SkyTeam - Newbie on Skyteam: Which Airline to choose?

Dear all,

apologies if this has been asked before - you might want to lead me to a similar thread.

I am a FF based in Dubai but originally from Western Europe. I will start flying DL on an iregular basis (2-3 times a year) but nevertheless want to enrol in a Skyteam Airline program.

Since my heritage is European based, I thought the best to go is with AFKL (I would not fly with any Skyteam very regularly, so for me it is more about to start with any carrier on a long-term basis)

Is there any airline program within Skyteam you guys can particularly recommend me?

Generally speaking, go with the carrier you will fly most often. You'll get the most benefits that way.

AFKL is a miserable program unless you are always flying on higher fares. DL's program isn't all that much better, but at least you get credit at 100% minimum for all DL flights you take. Plus, DL has a decent lifetime program that you can get to eventually if you fly enough.

AFKL is a miserable program unless you are always flying on higher fares.

Couldn't agree more (and with the rest of your answer too). If your flights are likely to be with DL, joining Flying Blue would be grossly counter-productive: if you fly cheap, you'll get nearly nothing while you'd get quite a bit more with DL's FFP, if you fly on expensive tickets, you'll get quite a lot but would still get more with DL's FFP!

I've a similar question. My friend is based in Austria. We will be flying on an Air France ticket with American Airlines next week and then on the same ticket in January VIE-CDG-JFK-CDG-VIE (where VIE-CDG-VIE is operated by Austrian, but we haven an AF flight number). These tickets where VERY cheap.

She is not a member of a Sky Team program yet. We have no further trips with Sky Team booked at this moment, but you never know. I'm a Flying Blue member, but I don't have any points there left.

Should be both go for Flying Blue, because we are flying Air France this time? Or should we go for Delta? Or...?

Is there a "sign up" bonus with any of the Sky Team programs?

TIA!

PS: We are both active members of Miles&More. Should we probably choose the Czech Airlines program this time and hope that they will join Star Alliance after privatization, so that we can get the miles over into our Miles&More-Accounts (like it happened with Swiss and Brussels)?

PS: We are both active members of Miles&More. Should we probably choose the Czech Airlines program this time and hope that they will join Star Alliance after privatization, so that we can get the miles over into our Miles&More-Accounts (like it happened with Swiss and Brussels)?

maybe alitalia?

fly with children and earn miles on your account (http://www.alitalia.com/EN_EN/footer/news/newsdetail.aspx?componentURI=tcm:9-33516)

status match for *A and OW members (http://www.alitalia.com/en_en/millemiglia/offers/volaaltop0709/index.htm)

should you go for that, using my congas code would be appreciated :D MGM3IIOQ13

Thank you. We have no status anywhere and there are no children. :-)

But should we take Alitalia, we will of course use your code. TNX!

Thank you. We have no status anywhere and there are no children. :-)

But should we take Alitalia, we will of course use your code. TNX!

my fault, this reply was supposed to be posted into this thread were a user was asking about a FF program with which he could gain miles flown by his kids (http://www.flyertalk.com/forum/skyteam/990899-ff-program-me.html) :rolleyes:

btw the code gives 1000miles if used

Ah, I can't use the Alitalia program, because there you can't earn miles in Air France classes E L N O X - and we have L and N flights.

Ah, I can't use the Alitalia program, because there you can't earn miles in Air France classes E L N O X - and we have L and N flights.

L and N classes on Air France get you 25% of actual mileage and 0 segments on Czech Airline's OK Plus. Those are their cheapest seats and you're not going to get much from them on and SkyTeam partner, as far as I know.

L and N classes on Air France get you 25% of actual mileage and 0 segments on Czech Airline's OK Plus. Those are their cheapest seats and you're not going to get much from them on and SkyTeam partner, as far as I know.

which is exaclty what you get as a FB member see chart here (http://www.airfrance.it/X01/it/local/voyageurfrequent/flyingblue/fblue_gagner_skyteam.htm?BV_SessionID=JuatbILMBMIb nLZmb0zW9ni&BV_EngineID=140ufoft8)

I've a similar question. My friend is based in Austria. We will be flying on an Air France ticket with American Airlines next week and then on the same ticket in January VIE-CDG-JFK-CDG-VIE (where VIE-CDG-VIE is operated by Austrian, but we haven an AF flight number). These tickets where VERY cheap.

She is not a member of a Sky Team program yet. We have no further trips with Sky Team booked at this moment, but you never know. I'm a Flying Blue member, but I don't have any points there left.

Should be both go for Flying Blue, because we are flying Air France this time? Or should we go for Delta? Or...?

Is there a "sign up" bonus with any of the Sky Team programs?

TIA!

Delta will not give you any milage credit for AA (except for a couple of Eagle flights from LAX) or credit for any Austrian metal flights. I think FB is about your only realistic choice, since Delta charges a European origination fee for award tickets starting in Europe. (I think that is specifically to keep AF from hemoragging FFers to DL).

I've a similar question. My friend is based in Austria. We will be flying on an Air France ticket with American Airlines next week and then on the same ticket in January VIE-CDG-JFK-CDG-VIE (where VIE-CDG-VIE is operated by Austrian, but we haven an AF flight number). These tickets where VERY cheap.

She is not a member of a Sky Team program yet. We have no further trips with Sky Team booked at this moment, but you never know. I'm a Flying Blue member, but I don't have any points there left.

Should be both go for Flying Blue, because we are flying Air France this time? Or should we go for Delta? Or...?

Is there a "sign up" bonus with any of the Sky Team programs?

TIA!

Strange that you got to fly on AA with an AF ticket. But if the CDG-JFK-CDG leg is operated by AA, I doubt that you could get any miles on FB. I dont believe that AF codeshares with AA. You would need to enter a OneWorld FFP number, and not BAEC because you cannot earn miles on AA transatlantic flights. If I read your post correctly, my guess is that AA is selling the ticket that has to be issued on AF stock because your first flight from VIE is on AF. Not worth the trouble to register with a ST program just to credit VIE-CDG-VIE in cheap fare.

Oh, Austrian and AF have been doing codeshare on the VIE-CDG route for a long time (and maybe some other routes as well, don't know). Air France even owns a small part of Austrian (or maybe they've sold it to Lufthansa now, I would have to check that). So that's not the problem. On these codeshare flights you collect miles according to your ticket (flight number). If your ticket is for the OS flight number, you collect in M&M, if it is in AF you collect in your Sky Team program.