Flying Blue (Air France & KLM) - CLUB 2000 : for the super elite?

dear all,

we talk about FB but what about "CLUB 2000".

is this only for the super elite :confused: ?

i know a few friends who are FB platinum but few have the "CLUB 2000" status.

one friend of mine is a member of "CLUB 2000" but then again, he used to take the concord in the past :D .

is there anybody who can give me some explanation?

There have been a few threads in the past about this. Club 2000 membership (originally limited to 2000 people only, now probably more) is awarded by invitation only, presumably to people who are in a position to generate a lot of business to AF (which does not necessarily mean that they travel a lot themselves). One reported sure way of becoming a Club 2000 member is to be elected to the European parliament.

The Club 2000 official privileges are the same as those of FB Platinum. The card is all black, very classy.

Well, some Club 2000 members are real road warriors too. A Club 2000 member who was also flying LAX-CDG in F had 3 long-haul trips a week on AF...

ok... i see... so it has to be by invitation only.....hmm, got the message! thanks for the reply albeiro :)

ok... i see... so it has to be by invitation only.....hmm, got the message! thanks for the reply albeiro :)

I thought that KLM Skipper and AF Club 2000 were merged. You can also join after 10 years non-stop-platinum I was told.

You can also join after 10 years non-stop-platinum I was told.
Never heard of such a thing. I think you rather refer to Lifetime Platinum membership.


The card is all black, very classy.
Actually, it is dark blue.

One reported sure way of becoming a Club 2000 member is to be elected to the European parliament.Elected in France, I presume?

Johan

Never heard of such a thing. I think you rather refer to Lifetime Platinum membership.

Yes I am, but the KLM-employer told me that they give the Skipper-card to the Lifetime Plats. So if I'm wrong, he was - and that can be the thing ofcourse...

Yes I am, but the KLM-employer told me that they give the Skipper-card to the Lifetime Plats. So if I'm wrong, he was - and that can be the thing ofcourse...

Well, maybe it is the case for Skipper in NL, as it is a combi card : Skipper members get a C2000 card&status, whereas C2000 members are not granted Skipper.

Now, I wonder what status is given to the additional Flying Blue - Amex Dutch card (http://www.americanexpress.com/campaigns/netherlands/flyingdutchman/index.cgi) holder, if the main holder is C2000. Will he get C2000 status ?

Elected in France, I presume?

Johan

I do not think so. I know that an MEP elected in a Nordic country also received the Club 2000 membership cards after being elected in 1999. A friend of mine was the assistent, and gave me the Club 2000 luggage tag with a nice dark leather strap, because he knew that his boss would not use the tag anyway.

I guess sending these cards to all MEPs (totalling 626 in 1999, 732 since 2004) was and is a way for Air France to lure full fare paying MEP's, who hardly have any other possibility than flying Air France to get to Strasbourg every month, onto their planes.

yes this way they can enjoy the non existing lounge in sxb ;) ;) ;)

... and the non Elite check-in desk, as well as the non priority boarding !

There is no priority boarding benefit for AF domestic flights.

There is no priority boarding benefit for AF domestic flights.

neither is there on intercontinental flights :D . 'today we are boarding by seat row' :mad:

neither is there on intercontinental flights :D . 'today we are boarding by seat row' :mad:

Boarding by seat row would be an improvement, from what I can say they board all folks at the same time way too often... :o

There is no priority boarding benefit for AF domestic flights.

Just nasty, but at least on par with KL domestic flights :D

yes this way they can enjoy the non existing lounge in sxb ;) ;) ;)

someone mentionned SXB? ;)

which according to SXB airport manager will never happen since CCI (who operates SXB apt) does not think its necessary. SXB is not generating enough traffic :( :mad: :td:

which according to SXB airport manager will never happen since CCI (who operates SXB apt) does not think its necessary. SXB is not generating enough traffic :( :mad: :td:

Indeed quite a silly comment by the airport officials, considering that airports like LNZ with more than a million less pax than SXB do have an airport operated lounge.

You get access via a 4 digit code and it is unmanned like in DTM, but at least their is some dedicated facility available and since all airlines use it, definitely not breaking the airport financially.

And I guess right out of the blue that SXB has far more premium pax than LNZ or DTM....

Just nasty, but at least on par with KL domestic flights :D

:D

Back to the topic, the perks are basically the same as the ST E+ ones. But from what I know from a friend working as F/A on AF, Captain usually comes to thank you personaly for being onboard his aircraft, at least when not flying in Y. It has been confirmed when I flew once with a Club2000 partner.

Another "benefit" is that the lounge employee will inform you personaly that your flight is boarding.

But then again, it is already the case in the AF First Class lounges (at least in CDG) where there is no more P/A announcements in order not to disturb the passengers. Business Class lounges still get annoucements though.

IIRC, KLM Skippers can enter AMS lounges without flying KLM.

Back to the topic, the perks are basically the same as the ST E+ ones. But from what I know from a friend working as F/A on AF, Captain usually comes to thank you personaly for being onboard his aircraft, at least when not flying in Y. It has been confirmed when I flew once with a Club2000 partner.

Another "benefit" is that the lounge employee will inform you personaly that your flight is boarding.

But then again, it is already the case in the AF First Class lounges (at least in CDG) where there is no more P/A announcements in order not to disturb the passengers. Business Class lounges still get annoucements though.

IIRC, KLM Skippers can enter AMS lounges without flying KLM.

don't you also get space available upgrades with C2000?

But from what I know from a friend working as F/A on AF, Captain usually comes to thank you personaly for being onboard his aircraft, at least when not flying in Y. It has been confirmed when I flew once with a Club2000 partner.

Being greeted by name by the captain does not require a Club2000 card. I flew CDG-NRT this summer in First(award ticket) and the captain was waiting for me. I was so tired that I did not notice him and when he greeted me, I did not take attention, as I thought it was a FA! The chief purser came and said to me the captain had been outraged by my attitude. I was so sorry!

don't you also get space available upgrades with C2000?

From what I know, very less than before, if not at all. I talk about the time when AF was a national company.

Before the introduction of Frequence Plus, there were 2 programs available : Service Plus, for the common herd (well, not so much, as you needed to fly a minimum number of flights) and Club 200, for the VIP.

In the past, Club 2000 members were allowed a lot of things, like enter the F lounge in CDG, but this is not the case since a few years now.

Things are getting harder for the airlines, now they have no longer the French Taxpayers to pay Air Inter Pilots salaries, and IMO, this level is nothing but something to flatter the pride of a few. Add to this the number of card holders (much more than 2000), and you will understand why the Club 2000 members are no longer escorted through security at CDG.

AF has a dedicated service (called KX) for his VIP. And this one is above anything ;)

Being greeted by name by the captain does not require a Club2000 card. I flew CDG-NRT this summer in First(award ticket) and the captain was waiting for me. I was so tired that I did not notice him and when he greeted me, I did not take attention, as I thought it was a FA! The chief purser came and said to me the captain had been outraged by my attitude. I was so sorry!

Actually, you are right, it happens in F.

Add to this the number of card holders (much more than 2000), and you will understand why the Club 2000 members are no longer escorted through security at CDG.It would appear that KL's Skippers of the Flying Dutchman are a rather more select group.

Johan

Now that Air France and KLM are Air France-KLM, I can also mention that in former times Dutch Members of the Upper Chamber/Senat (De Eerste Kamer) were automatically handed out Flying Dutchman Royalwing cards, with the corresponding perks. And these people are not even directly elected. Their membership is based on the result of the elections of their party colleagues in the 12 provincial assemblies. I don't know if our current senators receive automatically a Flying Blue elite card.

(ps even though I have the nick name I have never been Royalwing, merely a Silver...)

Well, maybe it is the case for Skipper in NL, as it is a combi card : Skipper members get a C2000 card&status, whereas C2000 members are not granted Skipper.

Now, I wonder what status is given to the additional Flying Blue - Amex Dutch card (http://www.americanexpress.com/campaigns/netherlands/flyingdutchman/index.cgi) holder, if the main holder is C2000. Will he get C2000 status ?

Interesting point ^
I have looked at the Dutch AMEX website and as card type you can select level Club 2000 (get the AF-KLM AMEX).

It would appear that KL's Skippers of the Flying Dutchman are a rather more select group.


Only the KLM Board of Directors is authorised to extend an invitation to the KLM Skippers program, although I understand that it is largely a formality nowadays with a long list of names that is rubberstamped. Still, it maintains somewhat of a mystique as a result.

Now that Air France and KLM are Air France-KLM, I can also mention that in former times Dutch Members of the Upper Chamber/Senat (De Eerste Kamer) were automatically handed out Flying Dutchman Royalwing cards, with the corresponding perks. And these people are not even directly elected. Their membership is based on the result of the elections of their party colleagues in the 12 provincial assemblies. I don't know if our current senators receive automatically a Flying Blue elite card.

Sounds similar to Lufthansa's practice of comping German MPs to SEN. The bonus miles that come with this status later on gave their name to the "bonus mile scandal", when the press discovered that politicians were using their miles to pay for holiday flights. "On taxpayers' money!"

Only the KLM Board of Directors is authorised to extend an invitation to the KLM Skippers program, although I understand that it is largely a formality nowadays with a long list of names that is rubberstamped. Still, it maintains somewhat of a mystique as a result.My sister and I have "Junior Skipper of the Flying Dutchman" certificates somewhere. I can't imagine they were ever approved by the KLM Board :D

Johan

Sounds similar to Lufthansa's practice of comping German MPs to SEN. The bonus miles that come with this status later on gave their name to the "bonus mile scandal", when the press discovered that politicians were using their miles to pay for holiday flights. "On taxpayers' money!"
Indeed - if you think about it the miles should be used for business trips of those MPs if possible. There are companies that either forbid the collection of FF miles, or have a scheme where those are used for company trips. And everything paid be the tax-payer needs to be handled as cost-efficient as possible (hmmm, if only that were true, I remember the days of seemingly unlimited EU budgets for technology projects ;) )