SheBangsTheDrums

Hi, since enrolling in the FB program I have built up 150,000 miles. My main reason for signing up was really lounge access, priority boarding etc... so I hadnt really given much though of using them until recently. This is where the confusion began.

I tentativly searched for using the miles for a long weekend in AMS, flying from MAN. I searched for a thurs-mon in late may, for two people, and was quoted the miles (cant remember the exact amount) and also a price of £220. I then searched for the same flights, without using miles and it came up as £180

I then had a look at some flights to NY and searched a few dates, again next year and was being quoted a price of about £900 for two people, plus the miles.

Am i doing something wrong here? I cant really see any benefit at all from booking using award miles?

Thanks

kevinflyaway

Awards for Europe flights are mostly very expensive due to high fuel surcharge. For ticket sales these are mostly discounted the airline says, therefore a paid ticket could be cheaper then getting one free and pay the full amount for fuel surcharges.

The best way to spend your miles is business award tickets, especially promo awards. I spend my last miles (100.000) on a C class ticket AMS-CDG-SFO and LAS-MEM-AMS for around € 323,- in taxes...a paid ticket would cost at around € 3.000,-

Zembla

You bumped into something which annoys many. The fact that taxes and surcharges on award tickets turn out higher than on purchased tickets. Award tickets start to become valuable on longer distances, and even more valuable if you use the miles for C class on long distances.

KLflyerRalph

+1 for the biz promo@award.

NEVER use it on intra-EU economy (or C) unless you book last minute or something when the prices are skyhigh.

SheBangsTheDrums

Thanks very much for the information guys, much appreciated.

Could you give me a little more information on what a biz promo award is. Im not great with the various ticket type options.

irishguy28

Promo Awards are redemptions on certain chosen routes for which only half the normal mileage is charged.

There are always a selection of routes on offer this way - the selection changes every 2 months.

The current selection can be seen here:

http://www.flyingbluenews.com/promot...omoawards.html

They are for departures in January and February only - as you can see on the website. In the last few days of February, the selection for March and April will be posted on the same page, and these will then become bookable at the end of February. Some of the current destinations may be retained, and some new destinations will be added (some of the current destinations will no longer be offered).

There is always a selection of destinations in Europe (which are point to point only, with either Amsterdam or Paris always having to be one of the points), and a selection of destinations in each of South America, North America, Caribbean, Africa & Middle East, and Asia Pacific (for these long haul flights, you can travel from anywhere in Europe served by Air France or KLM and don't have to commence travel from Amsterdam or Paris).

You pay the normal taxes/charges, but the mileage required is half of the normal rate. Some destinations are available in Economy only or in Business class only, but the majority have availability in both. For long haul, you may also get offers in Air France's Premium Voyageur. You may see some destinations with availability in what is called "Voyageur Elite" - this is just Voyageur (Economy), but relates to an additional amount of seats in Voyageur/Economy made available at a slightly higher rate for Flying Blue Elite status members.


Note that Promo Awards can only be booked for the currently-valid 2-month period. (i.e. you can't book a Promo Award for travel in March or April yet - at present, you can only book Promo Award travel for those destinations on offer up to the end of February). Promo Awards also cannot be changed or cancelled (with the other, "normal" awards, you can cancel, at a charge, and receive the miles/taxes back)

KLflyerRalph

Biz promo@award is an award ticket in business class for 50% off.
Every 2 months there is an updated offer that you can find here.

As said, these selected destinations come with a 50% miles reduction but are therefore unchangeable IIRC and you also have to book and fly during a certain timeframe (book from 31/12/2012-27-02-2012, fly from 01/01/2012-29/02/2012) so you can't plan months ahead.

irishguy28

It should also be said that availability is limited - so you can't assume that there will be availability on the dates you want, or indeed availability for every date in the Promo period on every route (it helps, though, to book as soon as they go on offer, and if you can be a little flexible, as availability will of course deplete as other customers book and use up the available seats). Don't, for instance, book accommodation for a particular destination once you see it has been lined up for the forthcoming promo period until you can actually book and see that availability is actually there for the dates you would like (they add the next period's lineup shortly before booking goes live, so you know in advance what the next set of destinations are)

They also have to be booked online - though sometimes the Flying Blue booking tool plays up/misbehaves, and in these cases, you should find that a Flying Blue agent can book it over the phone for you (they will need convincing first that the booking tool isn't working!)

SheBangsTheDrums

Guys thanks very much for taking the time to respond so fully, and for the links. Its is much appreciated.

Seems like what I want to do (couple of biz return tickets to somewhere exotic i.e... Carribean) will be possible.

irishguy28

Yes - spending miles on short-haul economy flights is a total waste, as you have seen. The only time it may be useful if you have to travel at short notice, or when you must travel one-way, and the corresponding price of such a ticket is much, much higher.

Business class, and particularly when booked as a Promo Award, gives you far more bang for your buck!

fdelite

For EU flights, it is also possible to pay these additional charges with your miles. If I am not mistaken this amounts to 7500 miles/flight