sliiide

so using star alliance lounges with an A3*G card does not cost aegean airways if your boarding pass was issued by another airline

NWIFlyer

Correct - and, similarly, an UA*G travelling in Y on A3 will have their lounge access costs picked up by Aegean.

In theory, the costs should more-or-less balance - there are many more UA*G because of their route network and size, but relatively few of them will cost A3 money because they are not particularly likely to be flying to Greece compared to North American destinations. The small number of A3*G members means that - although many might fly with UA - the numbers will probably balance.

CanadaDH

I'm still crediting all flights to A3. I have no good reason to credit them anywhere else, since I don't see any advantage for me in trying to get a status in multiple airlines within the same alliance. Since I have the A3 status benefits, I figure the least that I can do is continue to credit flights there.

sliiide

So having the card just for the lounges while nver flying A3 won't hurt Aegean financially....

jerryhung

I collect into A3 as well (I'm now 55K+) since I'm too lazy to "change FFP # at lounge/gate"
and I do enjoy my *G benefits very well - lounge, priority check-in/boarding, baggages
In the process of getting wife to A3 Gold also, so in future we can each take 1 kid into lounge without question, when they get older

Plus, I have enough Aeroplan miles for now

and who knows, I may collect enough A3 to redeem for few North America free flights

NWIFlyer

It shouldn't do, no - although I will emphasise that the operating carrier paying has never been categorically proven, although other - very experienced - FT members have some good anecdotal evidence.

Normally, of course, this is only a short term problem for the Alliance because in most FFP's the status would be lost within a year or two (or renewed with another FFP if switching) - so not continuing to credit to A3 is arguably the most likely reason for a tightening of the re-qualification rules if the scale of the issue becomes too great a burden for the other Star members.

MSPeconomist

A3 is starting to have the additional expense of mailing out elite cards annually.

sliiide

This makes sense. On a recent call to A3 about the new situation with the cards, the agent gave me the impression that gold members who credit quite regularly; as opposed to once every three years; will in the future be looked at more favourably.

She also said it is now a *A-rule to not have cards with over a year's validity. I wonder if anyone knows about this.

colmc

Yup, I have

wyvern

My native FFP was BD, and I miss Diamond Club!

I'm still crediting some flights to A3, but most to OZ, where lifetime *G is a possibility, if I keep flying and if the OZ scheme continues in the same vein (both reasonably big 'ifs'!). If I reach OZ lifetime D+, I'd then probably switch most of my *A crediting back to A3, given earn and burn rates between both schemes, and things like one-way redemptions, and OZ's fixed mileage validity.

I'm not costing A3 anything crediting to other *A airlines and getting lounge access with an A3 gold card (if this does cost) - OZ *G is not that impossible to get at 40,000 miles for 2 years' validity (and comes with a card with a 2 year validity date), so I can use OZ*G when crediting to OZ and A3*G when crediting to A3.

A3 has a great programme, however it does seem that perhaps A3 is not as willing to engage with the wider *A FFP potential members in the way that TK Miles and Smiles and Avianca LifeMiles have - fewer status matches and no opportunity to buy miles.

I've looked at both Miles and Smiles and Life Miles, but in both programmes it's ultimately harder to maintain status, and A3 and OZ's customer services seem a little better, and that's why I have chosen A3 and OZ as my two *A programmes to credit to.

The game-changers for A3 in increasing use of its programme for less regular *A flyers and for flyers based outside Greece would be introducing non-Greece based credit cards that earned miles; accepting transfers from Amex MR, bank credit card points and hotel schemes) for Aegean miles; and/or introducing miles for sale. Other FFPs find this makes sense for them but this does not seem something that A3 wants to get involved with.

The other thing A3 could do to make its programme more of global interest to frequent flyers would be to follow ANA and Aeroplan and offer web-searchable and web-bookable awards.

I intend to keep crediting some *A points to A3 as its redemptions offer some things that OZ doesn't, like one-way awards, and it may well end up being my main *A FFP. However introducing credit card earning, points for sale and a web-based redemption interface would increase the likelihood of my crediting more points to A3 - it might even make crediting to A3 more worthwhile than crediting to OZ.

A3Fan

I have switched back to Miles&More instead of crediting it to Aegean. Since I am based in Germany and naturally LH/LX/OS are my carries of preference, I decided that it will make more sense if I get FT status as well, since we all know how LH treats other Star alliance status customers however, since A3 for now has a very low threshold for Gold and M&M offers FT for only 30 segments, it should not be difficult to maintain both at the same time. Also M&M offers better redemption in terms on intra-european award flights. What I do find very useful with A3 is the ability to get Booking.com miles as well, that comes in quite handy if you stay in hotels quite often

soy

Mostly fly OW these days, but do credit any * flying to A3

tehdee

this has been interesting in that, though only a small sample size, most posters have responded positively to A3 and indicated continued crediting and patronage of the FFP even after making *G.

i agree with one poster who explained they are too lazy to bother switching FFP #'s minutes before boarding, swapping boarding passes, etc...

and with my only other option being AC, as an ex-pat with Aeroplan Banking cards, i dont fly nearly enough segments on AC metal to qualify for any sort of status.

however i surmise there is somewhat of a hierarchy in terms of op-ups and gate-agent perception of A3 vs Senator Club or other *A FFPs. though I of course have no evidence to corroborate this theory....

and as one other poster mentioned... AMEX MR... man... if A3 got on board, I would be all over it.

sliiide

make sure the booking.com stuff is done through the link to it on aegean's "earn miles" page. You can't go through booking.com and then ask them to retro-credit it.

The "booking.com" option under "retro claims" in your M&bB account is only for those that were booked correctly but handled incorrectly by the system

A3Fan

Yeah, I am aware but thanks anyway ^