1) What KL exactly means nobody on the planet knows. FD is known for its inefficiency and poor communications to other KL departments like Reservations and Marketing (leave alone FD communications with NWA and communications with its best clients : FD members).

2) With the promotion KL will get top tiers from other FF programmes moving to FD. There is a misconception in the use of the wording transfer. In Dutch a transfer is a switch, switching to FD, switching of shopping mall, not more not less. An British advocate-of-the-devil will read a physical transfer (of points), which cannot be read in the Dutch text depicting the promotion which is at the Belgian KL website : http://nl.belux.klm.com/new_members/new_members.asp

Like all airlines KL is not doing well. By bringing high spenders into their planes in the next 6 months KL will do better than any of the competition. A good strategy to survive in heavy economic weather. Note that the whole promotion started in Belgium. The major Qualiflyer airlines SN and SR are dead or dying. No doubt the KL promotion had an initial focus at Qualiflyer top tier. A large part of the new RoyalWing members will stay with KL.

Assume KL issues 10b miles in the promotion. Even in that case KL fully stays in control. Award seats are limited per flight. KL can fill up their planes afterwards with new FD members spending their miles. Award seats will simply become scarcer and existing FD members will have to face FD award points inflation.

[This message has been edited by kurz (edited 01-30-2002).]