onepass ends dec. 31

United/Continental announces merger of frequent flyer programs, but what does itmean?

JRL knows how to beat the frequent flyer system...
Photo via Justin Ross Lee/Facebook
That's one way to get spousal benefits.
Photo via Justin Ross Lee/Facebook

"United Continental Holdings Introduces 2012 Mileageplus Loyalty Program [!!!!!!]"

Such was the declaration atop a press release Wednesday morning attempting to vaguely address the biggest question on everyone's minds since the merger was announced: What the dickens is going to happen to my frequent flyer miles?

Well, a program has been put in place for 2012 that will include four levels of member status for frequent flyers with access to the usual goods — upgrades, checked baggage allowances, line-skipping, etc. Also beginning in 2012, customers with eligible Chase OnePass (Continental) credit cards will have access to the same award redemptions.

But as of now, you can't use any of your frequent flyer miles — OnePass for Continental, Mileage Plus for United — to book flights on the other airline. I know this painfully well, because my 57-year-old father has never operated a computer, and I act as his travel secretary (as well as his administrative assistant and professional keeper of correspondence).

Continental's OnePass program doesn't officially end until Dec. 31, so until then, consider your frequent flyer miles for Continental and United separate entities. (In the first quarter of 2012, United will automatically enroll OnePass members into the new combined MileagePlus program and essentially transfer over any remaining miles, giving each new account a balance equal to whatever balance was leftover in the OnePass account.)

It seems fair-ish enough, but if you've flown recently and had any sort of hold-up, you know that United/Continental Customer Service has already merged. Frequent flyer miles = separate. Customer Service (the folks you talk to about frequent flyer problems) = merged. Not the most effective.

Also sucky? The new MileagePlus miles will expire in 18 months, unlike the old OnePass miles that you could keep forever. The miles will only expire if your account is inactive, but that does mean you have to keep using your United/Continental credit card and buying stuff to keep from losing the miles if you don't fly.

It's not all bad, but none of the perks take place for another few months. Among the things to look forward to: United/Continental is merging its Million Miler-type programs and extending spousal benefits to people who've earned a million or more frequent flyer miles.

At the beginning of the year, Continental and United will each determine their members' lifetime earnings based on the miles they've earned since joining the respective programs. Travelers who have accounts with both airlines will have their miles pooled, and people who are found to have earned a million miles or more can extend premier benefits to their spouse or significant other.

Hey Justin Ross Lee, can I get a date?

unspecified

Self-driving Roller Coaster

More self-driving cars expected to roll out in Austin for 2025

Photo courtesy of Waymo via KVUE

Various brands offering self-driving cars are on-and-off in Austin.

Expect to see more self-driving rideshare vehicles, also known as robotaxis, on Austin roads next year.

Robotaxi company Waymo, which you may have already seen on Austin's roads, is partnering with Uber. At some point next year, customers will be able to use the Uber app to call a self-driving ride.

Austin-based company Avride is in the testing phase and plans to roll out its robotaxis next year.

Currently, Volkswagen ADMT and Amazon's Zoox are in the testing phase in Austin, while Hyundai's Motional is in the mapping phase.

Last year, robotaxi company Cruise paused operations in Austin after the California Department of Motor Vehicles revoked the company's permits to operate driverless vehicles in the state. And last week, General Motors said it would no longer fund the company because of the time and resources needed.

This way of getting around has come with its safety concerns and issues. The city is tracking those concerns. According to the Transportation Department, the problems span from blocking the roads and parking in front of people's homes for weeks with lights beaming through their windows, to actual wrecks.

Since July 2023, robotaxis have been involved in 75 incidents. Only 21 of those incidents happened in 2024. It's important to note that Cruise has not been operating in Austin this year.

Since July 2023, driverless rideshare vehicles have been involved in 22 near collisions, eight collisions and seven instances where driverless taxis ignored directions from the Austin Police Department (APD).

According to the data, at least four of those Austin police incidents happened in recent months. The issues varied from driving through police checkpoints, to malfunctioning and getting stuck at an APD road closure near pedestrians, causing safety concerns.

A Waymo spokesperson said their vehicles have gesture recognition capabilities, which they've been training APD officers on using.

As the report shows, sometimes it does not work and Waymo said it is working to improve that. The spokesperson said that as of just last week, Waymo's First Responder Program has been independently verified by TÜV SÜD, making Waymo the first autonomous vehicle (AV) company to receive third-party validation for our emergency response protocols. They also said the data to date indicates the Waymo Driver is already reducing traffic injuries and fatalities in the places where the company currently operates.

Read the full story and watch the video at KVUE.com.

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