Flying Blue (Air France & KLM) - Decisions - decisions

Like many on this forum, I jumped ship to *A after the April 1st changes, got a status match to BMI Gold and have been using *A all the rest of this year. I accrued 58,000 miles on FB this calender year (still had some flights booked after the 1st April), but haven't received any of these 'double miles' or 'only 60k to requalify' emails. I've also been Plat (or FB Rouge) for 7 or 8 years, depending where you count from.

Whilst most of my long haul travel since moving to *A has been on Asiana in business, (who are wonderful - and give 200% miles), most of my short haul has been on Lufthansa who seem about on a par with KLM or AF and only give 50% miles (all my short haul is economy). I've been reading the BMI forum and it seems likely that their FF program will be closed down and moved over to Miles & More, which from what I can gather is not much better than FB.

My question is this: Should I stick with *A and hope that Diamond Club stays as it is, or should I go back to FB with my tail between my legs and requalify for Plat and then hopefully get plat for life in a year or two?

I've got two long haul trips before the end of the year, so even if FB don't bless me with one of their targeted emails, I could still easily requalify. Or would I be better sticking with *A.

Your thoughts please.....

If i were you, i'd stick to the 2 remaining years to get the Plat 4 life. Then would move to OW/*A.

Move to OneWorld!

I have switched to BA and once you have overcome the hurdle of qualifying for Gold a whole new world opens up to you. Upgrades, good service and attractive pricing (with the low pound).

I also got a BMI status match to Gold but so far they have not persuaded me.

If you really check carefully both FB and MM, there is NO doubt than MM is much better than FB since april 1st. (comparing platinum/senator)

Between MM and DC (bmi) it depends on your travel habits. If the most of your flights are in C for longhaul trips on any *A cy, BMI is the best one. If you travel in economy class MM is better, because DC don't give 100% miles of the most of economy tickects, but MM do it.

FB with plat status could be OK to earn miles in business. BUT compare what you get when you want a reward ticket in business or in first. Quick done !!

I switched to *A one year ago, not only because of the worse conditions offered by FB but, mainly, because A3, my home airline, is joining *A too. I flew several domestic flights and a few or intra-European ones, and all of the latter were on business upgrades with LX. Thus, I very easily re-qualified as a FT for little money, while I would have never qualified for Gold in FB, unless I had paid a fortune. On the other hand, FB platinum is achieved much easier since you only need 70K miles instead of 100K for Senator. Well, I am not sure I did the right thing, but next year will show, when I'll fly a lot of long hauls again, and when I see what kind of miles/points A3 will be giving me. Now to service: LX in C is very comparable to AF and definitely much better than ES on KL. But this is certainly nothing new...

... FB platinum is achieved much easier since you only need 70K miles instead of 100K for Senator. .

that's not totaly true : if you travel either in business or economy, you have to compare it carefully. I did it some months ago :
business class :
AF gives 150 or 125% miles
LH, LX ... 200%
middle economy class fares: (not full fare and not hard discounted)
AF : 50%
LH LX : 100%

make the simulation with your main travel habits and class, fares you payed and compare. Reaching Plat ou senator costs the same amount of money aproximatively. (except if one travel only in economy)

For me it's CLEAR :

AF : Zurich-Shanghai RT, 900/1200 euros in eco : 6498 or may be LESS (qmiles!) (via CDG)
LX : Zurich-Shanghai RT, 750/800 euros in eco : 11600 (approx)

to reach plat or senator
AF needs 10,77 RT
LH LX need 8,62 RT
===

discounted business class :
London-Shanghai
APPROX SAMES FARES for both (1800 euros)
AF : 125% qMILES : 17300
LH LX : 200% qmiles : 26000

(to make it more clear ; if your are platinum FB you get 30370 miles, if you are senator you get 29726 with LH (via FRA) and
30212with LX via ZRH. So the 100% miles for platinum with FB is a joke since april 1st ...!)

to reach plat or senator
AF needs 4,04 RT
LH LX need 3,84 RT

also compare :
- 2 free upgrades vouchers/year with Miles and more
- companion reward ticket : 50% off
- long haul business class reward ticket :
AF 160 000 (fom LHR-PVG RT reward it needs 5,26 RT in Z(400 000 in first)
LH LX : 120 000 ( for the same it needs 3,97 RT in Z) (180 000 in first)


so for me it was enough to made the decision after april 2009.

I agree with the above. You allready got to FB Gold, and very little advantage to get to Plat (and will the life membership still exist in a couple of years). BMI is great once you reach the "double" threshold (55K).But M&Mis attractive too, no comparison with FB.

Thanks for the advice. I've decided to stick with *A and have just booked a return to the US on Continental to affirm my decision.

I could have booked on AF and just about requalified, but I must admit I didn't realise how the 55k miles thing worked with DC; that and JC25's comprehensive breakdown of M&M earning have easily swung it for me.

Unfortunately One World are effectively useless for me as I fly out of BHX, I don't think there are any OW carriers since BA sold up to FlyBE.

... that and JC25's comprehensive breakdown of M&M earning have easily swung it for me.

I think you did a mistake : it's not MM who brokedown, but FB ...

about BMI, I think it would be wise to wait what will happen in the next future with diamond club, nobody knows if it will keep its advantages, nobody knows if it will be integrate to MM (like qualiflyer for Swiss some years ago), or be sold by LH to Virgin or Ryanair (see the forum bmi here)