FAQ No. 3 for Aegean Miles & Bonus: How many Miles&Bonus miles will I earn?
Jul 30, 2012, 4:25 pm
#1
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Original Poster
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FAQ No. 3 for Aegean Miles & Bonus: How many Miles&Bonus miles will I earn?
How to calculate miles earned to M&B
Short version
1. Find the distance flown
2. Find the fare class
3. For each segment, locate the fare class in your airline's table on A3's site
Long version
This topic may be very well known to many, but this forum has had quite a few questions/misunderstandings/rants of how many miles a certain flight earns on A3, so I decided to write it down in detail. Even if it is in boring detail, if you are the least unsure on how to calculate miles, read this and hopefully you will avoid future disappointments.
When you fly a Aegean or a Star alliance partner flight, you will earn both tier-miles and award-miles on the A3 program. Here is a method of calculating the exact number of miles you will earn.
1. Find the distance flown *)
This number should be
a) obtained from the operating carrier,
b) quoted segment by segment,
c) quoted in miles and
d) without any kind of bonuses added.
b) quoted segment by segment,
c) quoted in miles and
d) without any kind of bonuses added.
Why?
a) Different carriers have different sources of information and thus may have different views of how long the distance is. Some uses the IATA table, some uses great circle distance, some uses a proprietary table. It is operating carriers view of the distance that determines how many miles you will earn.
If you are not bothered with the exact miles you can use the great circle distance. Just be prepared that earned miles may be higher or lower than this value.
b) Some carrier have their earnings table split into regions, like domestic, shorthaul and longhaul, and the earnings rules may differ for each region. So if you do a 2 segment trip, each segment may have completely different earnings rules.
(One segment is usually defined as a trip with one flight number. It is considered one segment even if you land one or more times, and fly on one or more planes as long as it has one flight number. In this special case you need to get the direct distance from origin to destination as if you didn't fly via anything. You will not earn miles for your factual route, but for the direct path between segment origin and destination
If you land and get on another plane with a new flight number, you have started a new segment.)
c) Because M&B is mile based. If you get qouted in km, you can multiply by 0,6214 to get an estimate (yes, that is a decimal comma. If you don't know what that is, you can safely multiply by 0.6214 instead :-)
d) Because you need the actual milage for each leg to do the calculation. If you use a milage calculator from any FF program, it will usually add bonuses for class of service and tier status and so on. That will completely screw your calculation up, as these bonuses only apply if you credit to that program. Especially meilenrechner.de or meilenrechner.ch have tricked many. If you use it, make sure you get the miles from a 100% earning class for a member without any tier bonus.
If you are not bothered with the exact miles you can use the great circle distance. Just be prepared that earned miles may be higher or lower than this value.
b) Some carrier have their earnings table split into regions, like domestic, shorthaul and longhaul, and the earnings rules may differ for each region. So if you do a 2 segment trip, each segment may have completely different earnings rules.
(One segment is usually defined as a trip with one flight number. It is considered one segment even if you land one or more times, and fly on one or more planes as long as it has one flight number. In this special case you need to get the direct distance from origin to destination as if you didn't fly via anything. You will not earn miles for your factual route, but for the direct path between segment origin and destination
If you land and get on another plane with a new flight number, you have started a new segment.)
c) Because M&B is mile based. If you get qouted in km, you can multiply by 0,6214 to get an estimate (yes, that is a decimal comma. If you don't know what that is, you can safely multiply by 0.6214 instead :-)
d) Because you need the actual milage for each leg to do the calculation. If you use a milage calculator from any FF program, it will usually add bonuses for class of service and tier status and so on. That will completely screw your calculation up, as these bonuses only apply if you credit to that program. Especially meilenrechner.de or meilenrechner.ch have tricked many. If you use it, make sure you get the miles from a 100% earning class for a member without any tier bonus.
2. Find the operating carriers fare class
If your ticket is marketed and operated by the same airline, this is normally easily found, quoted on your ticket and/or in the booking process.
However, if your flight is a codeshare flight, this task may be tricky. The fare class you are quoted when you buy a codeshare ticket is the marketing carrier's fare class. It may or may not be the fare class that your ticket is issued under on the operating carrier. Sometimes the marketing airline maps the real fare class to one of their own, and sometimes they use the operating carriers fare class as is. There is no standard way of finding out which, but sometimes one can obtain the booking reference on the operating carrier and from that work out the fare class.
Here is a repository of user reported fare class mappings, which may or may not help you finding fare class on codeshares:
http://www.wandr.me/Tools/StarAllian...e_Mapping.aspx
3. For each segment, find the earnings from A3's site
https://en.aegeanair.com/milesandbon.../all-airlines/
Go to A3 and find the chart for your operating carrier. For *A partners, you need to click on the airlines logo, otherwise the table is not shown. Make sure you find the current table, as sometimes an older version co-exists. If the chart is devided into regions, look under the correct region sub chart for each leg. Find the fare class you obtained in #2.
If there is an accrual factor, multiply the segment miles by the factor. If the result is lower than the minimum (should there be such a column) you will get the value under minimum instead. Do not apply accrual factor to minimum values, as this is already done in the table.
If there instead is a "Flat miles" value, you get the flat miles value for the segment, regardless of distance flown. Do not apply accrual factor to flat miles.
Warning: If you cannot find the booking class under the operating carrier chart, the earning is 0 miles. Especially many 'P' fare classes does not earn, even though the service class is business.
Do not multiply your miles with any other factors. A3 M&B-program does not have any bonus factors that is not shown in the table. Operating carriers bonus factors only applies to their own programs and not to A3.
--
For some *A carriers, there are many different subsidiaries operating flights for the main airline. Some of these operators earns according to main airline chart some does not. Here is an incomplete list of subsidiaries that earns on M&B:
- LH flights operated by EW, EN, IQ, CL earn miles according to LH table in A3 chart. Some reports says LH9xxx flights op by EN does not earn, due to not being *A flights.
- UA List of flight numbers that earns
- SK flights operated by KF earns according to SK table in A3 chart.
- SK flights operated by LH, incomplete list of fare class mappings
*)
Based on recent FT reports it seems like Lufthansa's connecting train rides may as well earn points. They seem to earn according to normal flight table
Last edited by intuition; May 25, 2015 at 6:30 am Reason: Word of caution on some LH op by EN
Jul 30, 2012, 4:25 pm
#2
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Original Poster
Join Date: May 2011
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Posts: 14,175
Some useful tools for calculating distance
Tools that uses approximations and/or collected data
http://www.owenrudge.net/utils/starcalc/?p=A3
Developed by orudge, present on this board. Uses calculated distances and will evaluate flights on all *-partners into M&B miles.
http://www.webflyer.com/travel/mileage_calculator/
http://gc.kls2.com/ alt. http://www.gcmap.com/
Arithmetically calculates the shortest distance between airports, based on a proprietary database of airport coordinates. Results are usually within +/- 100 miles of the operating carriers table.
http://www.milecalc.com/
Uses calculated distances. Will also try to calculate earnings in american FF programs, which can be useful for finding which program earns best.
http://www.usatoday.com/travel/fligh...calculator.htm
Uses both calculated and table data from airlines
Straight from the horse's mouth - a few airline's distance tables
TK
https://www4.thy.com/tkmiles/earn.tk?lang=en
Use class "Economy" to get flown miles. Sometimes you need to be logged on to get results, other times it works just fine.
LH
Use "Economy class - Semi flexible" to get base miles. Do not use for shorthaul flights, as it will display minimums and not actual. Requires flash
http://www.meilenrechner.de/earn_miles.php?language=eng
LX
Use "Economy class - Semi flexible" to get base miles. Do not use for shorthaul flights, as it will display minimums and not actual. Requires flash
http://www.meilenrechner.ch/earn_miles.php?language=eng
http://www.owenrudge.net/utils/starcalc/?p=A3
Developed by orudge, present on this board. Uses calculated distances and will evaluate flights on all *-partners into M&B miles.
http://www.webflyer.com/travel/mileage_calculator/
http://gc.kls2.com/ alt. http://www.gcmap.com/
Arithmetically calculates the shortest distance between airports, based on a proprietary database of airport coordinates. Results are usually within +/- 100 miles of the operating carriers table.
http://www.milecalc.com/
Uses calculated distances. Will also try to calculate earnings in american FF programs, which can be useful for finding which program earns best.
http://www.usatoday.com/travel/fligh...calculator.htm
Uses both calculated and table data from airlines
Straight from the horse's mouth - a few airline's distance tables
TK
https://www4.thy.com/tkmiles/earn.tk?lang=en
Use class "Economy" to get flown miles. Sometimes you need to be logged on to get results, other times it works just fine.
LH
Use "Economy class - Semi flexible" to get base miles. Do not use for shorthaul flights, as it will display minimums and not actual. Requires flash
http://www.meilenrechner.de/earn_miles.php?language=eng
LX
Use "Economy class - Semi flexible" to get base miles. Do not use for shorthaul flights, as it will display minimums and not actual. Requires flash
http://www.meilenrechner.ch/earn_miles.php?language=eng
Last edited by intuition; Aug 3, 2012 at 1:50 pm
Jul 30, 2012, 8:41 pm
#3
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Join Date: Sep 2009
Location: Minneapolis: DL DM charter 2.3MM
Programs: A3*Gold, SPG Plat, HyattDiamond, MarriottPP, LHW exAccess, ICI, Raffles Amb, NW PE MM, TWA Gold MM
Posts: 100,413
Foreword
This topic may be very well known to many, but this forum has had quite a few questions/misunderstandings/rants of how many miles a certain flight earns on A3, so I decided to write it down in detail. Even if it is in boring detail, if you are the least unsure on how to calculate miles, read this and hopefully you will avoid future disappointments.
When you fly a Aegean or a Star alliance partner flight, you will earn both tier-miles and award-miles on the A3 program. Here is a method of calculating the exact number of miles you will earn.
1. Find the distance flown
This number should be
Why?
2. Find the operating carriers fare class
If your ticket is marketed and operated by the same airline, this is normally easily found, quoted on your ticket and/or in the booking process.
However, if your flight is a codeshare flight, this task may be tricky. The fare class you are qouted when you buy a codeshare ticket is the marketing carrier's fare class. It may or may not be the fare class that your ticket is issued under on the operating carrier. Sometimes the marketing airline maps the real fare class to one of their own, and sometimed they use the operating carriers fare class as is. There is no standard way of finding out which, but sometimes one can obtain the booking reference on the operating carrier and from that work out the fare class.
Many times there is no problem at all but if earnings are important to you, you should find out this or maybe stay away from codeshares for this flight.
3. For each segment, find the earnings from A3's site
http://en.aegeanair.com/milesandbonu...on/earn-miles/
Go to A3 and find the chart for your operating carrier. Make sure you find the current one, as sometimes an older version co-exists. If the chart is devided into regions, look under the correct region sub chart for each leg. Find the fare class you obtained in #2.
If there is an accrual factor, multiply the segment miles by the factor. If the result is lower than the minimum (should there be such a column) you will get the value under minimum instead. Do not apply accrual factor to minimum values, as this is already done in the table.
If there instead is a "Flat miles" value, you get the flat miles value for the segment, regardless of distance flown. Do not apply accrual factor to flat miles.
Warning: If you cannot find the booking class under the operating carrier chart, the earning is 0 miles.
Do not multiply your miles with any other factors. A3 M&B-program does not have any bonus factors that is not shown in the table. Operating carriers bonus factors only applies to their own programs and not to A3.
This topic may be very well known to many, but this forum has had quite a few questions/misunderstandings/rants of how many miles a certain flight earns on A3, so I decided to write it down in detail. Even if it is in boring detail, if you are the least unsure on how to calculate miles, read this and hopefully you will avoid future disappointments.
When you fly a Aegean or a Star alliance partner flight, you will earn both tier-miles and award-miles on the A3 program. Here is a method of calculating the exact number of miles you will earn.
1. Find the distance flown
This number should be
a) obtained from the operating carrier,
b) quoted segment by segment,
c) quoted in miles and
d) without any kind of bonuses added.
b) quoted segment by segment,
c) quoted in miles and
d) without any kind of bonuses added.
Why?
a) Different carriers have different sources of information and thus may have different views of how long the distance is. Some uses the IATA table, some uses great circle distance, some uses a proprietary table. It is operating carriers view of the distance that determines how many miles you will earn.
If you are not bothered with the exact miles you can use the great circle distance. Just be prepared that earned miles may be higher or lower than this value.
b) Some carrier have their earnings table split into regions, like domestic, shorthaul and longhaul, and the earnings rules may differ for each region. So if you do a 2 segment trip, each segment may have completely different earnings rules.
(One segment is usually defined as a trip with one flight number. If you land and get on another plane, you have started a new segment. If you land but don't change planes you are on a one segment only. In this special case you need to get the direct distance from startpoint to endpoint as if you didn't fly via anything.)
c) Because M&B is mile based. If you get qouted in km, you can multiply by 0,6214 to get an estimate (yes, that is a decimal comma. If you don't know what that is, you can safely multiply by 0.6214 instead :-)
d) Because you need the actual milage for each leg to do the calculation. If you use a milage calculator from any FF program, it will usually add bonuses for class of service and tier status and so on. That will completely screw your calculation up, as these bonuses only apply if you credit to that program. Especially meilenrechner.de or meilenrechner.ch have tricked many. If you use it, make sure you get the miles from a 100% earning class for a member without any tier bonus.
If you are not bothered with the exact miles you can use the great circle distance. Just be prepared that earned miles may be higher or lower than this value.
b) Some carrier have their earnings table split into regions, like domestic, shorthaul and longhaul, and the earnings rules may differ for each region. So if you do a 2 segment trip, each segment may have completely different earnings rules.
(One segment is usually defined as a trip with one flight number. If you land and get on another plane, you have started a new segment. If you land but don't change planes you are on a one segment only. In this special case you need to get the direct distance from startpoint to endpoint as if you didn't fly via anything.)
c) Because M&B is mile based. If you get qouted in km, you can multiply by 0,6214 to get an estimate (yes, that is a decimal comma. If you don't know what that is, you can safely multiply by 0.6214 instead :-)
d) Because you need the actual milage for each leg to do the calculation. If you use a milage calculator from any FF program, it will usually add bonuses for class of service and tier status and so on. That will completely screw your calculation up, as these bonuses only apply if you credit to that program. Especially meilenrechner.de or meilenrechner.ch have tricked many. If you use it, make sure you get the miles from a 100% earning class for a member without any tier bonus.
2. Find the operating carriers fare class
If your ticket is marketed and operated by the same airline, this is normally easily found, quoted on your ticket and/or in the booking process.
However, if your flight is a codeshare flight, this task may be tricky. The fare class you are qouted when you buy a codeshare ticket is the marketing carrier's fare class. It may or may not be the fare class that your ticket is issued under on the operating carrier. Sometimes the marketing airline maps the real fare class to one of their own, and sometimed they use the operating carriers fare class as is. There is no standard way of finding out which, but sometimes one can obtain the booking reference on the operating carrier and from that work out the fare class.
Many times there is no problem at all but if earnings are important to you, you should find out this or maybe stay away from codeshares for this flight.
3. For each segment, find the earnings from A3's site
http://en.aegeanair.com/milesandbonu...on/earn-miles/
Go to A3 and find the chart for your operating carrier. Make sure you find the current one, as sometimes an older version co-exists. If the chart is devided into regions, look under the correct region sub chart for each leg. Find the fare class you obtained in #2.
If there is an accrual factor, multiply the segment miles by the factor. If the result is lower than the minimum (should there be such a column) you will get the value under minimum instead. Do not apply accrual factor to minimum values, as this is already done in the table.
If there instead is a "Flat miles" value, you get the flat miles value for the segment, regardless of distance flown. Do not apply accrual factor to flat miles.
Warning: If you cannot find the booking class under the operating carrier chart, the earning is 0 miles.
Do not multiply your miles with any other factors. A3 M&B-program does not have any bonus factors that is not shown in the table. Operating carriers bonus factors only applies to their own programs and not to A3.
Aug 6, 2012, 3:24 am
#5
Moderator, Finnair
Original Poster
Join Date: May 2011
Location: MMX (CPH)
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Posts: 14,175
I am guessing the "op by" airline is not a *A carrier so; No, you will not earn on that segment.
(If it is *A, you need to find the operating airline's fare class mapping as described in #2 above to know)
(If it is *A, you need to find the operating airline's fare class mapping as described in #2 above to know)
Aug 6, 2012, 3:52 am
#6
Join Date: Jun 2012
Posts: 64
Sep 14, 2012, 7:04 pm
#8
Join Date: Mar 2009
Location: ZRH/SFO
Programs: A3*G - AZ CFP- HH DIA
Posts: 3,666
Sep 23, 2012, 10:53 am
#9
Join Date: Apr 2012
Location: Canada
Programs: AC E50k, A3*G, UA*S, MR Titanium, HHonors Gold, Carlson Gold, NEXUS
Posts: 3,669
I flew AC in L using eups to get R: do I get credit for R or for L? What are the conditions to get the 150%/750 minimum with R on AC if it can't be a purchased/complimentary upgrade?
Sep 23, 2012, 2:46 pm
#10
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Join Date: May 2011
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R class (complimentary/purchased upgrades) accrual is as per the original booking class purchased.
Sep 24, 2012, 7:28 pm
#11
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Join Date: Sep 2009
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Sep 29, 2012, 7:33 pm
#12
Join Date: Mar 2006
Programs: AA EXP, UA 1K, F9 Elite, Hyatt Diamond, Hilton Diamond, Marriott Gold
Posts: 1,319
You know what I found odd recently, though in a good way... Flying on AV/TA in Z-class (dirt cheap lowest fare) gets 50% credit on all the *A FFPs I've checked (even AV's own program I believe). However, A3 credits everything in coach on AV (including Z-class) at 100% with a 500 minimum. A simple case where A3 is less restrictive on cheap fares!
Sometimes these programs really don't make much sense, but it all works out to my benefit in the end
Sometimes these programs really don't make much sense, but it all works out to my benefit in the end
Oct 24, 2012, 1:58 am
#13
Join Date: Oct 2012
Location: TPA
Programs: US SP, A3*G, Hyatt Plat, HH Gold, LeClub Plat, SPG Gold, Hertz 5*, Nat'l Plat
Posts: 14
Please check my math for A3*G
I'm just double-checking my math before I unleash it...
2000mi signup bonus
TPA-PHX-TPA on US in G (GC cays 3576mi @ 100% A3 earn)
=*A Silver
TPA-IAH-LAX-SFO-ORD-TPA on UA in A (*A Calc says 16545mi with min seg lengths and 300% A3 fare class earn)
= *A Gold
... am I right? Or even close?
2000mi signup bonus
TPA-PHX-TPA on US in G (GC cays 3576mi @ 100% A3 earn)
=*A Silver
TPA-IAH-LAX-SFO-ORD-TPA on UA in A (*A Calc says 16545mi with min seg lengths and 300% A3 fare class earn)
= *A Gold
... am I right? Or even close?
Last edited by djgwk; Oct 24, 2012 at 2:00 am Reason: derp had an airport code wrong
Oct 24, 2012, 3:06 am
#14
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Original Poster
Join Date: May 2011
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Seems right.
(Only the LAX-SFO gets minimum, all others gets accrual factor)
(Only the LAX-SFO gets minimum, all others gets accrual factor)