SkyTeam - Best SkyTeam program for a less frequent traveler




meheeco
Mar 17, 12, 4:57 am
Hi,

My preference is to fly Star Alliance (I'm *G), but now and then I find significantly better routing with SkyTeam (KLM) because my home town has 3 daily return flights to AMS. So far this made me fly KLM (mainly eco with 50% mileage earning) at least once a year, and as such having no problem with their 20 months mileage expiry rule. I have been posting my miles to Flying Blue since long time before I became aware of the differences between the FF programs, now having just passed 50000 miles which I'm going to spend on an award flight during 2012.

However my flight pattern is starting to change, which sees me flying KLM less and less frequent, and at one point I'm afraid there will be a period where I won't fly KLM within 20 months unless I make an extra effort to do so, especially as I'm considering moving abroad and no longer will have the 3 daily AMS connections as a reason to fly KLM. As I'm going to spend most of my current Flying Blue miles this year, I'm considering using the opportunity to change to a SkyTeam FF program with more relaxed rules when it comes to mileage expiry, possibly with better earning for discounted eco tickets, where I can continue to accumulate points from my less frequent SkyTeam flights and cash out some award every 4-5 years.

What would be the best SkyTeam FF program for long lasting miles that in the end would be spent on award flights, given that I don't care about status, lounge access, partner earning possibilities or any other perks?

Regards,
Magnus


123dd
Mar 17, 12, 5:02 am
Delta, no miles expiries.

KLflyerRalph
Mar 17, 12, 5:22 am
Delta has generous earning and no expiry but redemption is often awful.


dvs7310
Mar 18, 12, 8:41 am
AM is similar to DL on earning, easy to keep active, just any Skyteam credit in 24 months keeps it from expiring. Don't know yet how they are with redemtions but would be impossible to be worse than DL and don't think they have the high fee for starting an itinerary outside North America. They did only got a nice web interface this year.

GuillaumeD
Mar 20, 12, 8:43 am
Delta has generous earning and no expiry but redemption is often awful.

According to some rumors on the DL forum, there might be an other "april fool" in the ST alliance!

poorbanker
Mar 22, 12, 5:56 am
I'm in a pretty similar situation. I am a member of Airfrance but I don't have any miles on it.

I am flying Alitalia soon.

Should I sign up for Delta before I fly? Or just put in on Airfrance?

Douglas
Mar 22, 12, 7:50 am
According to some rumors on the DL forum, there might be an other "april fool" in the ST alliance!

If I were in the OP's situation, I'd go for Delta if it wasn't for this (probably more than) rumor:
http://www.flyertalk.com/forum/delta-skymiles/1326526-skymiles-change-rumor.html



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