Supersonic Swinger

General alert - Delta miles don't expire but they have recently removed their award charts from their website. So you won't know what mileage level to aim for to redeem. You'll only know how much your award costs once you've made it all the way through to paying for the award booking on their online award calendar (which suffers from a number of pricing problems which were usually inconsistent with the award charts anyway)

More details on #AwardChartGate

http://www.flyertalk.com/forum/delta...ard-chart.html

http://onemileatatime.boardingarea.c...d-charts-gone/

http://viewfromthewing.boardingarea....ation-loyalty/

http://deltapoints.boardingarea.com/...ing-move-year/

vebaev

Hi,
I have been redirected my a helpful member here. I have a question regarding which ST airline to use, but:
I'm not so interested in earning miles , but of the member plastic card (I have similar one for StarAlliance) which I can use to speed up my checkin, printing my boarding passes on the kyosks?

Which airline can post me a fast and reliable card for this purpose that I can use for SkyTeam lines kyosks machines?

Goldorak

You don't need a "plastic card" to use an airport kiosk or a smartphone app. A booking ref or e-ticket number is enough.

vebaev

Yes , but if I web-checkin previous day with the card on the airport is just a swipe nothing else, otherwise I have to remember the ref number sometimes ask for flight number etc also without the card asks for national ID which I have obsession I can lose and also liked to use the card

So any suggestion which airline card to make? It will work on any Skyteam flight or only for the airlines which issued the card?

TandroyFoty

I fly *A almost exclusively, but have to fly AF for two legs of a flight. I won't be flying ST much more, but was looking for a an airline to deposit these miles that had a decent partner award chart and didn't expire. Any suggestions on ST? My idea is potentially Korean Air because they're transfer partners w/ Chase. But Alaska sounds like a possibility since they have an interesting partner group and supposedly have decent 'Buy Miles' promotions from time to time.
Anybody have any good ideas?

I can't find the fare class on my current flight, but the AF website says I will earn 1200 miles RT, for a flight that is actually over 5000. Exactly why I want a different partner to deposit these miles to.

Mwenenzi

Alaska has a good range of partners including AA, DL and AF. But the fare class for AS earning
http://www.alaskaair.com/content/mil...-overview.aspx

TandroyFoty

Yeah, it offers 100% earning for my current fare, so I'm not going to complain. Especially compared to AF's own chart.

travel_mav

No mention of KE Skypass/Morning Calm? 10 year expiration period for mileage earned after July 1, 2008 and you can pool miles with family members.

jcmetrokraft

I'm about to move to Paris. I've been a LH SEN for ever, but I guess I'll be using AF now a lot from CDG for long haul. I have a Delta account (with the original card from 1988), so the question is: should I carry on using my SkyMiles account or get a brand new Flying Blue account? Or... Carry on flying LH etc as much as possible?

Goldorak

You already asked the same question in the AF forum. Double posting is not allowed on FT.

jcmetrokraft

Sorry for the etiquette breach. Wanted to get a perspective from different forums.

Felixishim

Well, i hope is not too late but consider premium credit card that charge high annual fee, they always get pretty good benefit for economy pax who doesn't travel enough for status.

you are saying skyteam so if you fly a DL flight with the DL Amex Reserve

you get priority boarding, security, companion buy 1 get 1 free cert in first or economy on certain fare), priority check-in, 1 free bag, get an extra one if you earn silver, free skyclub for cardholder

MiekeGoedel

Hi! Thanks in advance for your help for a forum newbie.

I'm currently on Delta's SkyMiles plan, but wondering about switching to FlyingBlue because I am fed up with Delta -- how difficult it is for their computer systems to mesh with KLM in checking in, choosing seats, etc.

My situation:
I am from the US, but currently living long-term in the Netherlands (Amsterdam = KLM). As a international member, the MQD's on Delta's plan don't apply to me, which means I'm only using MQM's to achieve elite status, which is a huge plus. I'm not sure the Amex Card conditions would apply to me, but I nonetheless am not interested in using a credit card to achieve miles or status.

It is most important to me to have access to the lounges, which I have in Europe and Africa with Delta, even at Gold status. However, there are no upgrades possibilities, and even when there are, I have trouble with the Delta/KLM computer interface, meaning that I usually cannot check in and choose seats until I get to the airport, anyway, and am stuck with terrible seats, especially on flights to the US. I am also using miles for my family from the US to visit me in Europe, which they cannot do every year, so not having expiration dates for award miles is important.

In 2015, I missed Platinum status by 102 miles, and I'm generally flying around 50 - 70K miles/year. I fly in and out of Amsterdam, mostly on inter-continental flights to Africa or US, booking through KLM/AirFrance (cheaper!), and somewhat frequently on Kenya Airways (only worth 50% on Delta's mileage plan). I rarely fly within the US Continent, but when I do, I of course the upgrades from Delta, but there is no access to lounges without paying extra, even with Gold (or Platinum?) status and no credit card.

My question is: Is it worth switching to to FlyingBlue, with lower status thresholds for miles? Is there comparable access to lounges with the possibility of upgrades within Europe or international flights?

Thanks for your help, and as directed, I've pasted in the questionaire below, if that's easier.

Questionnaire: Copy and paste into your post
Provide the requested information.

1. What is most important to you in a frequent flyer program (FFP)?
upgrades, priority services, baggage allowance, good award redemption rates, better award access, lounge access, etc.

>>Priority services!

2. How many miles do you usually fly each year? How many flights/sectors?
less than 25000 miles, 50000+ miles and 20-25 flights, etc.

>> 50,000 + miles

3. What fare class do you usually buy?
first, business, premium economy, economy

>>> Economy with effors to upgrade to premium economy (though I fly for work, we must book economy.)

4. Are you able to choose your airlines and/or class of service? Do you travel for work and/or pleasure?

>>> I travel for work mostly.

5. Which routes do you fly most often?
transatlantic, domestic USA, intra-Asia, etc.
>>> Europe - East Africa (often Amsterdam - Nairobi with Kenya Airways) and Europe - US (often Amsterdam - Boston)

6. What is your home airport?
>>> Amsterdam

7. Do you have status in any FFP? What is it? How miles do you have banked in each FFP, if any?
>>> Reply: Currently on SkyMiles (Delta) with 98,000 K miles banked (missed Platinum this year by 102 miles.)

8. What are your preferred airlines, if any?
>>> Reply: I don't really prefer any airline, they are all mostly terrible, I end up on KLM most of the time. I do enjoy Kenya Airways.

akk

I'm flying in business RT on KL/AF from Canada to South Africa. I want to join the ST FFP that will give me the most reward for those flights. Details:

I live in Canada. Most important to me is to be able to use the points for a flight award, either within NA or a Trans-Atlantic. I don't expect to fly with ST much at all, except for this flight and the reward, and will not get a credit card. So I don't care about getting to elite levels or lounge access. Rather, I want to earn the maximum points for this flight and have the maximum flexibility to use the points for a flight award. If any of the FFP's are markedly different in their point expiry policies, that would also play a role.

Thanks!

Mwenenzi

FF miles are not equal to earn or use
One trip may not enough for a descent award flight.

USA based airline ffp's tend to be more generous (status benefits/earn/burn/upgrades/award cost/award cash surcharges/expiry/affiliated credit cards/promotions) compared to non USA based airline ffp’s (even after the recently announced changes to some USA ffp’s)

Delta is Skyteam and miles do not expire.
Have a look a AS https://www.alaskaair.com/content/mi...ePlan-partners KLM/AF are partners as are other airlines.

Check the earning for your booking class http://www.wheretocredit.com/ (may not be accurate)
http://www.flyertalk.com/forum/miles...nt-expire.html

Award cost, but always check the airline web sites and any cash co payments
http://www.flyertalk.com/forum/trave...demptions.html
http://www.awardace.com/