Originally Posted by
San Gottardo
LH/LX definitely gives opup priority to HONs, over any "teasing offers". Yes, they do teasing and there are stories about SENs complaining about that, but HONs go first, and there are on-board upgrades from Y to J and from J to First. And when there are upgrade-for-cash offers, SEN/HON offers aren't more expensive. Is the same true for ULTIs? Will they get priority over any teaser offers? I have the impression that AFKL's logic of investing into new customers rather than already loyal ones goes to the extreme of alienating the very loyal ones. It's difficult to get the balance right between what makes sense from a purchasing behaviour dynamic vs. keeping a "you are our most important" promise to the most loyal customers.
This is very true in many ways.
The LH OPUP experienced was when travelling with a SEN (I have FT status), and I was on a cheaper ticket.
And then, since I have Platinum for Life with AFKL, I actually fly a lot less with them. There are various reasons for this:
- I hate arriving and departing in CDG 2E (Although connections aren't too bad there nowadays)
- One of my most frequently flown routes has for some reason become pretty unreliable with AF (Lot's of delays, cancellations, and schedule changes)
- LH is usually cheaper, albeit with a connection in FRA
- LH is quite generous with OPUP's for me (Two Y to J and one W to F this year....yes, Premium Economy to First) vs. AFKL no OPUP's in the past 5 years or so.
- Somehow with Lifetime Platinum I feel less recognized than before, but this is admittedly just gut feeling
From what you and others mention in this thread it is very obvious to me that HON is light-years better than Ultimate. Even though HON is still far away for me, it's what I currently aim for, and not for Ultimate.