airberlin topbonus - The ABBA Thread - where to collect after AB joins oneworld?

This year's project was LH SEN requalification. With that aim almost achieved, it's time for a new project...

What will Air Berlin joining oneworld in 2012 mean for my topbonus membership?
With my mix of travel between Air Berlin (lots of discounted domestic and European hops) and British Airways (occasional Business Class intercontinental), what will make more sense?

- Forget about topbonus, keep BA Executive Club and go for status.
Or
- Leave Executive Club and credit the occasional BA longhaul to topbonus - hoping that status with Air Berlin will one day have a tangible benefit (introduction of a proper lounge...?)

What do you guys think? Anybody with similar considerations?

... What do you guys think? Anybody with similar considerations?

Yes, I have looked at this issue as well. It seems, however, that it is a little early to make the decision. I think that Air Berlin will adjust its program before they join OW.

For me the main question is which program will allow me to gain status easier. All things being equal I have a bias towards the airline I fly more often (in my case AB). So the first question is still open, and the second question depends on how AB's network from Berlin evolves, especially long haul.

Somehow I have a feeling that I will end up with BA Executive Club for my OW flying. (Which means this thread should be renamed BAAB). :)

As long as AB offers all these nice little perks like seat blocking and exit rows on cheapest tickets I will keep status in AB. I currently fly more than I have to on BA to keep gold status to use their lounges in TXL and DUS for my AB flights.

Has any information been released if AB keeps an independent FFP?

I remember when LX was bound to join OW, BA required them to give up their own FFP and merge it with BAEC. This was the main reason for LX to withdraw (and merge with LH - which also resulted in merging the FFP, but only after merging the companies, which was not planned with BA).

Has any information been released if AB keeps an independent FFP?

I remember when LX was bound to join OW, BA required them to give up their own FFP and merge it with BAEC. This was the main reason for LX to withdraw (and merge with LH - which also resulted in merging the FFP, but only after merging the companies, which was not planned with BA).

There was no requirement for AB to discontinue Topbonus program as a condition for sponsorship. BA learned their lessons about looking like a pillack with their demands and subsequent loss of LX. As mentioned previously, AB will simply make adjustments to fit within OW.

- Forget about topbonus, keep BA Executive Club and go for status.
Or
- Leave Executive Club and credit the occasional BA longhaul to topbonus - hoping that status with Air Berlin will one day have a tangible benefit (introduction of a proper lounge...?)



Thanks for bringing up the subject, KIXJNB, I have the same difficult decission to take since December 2010 (after having re-qualified BA emerald) and am still banking in both. Concentrating on one will really make my life so much easier.

Can and will AB Top-Bonus (the name still seems to resemble the times when you collected stamps at your local supermarket or petrol-station to be exchanged for bathrobes and towells) ever offer the same wide possibilities for collecting and spending as the Executice Club? After all, unlike *A, in Oneworld it is still difficult to impossible to get free flight with points from one carrrier on another.
Will AB increase or continue to shrink their offer at my homebase, CGN? BA deserted us long ago and makes a longer drive to DUS necessary.

On the other hand: Do I want to lose my priority parkingin front of the terminal at DUS, that AB-gold offers me with lots of vacancies (which saved my flights several times)?
Is gold status in my favorite airline (BA) really worth maintaining as long as I am forced to argue whenever there is a problem with the totally incompetent Executive Club Germany? Because whenever you call Executive Club UK (which you have to after office hours or on the weekends), and pay to listen to lots of promotion on a long distance call, they tell you to contact Executive Club in Bremen and that means: no help, no-one who knows anything. Whilst the AB-gold hotline is really efficient.

The lounges will not be a problem, they will come fast. In fact DUS and TXL (over gate 1) already have them.
And arguing that AB is a LCC should be set straight once and for all: their inflight-service within Germany and Europe is above LH standard and an alliance that has been living with Europe's lowest service (IB, the only airline besides Ryanair I ever paid for a drop of water) for so long should benefit from it.

There was no requirement for AB to discontinue Topbonus program as a condition for sponsorship. BA learned their lessons about looking like a pillack with their demands and subsequent loss of LX. As mentioned previously, AB will simply make adjustments to fit within OW.

http://dmm.travel/news/artikel/lesen///air-berlin-plant-exklusive-lounges-34934/

This bit talks about some of the upcoming changes: Only 125 miles instead of 500 for the low cost tix, no mention if the 3-tiered eco-saver/eco-basic/eco-flex structure will be maintained.
Achieving Silver will still be quite easy with 24 segments required per year, but somewhat harder through miles (20k, 40k for Gold).

http://dmm.travel/news/artikel/lesen///air-berlin-plant-exklusive-lounges-34934/

This bit talks about some of the upcoming changes: Only 125 miles instead of 500 for the low cost tix, no mention if the 3-tiered eco-saver/eco-basic/eco-flex structure will be maintained.
Achieving Silver will still be quite easy with 24 segments required per year, but somewhat harder through miles (20k, 40k for Gold).

This is nothing new at all. They had the structure of 125/500 miles for quite a while now. However, all domestic fares under 75 Euro are considered "saver" now. The "three tier structure" will certainly not be maintained as they will introduce normal booking classes later this year. In all fairness, even at current stage there are by far more booking classes than these three, however only AB own booking engine works this way. When you book AB through Amadeus, it is all different.

Accuse me of being a nerd, but on planespotters.net I found two Air Berlin 320s with a C24Y144 configuration. D-ABFO (delivered in January) and D-ALTK (a former LTU aircraft).

Are these the first moves to introduce a continental business class by AB? Am I just dreaming? Or is it junk data on the website?

Are these the first moves to introduce a continental business class by AB? Am I just dreaming? Or is it junk data on the website?

That developement would be in line with the new departure lounges in TXL (terminals A and C) and DUS (B), for good reasons only being promoted as "exclusive waiting area". CGN (terminal 2) is currently being furnished.

But then again just last weekend I had the narrowest legroom I can ever remember on AB one one of the new second-hand A319s still with partially blue Hamburg International livery (row 9). It didn't have AB-seats yet, but I hope a continental business class won't come at the cost of less legroom in economy.

Hi,

AB offered me a Topbonus Gold Challenge based on the LH SEN status.

Conditions:
- Immediately issue of a gold card
- Card will be valid for 90 days
- Prolongation of 12 month if 12 flights within 90 days

How to get:
I just dropped an email to the general email address, they replied quickly and gave me the conditions and a fax number where to send the copy of the LH SEN card.

Now it's November 12th and I still have no clue what changes to expect from Executive Club after the transformation to Avios and from Top Bonus after integration into Oneworld and it seems we will have to wait until April 2012 to know (at least as far as Top Bonus is concerned).
In 2011 managed to renew BA, AF/KL and AB gold, but in 2012 will also have to renew gold status at LH, so I will have to concentrate either on BA or on AB once both are in one alliance, but not the two of them.
Since due to momentarily existing rules I am now again collecting for status renewal of Top Bonus in 2012 and from December 2011 onwards for status renewal in BA I plan to utilize all further flights in 2012 to build up some status points for oneworld status renewal in 2012.
So I have to decide now already: AB or BA?
AB additionally offers me priority parking at my local departure airports and access to ABs priority waiting area (which is not so important). Will BA ever give me priority parking with AB in Germany?
BA gives me access to all Oneworld gold advantages including netwide lounge access and priority check-in. Will AB gold really guarantee the same benefits in the entire oneworld network including access to First-class-lounges instead of business?
AB currently does have a lounge in Dusseldorf (only for business class on long distance), but as gold member I am restricted to the so-called priority waiting area which offers little. Will this be corrected once in Oneworld? Or will the same stupid system be implemented in the new BER airport lounge?

Well, finally most of the facts are out:

For AB platinum, which I would need to maintain my oneworld emerald advantages like first class lounge access, I would need 100.000 statuspoints in AB in 2012. Have built up 25.+++ (mainly on Etihad) and would already have had to crawl to 40.000 to maintain gold status.

To maintain BA gold (oneworld emerald) for the next two years I still only need 800 Points, 140 of them built up in December 11 after all programs were served.

Due to status renewal at LH and KL in 2012, I have to focus on either AB or BA, not both.
Seems the BA Exec Club is closer in my reach.
But:
- will I be able to access the AB so-called lounges (since I mainly frequent my local airports in Germany) with the BA gold card through the automated gate? I guess this can an will be solved by the boarding card.
- will I be able to access the AB priority parking with a BA emerald status card or will this remain reserved for AB gold+platinum only? Does anyone know?
- will the AB status need to be renewed by December 2012 now or will the old rules apply which would give me time until February 2013 (compared to November 2012 for BA)? Does anyone know?

Your advice appreciated

I'll move this thread over to the new airberlin forum - please follow it there.

ralfkrippner,
forum moderator

This year's project was LH SEN requalification. With that aim almost achieved, it's time for a new project...

What will Air Berlin joining oneworld in 2012 mean for my topbonus membership?
With my mix of travel between Air Berlin (lots of discounted domestic and European hops) and British Airways (occasional Business Class intercontinental), what will make more sense?

- Forget about topbonus, keep BA Executive Club and go for status.
Or
- Leave Executive Club and credit the occasional BA longhaul to topbonus - hoping that status with Air Berlin will one day have a tangible benefit (introduction of a proper lounge...?)

What do you guys think? Anybody with similar considerations?

I can tell you that my flying patterns with AA won't get me any status on AB.
All Q fares

I will stick to QF until I reach lifetime Gold. Then a change is under review.
Hopefully AB will be around at that time!

Hopefully QF will be around at that time... ;)

125% in J, 25% in discount economy.

Would have been nice to have AB join the smaller group of the BA/AA/IB JV or at least to get some Gold/Silver bonus.

Between AB and LH it's likely to be the one that's cheapest :rolleyes:

Ain't it 500 minimum miles? By far more interesting: What about tier points?

Ain't it 500 minimum miles? By far more interesting: What about tier points?

Only in booking classes Y, B, H, K, M, L (no idea to what price point these extend).

Tier points should be similar; i.e. 20 for the above and 10 for anything below if I am not mistaken.

Another aspect of this question is seat selection. AB Gold(Sapphire)/Platinum(Emerald) can select the seats upfront and in exit rows (aka XL) for free. They also get the middle seat blocked, subject to availability.

I wonder if other (non-AB) OW Sapphires/Emeralds are eligible to the same benefits? I tried a dummy booking on BA.com using my BA Gold number and could not select the first few rows and exit rows only for the full price of EUR 25. However, I hope this is not the final answer ...

Another aspect of this question is seat selection. AB Gold(Sapphire)/Platinum(Emerald) can select the seats upfront and in exit rows (aka XL) for free. They also get the middle seat blocked, subject to availability.

I wonder if other (non-AB) OW Sapphires/Emeralds are eligible to the same benefits? I tried a dummy booking on BA.com using my BA Gold number and could not select the first few rows and exit rows only for the full price of EUR 25. However, I hope this is not the final answer ...

The same does happen if you book on Air Berlin with your BA Gold Card and changes if you book with your AB Gold Card....

MUC-TXL on AB this Saturday:

- Completely full flight despite a 8pm departure
- No advance seat selection but at check in all but rows 1 & 2 and exit row available
- Seating on a 73G quite cramped, reminiscent of NEK :eek:
- Fast Lane provided (no queue anyway) ^
- Priority seating area in departures lounge not available when scanning BP :td:
- Miles/TP yet to post

MUC-TXL on AB this Saturday:

- Completely full flight despite a 8pm departure
- No advance seat selection but at check in all but rows 1 & 2 and exit row available
- Seating on a 73G quite cramped, reminiscent of NEK :eek:
- Fast Lane provided (no queue anyway) ^
- Priority seating area in departures lounge not available when scanning BP :td:
- Miles/TP yet to post

- 125 miles + 125 miles bonus (assume for AB entry into OW)
- 10 TP