nicolas75

My cousin, who is CEO of an important French group (and Club 2000 member) has been told that AF will put an end to the program

No new members will be added (but current members will keep their card and benefits).

Has anyone heard a similar story?

SeamasterLux

yes, heard the same from a regional Head of Sales

olivedel

I personnaly prefer a higher tier that have clear threesolds to reach instead of a somewhat blurry invitation-only program.
At least, UA Global Services is based on revenue (2% highest revenue flyers), but I clearly prefer HON Circle status for Lufthansa that has a pre-determined threesold to reach.

Good question for the Air France-ADP MegaDo in April!

cityflyer369

For an airline it makes sense to have an invitation-only program (or a very high tier you can reach either by invitation or by passing a high threshold. This enables the airline to be in close contact with key decision-makers and key role models (such as celebreties), independent of the number of flights these people actually take.
Seperating these invited people from very high flyers (such as a HON circle), makes sure that these key people are given a sense of exclusivess (exclusivity?) and may contribute to the overall customer experience with the airline.

sfoeuroflyer

Frankly I never understood this membership. I am a member and as far as I can see it produced zero benefits! Nada! Zip! No special treatment, no upgrades, no access to first class lounges. What's the point?

My sense of AF was that the real special perks were saved for AF employees and their families. Mere customers don't really count in their alternative universe.

olivedel

Ah yes... You mean Gerard Depardieu, Sami Naceri or Jean-Luc Delarue?

AshleyB

This is true. Employees are much more important than customers!!! There is also some attention paid to leading French politicians and senior civil servants. I guess a few businessmen as well - quite a few LVMH people for instance. FB is largely benefit free these days so whether C2000 exists or not seems moot. Having said that AF management occasionally like to play at Premium Airline (sweet/sad at the same time) so a little surprised that they are cutting this.

ajs123

There was a thread in the DL forum about a new top DL tier.
http://www.flyertalk.com/forum/delta...b-opening.html
It was based on an official job ad "Most notably, the candidate will be the loyalty project manager for developing a new program tier. This includes: marketing, strategy, analytics, technology, customer service, and partner relationship management"

So perhaps AF is working on something similar. Which would actually make sense - FB has three elite levels, DL already four and soon perhaps five.

hfly

Recent? The post was started over 3 months ago and the consensus was that it was either for DM, or perhaps a`"white envelope" version of DM. Anyhow, a few years ago i spoke with a country manager about why I was not a Club2000 member, I was basically told that, 1) As I would soon be Lifetime Platinum, the differences did not really amount to much and that frankly most Club 2000 members did not in fact fly AF/Kl that much, and 2) That they would be capping membership in any case as especially on the AF side rather than the KL side there were far too many of them as they were given out quite liberally to those that management "liked" and that would be ending (and a further reason why C2000 was seen by many at the airline as being 'worth" less than Platinum. Seems like this is now coming to pass.

ajs123

Could you please indicate which part of my post suggests that the DL thread is recent??? It might be the cloudy weather in LA, but I do not see the word recent or anything with that meaning in my post.

hfly

Mo you did not say recent, but I read it that way.

Zjeff

Hi,

This is just a rumour as my Club 2000 status has just been renewed for another year. However there has been a HUGE cleanse as they dramatically reduced the number of Club 2000 members... They are trying to keep it much more selective as it used to be (not as but almost).

Concerning upgrades it happens to me sometimes (not very often), in a case of a full flight there is a big chance I can have a business to first upgrade. They generally upgrade 2 or 3 peoples business to first in average (in a case of a full flight), and they are club 2000 almost everytime.

I hope I was clear enough

JF

Zembla

What do you base this on? In the past years I have been enjoying four upgrades to F. I am Plat, but not Club 2000.

Brobbel

Why do you call this a rumour, solely based on your renewal, while OP clearly stated that current members keep their card and benefits?

Zjeff

I just signed the new contract for my company this year and there was no such talk concerning the cancellation for this club 2000 status, just a reselection. Although I'll ask my AF commercial representative again about this matter.

Concerning the biz to firs upgrades I merely had 1 in 3 years, and I do travel a lot.
Furhtermore I base everything I say from my conversations with my AF commercial representative, if there are several club 2000 on a flight the plats can forget their upgrades to first class. There is no such thing as Club 2000 = Platinum without the miles. Club 2000 is a tier above plat therefore having priority over upgrades and waitings lists, period.