in this case, it’s a promotion that gives Continental’s OnePass members a chance to win up to 100,000 bonus miles “plus a dream vacation.”

The promo runs from Sept. 1 to Nov. 30, 2009. Visit Continental Airlines for all of the details.

Don’t want to make the drive between the City and Newark? Continental Airlines understands. That’s why they’re offering helicopter service between Newark Liberty and Manhattan for a promotional fare of $59+ one-way. Here are the details from Continental’s website:

“For purchases from Aug. 10, 2009, through Sept. 30, 2009, Continental is offering a special for US Helicopter service between Newark Liberty (EWR) and Manhattan for $59* one way in addition to your fare to/from Newark Liberty Airport on Continental. You’ll also earn 500 miles for each US Helicopter codeshare segment between Newark Liberty and Manhattan.”

Visit Continental Airlines to learn more about your helicopter options.

Continental Airlines has launched a BusinessFirst class special to Asia from their hub in Newark. These BusinessFirst deals are good for travel between June 3 and August 16, 2009. You’ll find discounted fares to Beijing, Shanghai, Hong Kong, and Tokyo. Flights to Beijing are the cheapest, starting as low as $3,076+ R/T.

Continental’s BusinessFirst class service features gourmet meals, personal entertainment systems, access to Continental’s 26 Presidents Clubs, and more. Check out Continental Airlines’ Press Release for more details on their latest deals to Asia.

Continental Airlines is celebrating their new route from New York/Newark (EWR) to Shanghai with a special deal for its OnePass members.

Frequent Fliers who register for the offer and fly from March 25 through May 31, 2009 can earn up to 10,000 bonus miles. Here’s how your earning potential breaks down:

• 10,000 bonus miles on all qualifying round trips purchased and flown in J, D or Z classes of service
• 5,000 bonus miles on all qualifying round trips purchased and flown in Y, B, M, H or K classes of service
• 2,500 bonus miles on a qualifying round trips purchased and flown in Q, U, V, G, W, E, S, T, N or L classes of service

Visit Continental Airlines OnePass Promotions for more details, and use the promo code 57003.

Whether you’re interested in heading off to Europe now or taking that dream vacation this summer, Continental Airlines can get you there in the luxury of BusinessFirst class for less.

The carrier’s current business class/first class Europe airfare sale features deals to destinations including Paris, London, and Rome. You’ll find two sets of sale airfares from Newark, Houston, and Cleveland. The lowest airfares are good for travel between June 28 and Sept. 4, but you can still find deals on flights from February 2 to April 17.

Summer flights require a 60-day advance purchase, and February to April flights require a 14-day advance purchase. Visit Continental Airlines Offers for more details and a complete list of destinations.

Use FareCompare Maps to find the lowest filed airfares to Europe from your hometown.

Continental Airlines is offering low airfare to destinations throughout Asia in economy class. Along with these recent deals, the carrier is also offering special BusinessFirst airfares to Tokyo.

You’ll find BusinessFirst flights between Newark and Tokyo for $3,781+ R/T. Once onboard the Boeing 777, you’ll enjoy entertainment in your armrest with a console that features multi-language video and audio channels (select flights will have video on demand options). Continental BusinessFirst seats also offer up to 6 1/2 feet of sleeping space, privacy hoods, laptop plug-ins and more.

Visit Continental Airlines Offers for more details, and search FareCompare’s “getaway” maps to find the lowest filed airfares to Asia from your home airport.

Sure, flying into Newark Liberty can often help you save some money, and it can help you avoid a little of the insanity of JFK (Liberty’s not the most relaxing of airports in its own right), but it still leaves you in that age-old quandary: How do you get from Newark to Manhattan?

You can take shuttles, public transportation, a cab, or have some really good friends give up their afternoon and make the trek out to pick you up and drive you into the city. Or you could just hop on a helicopter.

For a limited time, Continental Airlines is offering complimentary+ US helicopter flights from Newark to Manhattan for first class and full-fare economy passengers. You’ll still pay taxes and fees (about $27 per segment), but you’ll avoid all of that traffic.

“The special offer is effective immediately for tickets purchased on or after Sept. 1 for travel through Oct. 31, 2008. Customers previously ticketed to travel within these dates may add the US Helicopter service at the discounted fare. No advance purchase is required.” (from MarketWatch)

Passengers with discount economy airline tickets can take the helicopter flight at a discounted $45+ (per segment) while the special lasts. Continental already offers complimentary helicopter flights to BusinessFirst customers traveling between Liberty and a number of international destinations, but this special opens up the “free” rides to the rest of the first class travelers out there.

Visit US Helicopter Partners for more details.

Last week, when Continental Airlines announced that they would be adding a first checked bag fee, they also announced that they would be doing away with the old 500 minimum mile policy for frequent flyers. This is the policy that ensured you could pick up at least 500 miles on a flight regardless of the flight’s actual distance. It’s a policy that made even the shortest hops somewhat worthwhile from a mileage perspective.

Continental Airlines, like US Airways and United Airlines before them, will now base frequent flyer miles on the actual number of miles flown on flights under 500 miles. This means less miles, and it makes those short hops a little less appealing for frequent flyers.

Our CEO took an in depth look at what the loss of this policy means in actual mileage numbers for frequent flyers. The 500 minimum remains with three of the legacy airlines, but with three already going the other way, it might not be too long before the 500 mile minimum is simply a thing of the past.

Read Impact of 500 Mile Minimum Frequent Flier Policy Changes to see how these recent changes can affect your frequent flyer rewards and status.

Changes to Continental Airlines OnePass program take effect today. These changes don’t involve new fees, but are focused on capacity control, seat availability, and EasyPass rewards for frequent flyers:

“Effective Sept. 3, 2008, EasyPass Rewards for travel on Continental will be subject to capacity controls, and seats may not be available on certain flights where demand is high.” ( from Continental OnePass)

It’s important to note that these changes will not affect OnePass Elite members.

Over the past several months, we’ve seen additional fees, increased reward requirements, and a slew of other changes to a number of legacy carrier frequent flyer programs. We’ll keep you updated as other changes occur. We would love to hear from frequent flyers to gauge how they view these changes and whether or not they feel these changes have diminished the worth of their frequent flyer status.

Continental Airlines has “low” airfare on select flights from Newark to destinations in Asia including Hong Kong, Beijing, and Tokyo.

While onboard, you’ll enjoy all of the luxury and comfort of Continental’s BusinessFirst. You can recline, stretch out, watch on-demand movies and TV shows, enjoy fine cuisine, and the added room that you need on longhaul flights.

BusinessFirst airfares to Asia (even if they have been lowered) aren’t for everybody. These flights will still run you over $3,000+ R/T. However, the carrier is also offering low economy airfare to Asia, so visit Continental Airlines Offers to find a flight to Asia that works for you.

Honeymooners, adventurers, beach lovers, and those who just love to try their luck at the casinos, flock to Belize each year. Its natural beauty, world class resorts, and air of pure relaxation make it the perfect getaway from the stresses of everyday life.

Continental Airlines Vacations is making it a little easier for you to plan your escape, by offering airfare and hotel vacation packages to Belize for travel from 09/26/08 - 10/16/08. You’ll find vacation packages for as low as $859+ per person. It includes roundtrip airfare and three nights at the The Princess Hotel and Casino.

You have to book by September 1st, 2008, so if you’ve been holding off on planning your perfect vacation, now is the time to do it.

Visit Continental Airlines Vacations to learn more about these Belize vacation packages.

Make traveling to Europe an experience — an experience in comfort and luxury — on Continental’s business class flights. And, save money.

There are restrictions; travel must be completed by Sept. 5, and there is a 7-day minimum stay (that won’t be hard).

But just look at these prices for 30-day advance purchase:

• Newark to Heathrow, $999+ one-way
• Newark to Edinburgh, $999+ one-way
• Newark to Dublin, $999+ one-way
• Newark to Paris, 1099+ one-way

You’ll also save — just not as much — with a 14-day advance purchase:

• Newark to Heathrow, $1281+ one-way
• Newark to Edinburgh, $1466+ one-way
• Newark to Dublin, $1512+ one-way
• Newark to Paris, $1697+ one-way

There are also departures from Cleveland and Houston, plus lots more European cities to go to, so click here for all the details.

The holidays are still months away, but it’s not too soon to start planning your Thanksgiving and Christmas vacations. Continental Airlines filed BusinessFirst airfares on June 6th that will take to you Europe for less than economy prices. You’ll find business class deals to cities throughout the Continent for select travel dates in November and December.

Please visit RickSeaney.com for more details.

Continental Airlines’ BusinessFirst Airfare Sale is still in full swing and you can still find great business class deals to Europe.

There are actually two business class European airfare sales at work here. Continental Airlines is offering different airfares for 14-day advance purchase and 30-day advance purchase. Both business class airfare sales offer deals from New York (EWR) to cities throughout Europe including London, Edinburgh, Geneva, and Paris.

Keep reading for sample business class airfares to Europe…

Whether you’re heading over to catch a glimpse of the Olympic Village before the Games begin, or you just want to spend the summer exploring the wonders of Beijing, Continental Airlines can help you fly there in business class luxury for less.

Continental Airlines is Beijing from New York, Cleveland, Boston, and Atlanta.

With a 15-day advance purchase and a minimum stay of eight days, you’ll find business class flights for as low as $1,544+ each-way. Prices are good for travel from June 10th to July 18th.

Keep reading for sample business class airfare to Beijing on Continental Airlines…

These days, you can pretty much pick up frequent flier miles for eating, shopping, and just about anything else if you have the right credit card. You can still also earn bonus miles through a range of vacation packages.

Continental Airlines is currently is offering bonus miles to their OnePass members for their cruise vacation packages. The carrier offers deals on a number of cruise lines including Celebrity, Royal Caribbean, and Carnival.

Keep reading for a breakdown of OnePass miles available through Continental Airlines cruise vacation packages…

Over the past several weeks, we’ve been taking a look at international business class cabins on a range of U.S. and EU-based carriers. As more routes open up to airlines on both sides of the Pond, we’re seeing business class redesigns and added amenities almost across the board.

Today, we’re focusing on Continental Airlines and their Boeing 757 international business class offerings. You can enjoy a bit of luxury on the 757 on flights to Barcelona, Belfast, Berlin, Birmingham, and more.

Keep reading for a glimpse of the perks you’ll find on Continental Airlines international business class…

Earlier this week, we highlighted Continental Airlines’ business class airfare to Europe. We also looked at some of the cheap business class flights on British Airways.

Continental Airlines has offered this airfare sale regularly for the last six years or so, and the deals are always good. Some of Continental’s European competitors have regularly matched (or come relatively close) to matching airline ticket prices on several routes, as well. But, as Joe Brancatelli points out on Joe Sent Me, for some reason this year the Continental airfare sale seems to lack some of the excitement it’s had in the past…

Yesterday, we highlighted some low business class airfares to London from British Airways. Well, if London isn’t your ideal destination for a European vacation, Continental Airlines can get you to a range of other cities in business class for less.

You’ll find airline tickets for as low as $799+ each-way to cities in Spain, Norway, Switzerland, Italy, Ireland, and more. Keep reading for booking details…