airberlin topbonus - AB TB to go with three elite levels

In order to align TB with the Etihad FFP, a new elite level will be created.
So at the end

Basic
Silver
Gold
Platinum


I got this info, by mistake because too in advance compared to the scheduled official announcement.

I think, my idea, that new Platinum level will solve the "what will be what" of TB status in the OW level (ruby, sapphire, emerald )

Interesting, did this come from an accidental e-mail or something?

I had a face to face chat with a sale manager and it slipped out.
When I asked for further details (number of miles and so on...) the answer I got was that I got even too much info, in advance of schedule.

My impression is that AB non flying staff has not a lot of knowledge about OW (Ruby, Emerald ? What is that ?) but a lot more about Etihad; so my educated guess based on few statements is that the 2 FFPs will not merge but they will be overlapping (from here the 3 AB TB elite levels): basically we could say one is OW oriented and one not in order to play a double.

My 2c : Etihad is also code sharing with Malaysia Airlines, so long shot in the dark (110% my idea, no real info) could lead in that direction.

Thanks for this info, which looks very sensible.

I wonder how they do the alignement. Will they start off with an empty Platinum level and the first members will qualify when they reach the required mileage/flights? Or will they set up a some sort of a challenge for Golds? Or are the "higher" Golds, i.e. those who made more miles/sectors than required, automatically qualified?

..I wonder how they do the alignment...

The actual TB program upgrades your status reading your last 12 months; so if AB TB stays with the same system or same logic, without doing anything manual a lot of "higher" Golds could be automatically moved to Platinum. I could be even one of them. :D :D

Perhaps the actual two qualification thresholds will be changed/optimized, so a major reshuffle could take place in which case it's more common to have a proposed result subject to manual fine tuning.

Or they could sub-contracting everything to BAEC and make everybody furious. :mad::mad:

In anticipation of the upcoming change to topbonus and alignment with OW, I thought it might be helpful to post the current elite levels and bonuses in one place. This information is from here (http://www.airberlin.com/site/tb/program/cardoverview.php?LANG=eng).

Current levels are Classic, Silver (20k status miles/24 segments), Gold (40k status miles), and Service (€119).

I wonder how many of these benefits will be extended to OW members, and at what levels. With just over two weeks to go before integration, they are really keeping this information closely guarded. As a OW Emerald, I would like to know which of these benefits I can look forward to.



Transfer of award flights - all levels
Topdeal Ticket - all levels
Companion Ticket - all levels
Business Class Upgrade - all levels
Silver Upgrade - Classic, Silver (for renewal)
20% Silver Bonus - Silver
My Route - Silver, Gold
Security Fast Lane - Silver, Gold
Priority Boarding - Silver, Gold
Priority Check-in - Silver, Gold
Free seat reservation - Silver, Gold, Service
Free Evening Check-in - Silver, Gold, Service
Free baggage - Silver, Gold, Service
Sports baggage - Silver, Gold, Service (up to 32 kg)
Booking guarantee - Silver, Gold
Waiting List Priority - Gold (flex fare flights only)
Gold Service - Gold
Keep your miles - Gold
40% Gold Bonus - Gold
Hold Seat Free - Gold
XL seats free of charge - Gold (€10 (short)/€15 (long) discount for Silver/Service)
No Service Charge - Gold
Exclusive Waiting Area - Silver, Gold (TXL,DUS,CGN,MUC only)
Exclusive Parking Area - Silver, Gold (DUS,MUN,NUE,STR only)

... This information is from here (http://www.airberlin.com/site/tb/program/cardoverview.php?LANG=eng)...


Wow, long list but a lot it's not relevant for OW, I mean a BAEC or AAdvantage cardholder can not really take advantage of MyRoute or TopDeal ticket because it's only relevant to your AB TB account.


Business Class Upgrade - all levels I do not think OW
Security Fast Lane - Silver, Gold I think just Emerald
Priority Boarding - Silver, Gold Sapphire, Emerald as per OW rules
Priority Check-in - Silver, Gold Ruby, Sapphire, Emerald as per OW rules
Free seat reservation - Silver, Gold, Service I do not think OW
Free Evening Check-in - Silver, Gold, Service I think just Emerald
Free baggage - Silver, Gold, Service I think just Emerald if it happens, it's usually a pain point
Sports baggage - Silver, Gold, Service (up to 32 kg) I think just Emerald if it happens, it's usually a pain point
Booking guarantee - Silver, Gold I think just Emerald if it happens
Waiting List Priority - Gold (flex fare flights only) Ruby, Sapphire, Emerald as per OW rules (i.e. a joke, forget it)
Hold Seat Free - Gold I do not think OW...anyway it's not a guaranteed benefit anyway, easy way out
XL seats free of charge - Gold (€10 (short)/€15 (long) discount for Silver/Service) I do not think OW... like the usual complains of US based FFPers about no free upgardes otherwhere
Exclusive Waiting Area (lounge access)- Silver, Gold (TXL,DUS,CGN,MUC only) Sapphire, Emerald as per OW rules
Exclusive Parking Area - Silver, Gold (DUS,MUN,NUE,STR only) I guess Sapphire, Emerald as per extension of Lounge access


http://www.oneworld.com/ffp/oneworld-benefits/

The reason behind my idea is that AB must align to OW agreed minimal rules, all the rest could be "if free, we could provide it; if a cost or missed revenue, forget it !"

The reason behind my idea is that AB must align to OW agreed minimal rules, all the rest could be "if free, we could provide it; if a cost or missed revenue, forget it !"

Volvic, I think you are correct on everything except seat reservations (not necessarily the XL seats.) I am guessing American Airlines is one of the larger members, in terms of numbers, and Americans are kind of touchy about being able to reserve seats, especially elite flyers. AB (via the partners) would get a lot of pushback from elites making connections with them.

As for the list, what I really want is: Baggage, lounge, seat selection, XL seats, and evening check-in. One can always dream!

"topbonus frequent flyer program: Introduction of the topbonus Platinum Card

airberlin is constantly extending its topbonus frequent flyer program. At the start of this year, airberlin was the first airline to enable customers to earn status and award miles when paying with their airberlin credit card. This allows frequent flyers to maintain their status or to reach the next status level more quickly. On 20th March topbonus will introduce the new Platinum status for its most active frequent flyers who have collected 100,000 topbonus status miles within twelve months This status level includes privileges such as Platinum Service with a personal customer service team, upgrade vouchers for Business Class on airberlin flights or a topbonus Silver Card for the member’s partner. The topbonus Platinum Card is equivalent to oneworld‘s Emerald status and allows the holder to use oneworld status benefits, such as access to oneworld First Class lounges across the entire oneworld network. Gold status corresponds to oneworld’s Sapphire status and holders of a topbonus Silver Card can enjoy the same benefits as oneworld members with Ruby status. On 20th March, all topbonus status cardholders will receive a new topbonus Card which shows their corresponding oneworld status. Silver Card and Gold Card holders who have not reached Platinum status will keep their current status. "

Above from AB press release.

Here is the the link to the press release:
http://www.airberlin.com/site/pressnews_dr.php?ID=3716&LANG=eng

Brief summary:

100.000 miles required
Free silver card for partner
Personal customer service
Upgrade vouchers for Business Class on airberlin flights
Oneworld Emerald status


Gold will include oneworld Sapphire status, Silver will include oneworld Ruby status.

Interesting. I am assuming that they will make some of the Platinum benefits reciprocal for OW Emerald. If so, it looks like some of the guesses were right - lounge access, "Gourmet-menu" (Sansibar?) but no specific mention of baggage or seating (choice, short-haul J, XL seats).

This does seem a bit sudden, though! "Holders of the topbonus Silver or Gold Card who have not reached the Platinum status, will maintain their current topbonus status." So if you are Gold right now, say with 90,000 miles, will the new membership year reset once you hit Platinum?

There's an updated table with all the membership levels now on AB's oneworld page, which was linked before in this thread. However, I don't succeed to link the table, which is a pop-up window. But I can summarize (and translate into English) the information provided in this table:

TopBonus
-Earn/redeem miles with all alliance partners

TopBonus Silver - OW Ruby, additional benefits:
-Using Business Class priority check-in
-Priority on Stand-By and Waiting Lists at the airport*

TopBonus Gold - OW Sapphire, additional benefits:
-Free seat selection for status customers*
-Access to Business Class and FrequentFlyer lounges
-Free choice of boarding sequence

TopBonus Plantinum - OW Emerald, additional benefits:
-Using First Class priority check-in
-Using First Class lounges

*Depending on rules of operating OW carrier.

Following up this thread, it seems that free Seat Selection stays for Gold, but no free Gourmet meals for Platinum.

VAs for the list, what I really want is: Baggage, lounge, seat selection, XL seats, and evening check-in. One can always dream!
Same here. I am assuming we'll find out on 3/20...

"topbonus frequent flyer program: Introduction of the topbonus Platinum Card
.... On 20th March topbonus will introduce the new Platinum status for its most active frequent flyers who have collected 100,000 topbonus status miles within twelve months ...."

Above from AB press release.

What does it mean "within 12 months" ?

"topbonus frequent flyer program: Introduction of the topbonus Platinum Card
.... On 20th March topbonus will introduce the new Platinum status for its most active frequent flyers who have collected 100,000 topbonus status miles within THE twelve months of VALIDITY PERIOD of their ACTUAL TB card.

So if between June and Dec 2011 you collected 60K status miles (and on Jan 1st, 2012 you got your new Gold card with the new validity period) and between Jan and today you collected other 45 K status miles,
YOU DO NOT GET PLATINUM because in the actual 12 months of your card you collected just 45K, not 100K.
TB agrees that in the past 12 months, from March 21st 2011 to March 20th 2012, you collected more than 100K status miles but IT DOES NOT MATTER.

Above from Discussion of Volvic with AB TB

If your actual Gold 12 months period started on March 1st, 2012 Good Luck to you. You need to collect 100k status miles from that date before been eligible for Platinum. :mad: :mad: :mad:

If your actual Gold 12 months period started on March 1st, 2012 Good Luck to you. You need to collect 100k status miles from that date before been eligible for Platinum.

Man, that is bad. It seems like they have not really thought through all the implications of joining an alliance.

It is nice that they have spelled out the benefits topbonus gold/platinum get on OW, but they have not spelled out any of the benefits OW elites will get on AB! The latest news from OW is from 2 February (http://www.oneworld.com/news-information/oneworldnews/details/?objectID=28265).

In 11 days, when this goes live, I have no idea what to expect as a OW emerald. I am a little sore at them since their customer service seems to have disappeared into the atmosphere, at least for me.

Man, that is bad. It seems like they have not really thought through all the implications of joining an alliance.

It is nice that they have spelled out the benefits topbonus gold/platinum get on OW, but they have not spelled out any of the benefits OW elites will get on AB! The latest news from OW is from 2 February (http://www.oneworld.com/news-information/oneworldnews/details/?objectID=28265).

In 11 days, when this goes live, I have no idea what to expect as a OW emerald. I am a little sore at them since their customer service seems to have disappeared into the atmosphere, at least for me.

The whole situation feels disorganized from the outside, but they have a lot going on. They needed the cash infusion from Etihad so they're aligning topbonus with both Etihad and OW, integrating their systems with OW, and even making changes to things to make airberlin more "main line" carrier than LCC. They've always walked a middle ground between the two, but I think joining OW and this new business class, they've shown they're going to give Lufthansa a run for its money. They're also dealing with being ready for the BER opening.

All in all, I think they're doing OK but not great, especially in the communication department. Flights have been same quality I expect. Once everyone gets trained, BER opens, more routes get added, airberlin will be a better airline ^

And the next time I fly airberlin will be on the 23rd, so I guess I'll see how well they've trained for OW...I hope they'll have this all ironed out and I'll at least get the standard OW saphire benefits.

I fully understand, a lot on their plate but anyone working with customers should know about expectations and expectation management.
Do you want to play in the major league ? At least learn the rules.

Big announcement:
100 K miles in 12 months and you get Platinum. OW Emerald.

My reaction: WOW !

After an hopefully inquiry:
no sir, you don't qualify, not enough miles in 12 months because of the 12 months a lot of them are... well... in the future.

My first reaction (not vocalized):
You had millions of passenger in 2011
You will have still millions of passenger minus one in 2012
Do they care about me ? No
Do I care ? No, pity for OW Emerald, life goes on.

The sad thing is that the person I interacted with and gave me the news, read clearly the non verbal statements, she was clearly on my side understanding my expectation was founded and their own communication partial if not even misleading, but without any possibility to do anything.

My way to approach such topic, if on the other side of the fence, could have been more "humility" oriented. Something like
"we are now going to be part of the best alliance around, very proud of this achievement.... considering our origins and cost conscious nature.... we inform our top customer Silver and Gold cardholders at the moment we can add to their TB level the OW equivalent of Ruby and Sapphire... we are fully aware there's a further level, Emerald, but due to its specific nature we reserve the right to introduce it further on, when it will even possible to fully align it to the top level of our estimated partner Etihad..."

Do you want to play in the major league ? At least learn the rules.


I agree with this. AB is not S7 flying a large regional network, they are one of the biggest carriers in Europe and 12th in the world for number of destinations flown (http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/World%27s_largest_airlines). Joining OW is a big deal that will likely bring many, many more passengers their way and they need to step up publicly and prepare for it.

berlinflyer83, I am glad to hear there is more going on behind the scenes because their website basically has not changed in the two years since I started flying with them! I am located in a city where they are not the only option, but are often the best price/most direct to where I need to go so I am waiting her on pins and needles hoping this goes well.

Nonsense once again but perhaps not too bad.

I got that info about THE twelve months of VALIDITY PERIOD of their ACTUAL TB card from a face to face discussion

A colleague of mine wrote to the Gold support about the AB TB Platinum level, yesterday got an original answer: no info available , it will be public on March 20th. I read it, it was on an e-mail he received.

A friend spoke today with AB about a reservation problem and at the end of the phone call he got a positive surprise, he could become Plat because the 12 months period, just for the initial assignment, is just that : "last 12 months", no 12 months validity period of your actual card. It negated my own source and for once I'm happy about being wrong.

If the last info was correct, in a few days the AB TB web site will be updated to show two amounts of qualifying miles (for Gold renew and for Platinum upgrade)

I can confirm. Got the same info from Gold support yesterday, they were quite frankly about it.

cheers

After the first qualifying period your goldstatus was renewed. The new qualifying period started on 01/xx/2011 and will end on 30/xx+1/2012. If you collect during this period 100.000 status miles or more, you´ll receive the platinum status automatically.

Since we consider only the statusmiles of the current period, at the moment it is not posible to issue you a platinum card. We ask for your understanding.

extract from an e-mail I just received from TB Goldservice
different sources, different answers

"last 12 months", no 12 months validity period of your actual card

so? thats good!
a status upgrade is possible at any time, not at the end of a qualifying period. Just imagine you would be loosing some thousand SM on last months of a staus period, like most people.
I was confirmed to be eligable to get my platinum card in May, due to some long hauls in April.

= same answer (at least my interpretation)

so? thats good!

Hi bobberle

I do not share your excitement because at end of March 2012, i.e. in 15 days from now, looking backward for the past previous 12 months I'll see that I accumulated more than 100 K qualifying miles but I'll not get Platinum. It hurts. It hurts a lot.

so? thats good!


Not so good for someone who has 90,000 miles right now accumulated under the old/current topbonus rolling qualification system.

Current T&C (http://www.airberlin.com/site/landingpages/tbregulations.php?LANG=eng) say: "The preceding 12 months shall be relevant for the eligibility/re-eligibility for the Silver or Gold status and the benefits linked to it."

Under the current system, they would be eligible for platinum after the next 10,000 miles flown. AB is changing the program (retroactively) so that they have to start all over again on 1 January, 2012.

If I was still collecting on topbonus, I would be mad about this. But I got out - I recently saved up all my miles for longhaul J ticket and don't plan to credit to them in the future, even if I fly with them.

i think we have a different understanding. As confirmed by Gold hotline the qualification period will be maintain a rolling one, as before. All miles within the past 12 months will are being accounted for.

Volvic, based on this info you should recieve your platinum card within the next days.

i think we have a different understanding. As confirmed by Gold hotline the qualification period will be maintain a rolling one, as before. All miles within the past 12 months will are being accounted for.

Volvic, based on this info you should recieve your platinum card within the next days.

Yes, now I am confused (but I think you are right). I really think they need to post some clarifying statement on their website.

i think we have a different understanding. As confirmed by Gold hotline the qualification period will be maintain a rolling one, as before. All miles within the past 12 months will are being accounted for.

Volvic, based on this info you should recieve your platinum card within the next days.

Extract from a mail from TB Gold service (already posted)

After the first qualifying period your goldstatus was renewed. The new qualifying period started on 01/xx/2011 and will end on 30/xx+1/2012. If you collect during this period 100.000 status miles or more, you´ll receive the platinum status automatically.

Since we consider only the statusmiles of the current period, at the moment it is not posible to issue you a platinum card. We ask for your understanding.

I do not know what will happen, I know what I hope for.
For sure AB TB is doing a great job of confusing its own best customers*

* if I'm in that group perhaps they are not really their best ones :rolleyes:

It hurts. It hurts a lot.

empathic regrets, i can imagine. I am very sure that if u have 100K SM on Mar 31st on your TB account, they will professional enough to appreciate your business with a platinum card. If not so, just write a mail to Marcus.Puffer@airberlin.com. Keep us updated, pls.

empathic regrets, i can imagine. I am very sure that if u have 100K SM on Mar 31st on your TB account, they will professional enough to appreciate your business with a platinum card. If not so, just write a mail to Marcus.Puffer@airberlin.com. Keep us updated, pls.

I'm just wondering: Would that be the same email address to use when requesting whether any status match of CX DM (120K miles, no tier bonuses except 25% for C/J and 50% for F) would be possible? And any idea how likely they would match status of other Frequent Flyer programs? Thanks.

I'm just wondering: Would that be the same email address to use when requesting whether any status match of CX DM (120K miles, no tier bonuses except 25% for C/J and 50% for F) would be possible? And any idea how likely they would match status of other Frequent Flyer programs? Thanks.

sure u mean DM? (Maersk Airlines)
Yes on CX you get a bit less bonus, however ur status is matched since CX is OW already. If you think about moving your milage program to AB, just send a mail to topbonus@airberlin.com. They shoud be able to match u according to your OW stat. The above mentioned mail addy is for top notch prime customer escalation only. ;)

Volvic, any update? ;)

sure u mean DM? (Maersk Airlines)
Yes on CX you get a bit less bonus, however ur status is matched since CX is OW already. If you think about moving your milage program to AB, just send a mail to topbonus@airberlin.com. They shoud be able to match u according to your OW stat. The above mentioned mail addy is for top notch prime customer escalation only. ;)

Thanks! Well, I meant CX _Diamond_ member which is OW Emerald. The reason I mentioned that CX doesn't have any 40% status miles bonus like AB is that we have to fly quite a bit more to achieve CX Diamond than e.g. minimum of 71,500 miles as an AB Gold to achieve AB Platinum. But maybe that's not "top notch prime" enough despite of (in my case) 120,000+ 'real' distance miles flown on CX? ;) As suggested by you, I'll just send an email to topbonus@airberlin.com and see what comes back.

Reason is a potential relocation from HKG back to Germany. I could still keep my CX OW membership and accrue miles on it. But it's interesting that AB Gold is already offering benefits like free neighbour seat, etc. With the 40% status miles bonus on top I would have to fly way less than on CX (71,500 vs 120,000 miles - if no C/J/F) to get OW Emerald. That's why I'm considering to switch, but only if AB would match me directly to their top status. Otherwise, I would rather just keep my CX membership and/or maybe look at e.g. LH's M&M to accrue on another alliance instead of having to start from zero of another OW carrier where I'm already Emerald anyways.

I have a question regarding the upgrade of status level...

If someone earned 20,000 status miles within a 5-month period (becoming Silver) and then earned another 20,000 status miles in the succeeding 4 months afterwards, wouldn't they be given Gold status? Or does the tracker reset to zero after they reached Silver status, and they would need to earn an additional 40,000 status miles? I ask this because if they would be given Gold status in this example, why would the qualification criteria for the new Platinum status be any different?

Volvic, any update? ;)

:rolleyes: New day, new rule :rolleyes:

In the past I got two totally different statements:
a) Platinum if in the actual validity period I collect 100K status miles :td:
vs
b) Platinum if in the past 12 months I collect 100K status miles ^

today in my status details
c) Platinum if before end of March 2012 I collect 100K status miles :D

c) looks like b) for me and I'm lucky because I just need a single flight and I'll make it, so no problem
but if others, like me, have a zero status mile balance for April and May 2011 and still requires, let me say, 10K miles (a lot more than my situation) it seems the deadline is still end of March 2012, so they can not accumulate them in April and May 2012. Perhaps the rolling over rule is now gone.


...why would the qualification criteria for the new Platinum status be any different?
IMHO AB was/is more or less lost in this topic and it's moving from old standalone program to align with their main cash provider (Etihad) placing OW entrance on top.
For sure a big task and it could have been better managed.

looking backward for the past previous 12 months I'll see that I accumulated more than 100 K qualifying miles but I'll not get Platinum. It hurts. It hurts a lot.

...thought you hopping right on platinum. Anyway, dont get confused: your SM will be recalculated for the preceeding 12 months EACH month. Depending on the milage you accumulated in April 2011, you can still run for platinum next month.
...in my case i would loose some 30K in may/june. as my stat period ends in July I would fall back to silver. But as I booked my asian connection in April I will get platinum on first of may for next 13 month stat period.

I read this complete thread and found this table (http://www.airberlin.com/site/landingpages/topbonus_oneworld.php?LANG=eng) on their website.

So I'm a right. Should all OW elites pay to be able to reserve a seat upfront?

Should all OW elites pay to be able to reserve a seat upfront?

NO. Advanced seat reservation is OW benefit. Just call in and u can reserve a seat for free.

cheers