In an apparent response to the offer by United Airlines for Mileage Plus frequent flier members to earn double elite qualification miles on United Airlines flights as reported yesterday in The Gate, Continental Airlines is offering a similar promotion as Double EQM Offer posted to CO.com with one notable difference as compared to the United Airlines offer: future flights already booked retroactively will also count towards the earning of double elite qualification miles, or EQMs, for all Continental Airlines OnePass members.

United Airlines suddenly announced, to the chagrin of FlyerTalk members who already purchased flights for the year, a double elite qualification miles, or EQMs, promotion. Earning double the amount of elite qualification miles on flights means that one can earn elite status in the Mileage Plus program on United Airlines in half the time it takes to do so normally.

While there are indeed some FlyerTalk members who were unhappy with the sudden announcement because they wished they would have known about it in advance so that they could plan and schedule their flights to take better advantage of this generous promotion, many other FlyerTalk members are thrilled and are planning their flights as you are reading this.

Find out all of the details and commentary in the United Double EQM – Travel dates: March 19, 2009 – June 15, 2009 thread.

What if a hotel property does not honor a reservation booked at the Internet web site of the hotel chain of which it is a part? Is the reservation a contract with the hotel chain or with the property itself? Does the hotel guest have any recourse?

FlyerTalk member Flying Lawyer raises interesting and controversial legal issues currently being discussed regarding “The property abides by whatever their local innskeeper laws say are appropriate”, which in this case deals with a hotel property that is part of Starwood Hotels and Resorts worldwide. Should future hotel guests be genuinely concerned, or is it possible that the issues being raised are simply being overanalyzed and taken out of context by FlyerTalk members who are merely jumping to conclusions?

Should you book your next hotel room with the central reservations of a hotel chain, with the hotel property directly, or with a travel agent?

FlyerTalk member goldelite8 is steamed about the possible half-baked idea that Continental Airlines may no longer be shelling out the dough to supply cinnamon rolls aboard their flights. The icing on the Cinnamon Buns issue is that it is not known at this time whether this is a permanent or temporary policy, or if it was simply an oversight, but at yeast you can be sure that goldelite8 will rise up to the occasion and pan along to find out more about this sticky situation.

Why did British Airways refuse an offer of £500 to upgrade when there were plenty of seats available?

While it may be possible that as more people read The Gate, the search for information may increase, that is not the “gate searches” to which is being referred here.

Rather, the Transportation Security Administration, or TSA, announced that there will be More Gate Searches in Store for Fliers.

Take one guess regarding how the majority of FlyerTalk members opine regarding this topic.

As for the idea that there will be will be More Gate Searches in Store for Fliers, The Gate believes that searches might possibly be more effective at an airport than in a store regarding airport security.

FlyerTalk member WGretzky is wondering about Dublin and St Patricks Day and how big the celebration is there, while FlyerTalk member techgirl is wondering similar thoughts about St. Patricks Day in Sydney….

The Hilton HHonors Card from American Express brings you an opportunity to be one of 1,000 winners in the Hilton Advance your world Challenge by competing courses in an interactive race through seven locations worldwide and vying to achieve the shortest duration of time completing all seven courses. Prizes include Hilton HHonors points, Diamond VIP status, and cash.

However, FlyerTalk members report problems regarding cheating and technical flaws in this now-controversial promotion, on which some FlyerTalk members have spent countless hours attempting in vain to secure their spot as one of the prize winners.

Has FlyerTalk gone mad? An op-up to first class is the holy grail for many, so why would some FTers be discussing whether or not they would refuse an upgrade to F?

A new FT blog starts today on the consumer version of Amazing Race (developed by an FTer), with 7 fully or partly sponsored generously by Randy. Racing starts this Sunday.  Over to Randy for the first posts on the travel competition blog.