Qualiflyer - New chart for Rewards...

Here's what I've had from Travelclub =

Europe remains unchanged for the 8 segments etc . but is now 20/30 (Y/C)
Ex Europe =
South Asia 90/135/180
South East Asia 100/150/200
USA 70/105/140
Oceania PAcific 160/240/300

upgrades :
usa 35
sth E ASia 50
Oceania 80

The guy didn't seem really sure about the info though so we might want to wait for more !

Also I had a former reservation (tix not issued) for 2 C class tix on CX , made in Dec 02, they confirmed I'd still be paying 120,000 vs. 150,000 per tix.

This looks like the LH award chart (esp. to the U.S. and Asia). The mileage required for upgrades also seems to be copied from LH.

Is Swiss going to join *Allaince ??? http://www.flyertalk.com/forum/wink.gif

Does anyone know how these figures compare to a oneworld program, e.g. BA or AA?

------------------
airOli (http://www.olimade.com/airoli), the Swiss Air Line. ;)

It's almost impossible to compare LX and LH programmes with the US programmes and BA or KL. The only way is to compare your own potential earnings in each programme and then work out how you would use the points or miles.

However ... taking LHR-EZE-LHR in C, just for example (and ignoring another post about DM fares). That would earn just over 25,000 miles with LX.

On LX, that would buy 1.25 LHR-ZRH returns in economy (20,000 LX each).

Similar mileage would buy almost 2 x LHR-ZRH returns on BA (13,000 each) for a UK BA accountholder or 1.25 (20,000 each) for a BA continental Europe member.

However, flying LHR-EZE-LHR in C on BA will produce 27,680 BA Miles for a UK cardholder, more than enough for 2 LHR-ZRH-LHR awards in economy. Continental European BA earnings are more comp;licated and depend on status.

BUT the BA programme is likely to change in 2003.

Getting AA credit for those LX flights would produce 18,798 AA miles, around 0.94 of an AA economy return award ticket LHR-ZRH on BA or LX. (No AA credit for transatlantic BA flights.)

On that one example, BA would be the clear winner, but there are plenty of caveats - simple it ain't. Your own situation may be conpletely different.

[This message has been edited by Roger (edited 01-03-2003).]

Being on BA as well, I find it much more interesting. Ex Europe (Paris based) I can get a concorde + Y to JFK for 64 K, or USA East Coast for 32 K, Europe-Asia in C for 80 K (-20 % periods) vs. 150 on LX now, etc. the possibility also to mix a Y + C for instance ( Europe-Asia = 60 K for Y+C).

Although = no upgrade for French members; but as a Gold member on BA, if I'm in Y they either always make sure I get an exit row or they upgrade me very frequently to WT+ or C class (50% of the time).

I just transfered 500,000 from Amex MR promotion. Guess I'll get less travels than I thought....

1 In my post yesterday, I overlooked BA's earning ratio when flying BA, so I have edited my post to take that into account.

2 Like france USA, I also transferred some MR miles to Qualioflyer. It's looking less of a good deal now.

3 I just checked on the STC website how many Swiss miles I would need for LHR-JFK-LHR with AA in J and Y. At 100,000 and 60,000, they appear unchanged.

<font face="Verdana, Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif" size="2">Originally posted by Roger:
I just checked on the STC website how many Swiss miles I would need for LHR-JFK-LHR with AA in J and Y. At 100,000 and 60,000, they appear unchanged.</font>

I just spoke to STC - new phone number +44 20 7365 4928.

They have no new award chart(!) and are issuing awards at the old rates. New rates are effective from 31 March 2003.

So I guess this means: have a ticket issued now at the old rates and pay CHF 50 or USD 30 for a change of date once you know when you wanna fly (tickets are valid 12 months from issuance).

I tried to contact the local TravelClub Gold office here in Zurich for an award I want and have learned that they are closed (!) until next Monday, 06-JAN.

------------------
airOli (http://www.olimade.com/airoli), the Swiss Air Line. ;)

Roger - are you sure about this info ? This would be great, although that's not what the guy told me yesterday ?

Yes, this is what the person said. However, who knows if it is right? http://www.flyertalk.com/forum/frown.gif

I think it shows that the agents are not trained yet. LX are not alone here - KL and Hilton have had similar problems recently with new service introductions.

The award calculator still has the old rates.

After finding the old rates on the calculator this morning like sjharte (see thread "booking tickets online!) I booked a ticket via the German TravelClub office. It's official: old Qualiflyer rates until March - what they deducted from my account confirms this. Book / spend at the old rates end while you can!
Rgds
Marvin

It would make sense, since on the Spend Promotion page, it says: "20'000 miles instead of 25'000" for business and then "The price of a regular Business Class Free Ticket will be 30 000 miles as from 1.3.2003."

Different date, but basically says new award numbers aren't in effect yet.

I just called them and the agent on the phone confirmed that the old mileage requirements are valid until the end of February.

...gotta think now about what to do with the &gt;200'000 miles that I transferred from AMEX last October.

andy

Looks like the consensus is that 28.2 is the deadline for using old award levels.

I take it this is for booking, i.e. book by 28.2.03, travel within one year (latest by 27.2.04).

Anybody thinking about the "mini-RTW" suggested by sjharte in http://www.flyertalk.com/forum/Forum40/HTML/000652.html ?

Or has anybody done it ?

<font face="Verdana, Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif" size="2">Originally posted by Roger:
Looks like the consensus is that 28.2 is the deadline for using old award levels.

I take it this is for booking, i.e. book by 28.2.03, travel within one year (latest by 27.2.04).</font>

This is exactly what has been confirmed to me right now.


------------------
airOli (http://www.olimade.com/airoli), the Swiss Air Line. ;)

Thanks, airoli.

<font face="Verdana, Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif" size="2">Originally posted by huegli:
Anybody thinking about the "mini-RTW" suggested by sjharte in http://www.flyertalk.com/forum/Forum40/HTML/000652.html ?

Or has anybody done it ?</font>


Alas, when i tried to book it I was told that they'd charge more for going LHR-ORD-NRT on AA than they would for LHR-ZRH-NRT on LX. From what I recall it was quite a bit more.

Stephen

Too bad the mini-RTW won't work. I guess in this case, I'll just wait for the USA F-award to go down to 140'000, since that was the one I was really interested in. NRT would just have been a nice addition.

The increase in European C class doesn't really bother me, since 1. the flights are so short and 2. C service will get better too, if we believe SWISS...

It was also confirmed that I had to issue the ticket by Feb 28 2003 to beneift from the old chart.

I also asked a question about the airlines I could usebeofre end Feb. but the guy didn't seem to know the answer : if I make a booking before end Feb, say Europe to Asia on CX, can I have CX + the other airlines ( LX etc ) within 8 segments ?. The guy said I could but I'm not sure.

Also, I assume we can still get 25K C class ticket in Europe but only using the "new" airlines list ie. Finnair Iberia and LX ?

<font face="Verdana, Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif" size="2">Originally posted by france usa:
I also asked a question about the airlines I could usebeofre end Feb. but the guy didn't seem to know the answer : if I make a booking before end Feb, say Europe to Asia on CX, can I have CX + the other airlines ( LX etc ) within 8 segments ?. The guy said I could but I'm not sure.</font>
From what I can see in the new TravelClub manual I picked up in ZRH today I can't tell. Does anybody know more about this?

<font face="Verdana, Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif" size="2">Also, I assume we can still get 25K C class ticket in Europe but only using the "new" airlines list ie. Finnair Iberia and LX ? </font>
Yes, definitely no more SN or TAP. Again, does anybody know about interlining?



------------------
airOli (http://www.olimade.com/airoli), the Swiss Air Line. ;)

From what I understand now, the idea is that you can get any ticket with the new "rules" ( ie. new airlines list + interlining should be permitted between CX and LX and AA for instance ? ), but with the "old" chart until Feb 28.

Anyone has any idea ? Calling again today STC I was told I could mix CX and LX for instance or any other airline, as if it was an "alliance".