herriebo

I often credit to M&M whilst using my M&B *G benefits because many flights I take are not entitled to miles under the M&B program whilst they are under the M&M program.

However, the important thing to note is that you went to the SilverKris lounge in Singapore. This lounge is normally reserved for people having status on Krisflyer only (or when flying the appropriate class on SQ itself). *G members normally have to make use of the KrisFlyer Gold lounges, which are by far not comparable in means of quality.

So yes, I think you were lucky and the guy did make an exception.

wyvern

My reading of this - especially given the fact that the original intention have may be slightly lost in translation - is that adequate proof of Star Gold membership is required, and of course the best proof of this is of course a valid card, and for good measure *G on the BP.

However, the official Star Alliance conditions require you to have a card but not *G on the BP, as I understand matters, the following have all been accepted to get *G benefits when flying Y:
1. A valid Star Gold card.
2. An out of date Star Gold card if your new one has not arrived (they may look it up - it helps to have other proof such as 3, 4 or 7) - documented elsewhere on FT.
3. A 'lounge letter' (or fax) from a Star Alliance programme confirming your gold status (many airlines will issue these to members who are waiting for or have lost their card) - more official than 4, and documented elsewhere on FT.
4. A web print out or statement showing status - I used this for two months waiting for my A3 *G card to arrive.
5. A BP or mobile boarding pass showing *G (see below) - many lounges/priority lanes happy to accept this, though some are not without other proof.
6. A baggage tag showing *G (it helps to have other proof such as 3, 4 or 7 - documented elsewhere on FT.
7. The lounge staff being able to look you up if they are so inclined - either if you are a member of the lounge operator or an affiliated airline's FFP (e.g. LH group), or if they have access to other airlines, or if they will let you show them on your phone/pad or their computer, by logging into your FFP's site - documented elsewhere on FT.

In the absence of 1, having more than one of the other items is helpful. But I have never been refused with just a web printout (though sometimes some checking has appeared to take place), and having shown a *G card I have never been asked for a second proof - sometimes they have commented that the miles are being credited to another programme, but I have never been refused entry in this case.

Not all airlines display '*G' on the BP - a recent flight with SQ did not, despite my A3 number being in the booking at BP printing time, and I as told that only SQ status or numbers appeared on the BP (different to previous SQ BP, though these were from different airports) - and I believe that at least on LH's system the agent can alter the text in the place where '*G' is printed (which is why some lounges will not accept a BP with '*G' on it and ask to see the card or another proof). So there are occasions when even if you are crediting flights to the a *G scheme '*G' does not appear on your BP.

However a way to stay within the literal conditions above is to ask the airline you have booked with/are flying on to put your *G number into the FQTS (status/services/'non-accrual') field on their system and the FFP number that you wish to credit to in the FQTV (accrual). In many cases this will print both '*G' and 'FQTV' then the airline code and usually membership number of the airline you are crediting to. YMMV with FQTS/FQTV split entry - sometimes it goes in the wrong way round so it is worth checking that it is there correctly - but most times it works. The only *A airline to have not been able to do this in my experience is Singapore where their system will only accept SQ FQTS numbers as their system uses it to credit PPS sectors.

I don't think we have seen anything in the T&Cs or other official communications from A3 to say that using A3 *G for status while crediting to another programme breaches the T&C or is contrary to the spirit of the programme, and I think it is incorrect of posters to assert this here. In a lot of cases I think posters may be repeating other posts they have seen, until a kind of self-perpetuating myth is created about this.

Given that (as I understand it) the operating carrier pays for lounge access and bears the cost of additional luggage and other *A perks, I don't think A3 would be that bothered whether its *G cardholders credit every flight to it or not. When they fly and credit, Aegean earns from the miles the operating carrier buys. When we redeem our A3 miles, Aegean spends from these earnings. When *G from any airline fly in A3, Aegean pays the cost of their *G benefits. If A3 does not make the benefits of crediting (in terms of earn ratio/bonus/burn ration/FFP features) attractive, people will chose another FFP. If A3 makes its programme better, more people will credit to it. Since in general more people will always credit than redeem, the airline wins. And it is creating loyalty to the brand along the way. A3 is gaining when people credit to it, but it is not losing when its gold cardholders credit to another airline. This is how I understand *A frequent flyer programmes to work.

It's worth noting that non *A benefits for *G (like the priority security at various terminals) require you to be flying on A3 metal - this is because A3 is in all probability paying for them (and has take the view that to encourage travel on A3 it will open these perks to all *G and not just A3 G). But these are not standard *A benefits. AFAIK all standard *A benefits are paid for by the operating carrier.

Myself, I am going to credit the flights I need to advance/keep my status in M&B, and to cover any redemptions I anticipate making from M&B. However I am not using it as my main *A programme (yet) as while no changes or cancellations are possible on award tickets without loss of miles, while there are no credit card open to non-Greek residents or points transfer options to allow credit card spend to translate to additional miles to boost balances, while the earning and redemption ratios are what they re (OK, but not as good as other airlines), while there is no zonal system to make multi leg or RTW redemptions competitive with other airlines, and while there is the some chance that the airline could go belly-up, I don't want to put all my *A eggs in this one basket, much as I wish the programme all the best and would like it to do well.

I hope that doesn't come across as being unsporting or disloyal, and I do wish the programme and A3 all the best, but I think we all have to be circumspect about this given the recent loss of two carriers from major alliances and the apparent loss of all miles held by all members in those airlines' FFPs, and the uncertainty regarding all the miles held by BD members. I hope A3 will improve the M&B programme to the extent where it becomes suitable to be my main *A programme.

However given the potential of miles balances to disappear with airlines, and the current economic situation, maybe the only sensible strategy is having fewer eggs in more baskets, and if this means joining and crediting to more FFPs, to protect miles balances, even if this translates to fewer redemption opportunities, it may be the best way forward.

Away from YYZ

Oh gosh...

I don't recall how many times I have seen this topic coming up... And yes, I think is valid. (but let's not catch too much A3 attention)

*What if*, one have A3*G on their BP, go to any *A lounge is not an issue. But later at the gate, have the GA change the FFP. (or even ask GA to remove the FFP# and submit the BP later to claim miles for their choice of FFP)

Yes, one may still argue this is wrong, but, at the time entering the lounge it is fully 'register' with A3 FFP.

Away from YYZ

BIG THANKS! Awesome post! thanks for spending the time for the write up...

ldnhlj

Or, better still, just don't enter any FFP number on the booking, have a BP with no FFP association, and simply show your *G card (+the FQTV free BP) to gain entry into lounges. Then later on just retro claim the miles from the programme you want credits for!

bevoinva

I may be wrong, but I don't think any of the US airlines have the multiple fields to put in multiple FF #s to distinguish between status and earning program.

If it is truly the case that A3 is not paying for services used by flyers not crediting to A3 then it would seem they have a pretty good thing going. As you say, there will be a lot more miles going in (positive A3 revenue stream) that miles going out (e.g. award redemptions) (negative revenue stream). If this is the case, I withdraw my earlier comments - I just don't want to see the program taken advantage of to the point that it gets shut down.

PVDtoDEL

UA has it. However, in my experience, the only people who know how to use it are the Indian Call Center folks - and they don't do it on purpose

andre1970

Correct. Never understood this A3 forum urban legend related to where one credits. FWIW, I used my SEN card all the time for lounge access while working on A3 *G (OK, a couple of long hauls ) and thus, crediting to M&B. Now I credit to M&B with very few exceptions but this is only because I value domestic awards.

calvinoeh

You don't have to credit your miles to airline that you are using the card to enter the lounge with. That's just absurd. Who you credit your miles to and which card you use to enter the lounge with have no correlation and is not part of the rules.

I recently flew on a SQ economy class miles redemption and used my *G from OZ for priority check-in, boarding the lounge access. I don't have status on SQ. Does that mean I shouldn't get my *G perk? Absolutely not...

GoldCircle

OK. Quite right.

I'm going to weight in formally here in my role as Moderator of this forum.

There have been several comments of deeply questionable nature thrown around in the few short weeks this forum has been going.

It is disrespectful. It is unnecessary. It is unpleasant. It speaks even more poorly of the various posters than it does of the Greek people.

And from this point forward, I will exercise my discretion as Moderator to interpret any such comments as being racist. And there is only one possible follow on action from that conclusion.

It stops now.

And a reminder that discussion of specific Moderator action - such as this one - is contrary to the FT Guidelines and Rules. Anyone wishing to take this up, may do so with me by PM - but they can expect little quarter on this issue.

GoldCircle
A3 Forum Moderator

GoldCircle

I was sat beside a former president of Star Alliance for dinner one night. This issue was once upon a time a serious bone of contention among certain airlines (guess which country doesn't allow its elites in to lounges on domestic fights?) This is a matter that is complex, as certain clubs have pay-for levels (think of UA Red Carpet, for example) where some revenue accounting is called for, but in the main Y pax with *G status entering a lounge of another airline, have their costs picked up by the operating airline.

I understand in oneworld, the cost is picked up by the marketing airline. Seems like a lot of accounting to me.

As a result this 'urban legend' on this board - which can be easily traced back to a single member - is easily dismissed.

Anyone who is bi-lingual will recognise English that has been poorly translated. Like many FFPs, the T&Cs for M&B are written from the internal perspective of that programme.

It is entirely possible for a member to credit their miles to one programme (Lufthansa E fare, anyone?) and use their A3*G to avail of lounge entry/luggage/other benefits.

The only fly in the ointment is that some airline systems will only permit the additional benefit to be processed (I'm thinking luggage particularly) if the status is in the booking...

MSPeconomist

It's even more extreme since the OP was in T2 at SIN. There is a dedicated *Gold lounge in T3 but in T2, *Golds are sent to a contract lounge by SQ.

h15t0r1an

I did that kind of messing around on a flight operated by BD or LH out of Milan, I forget which. None of the miles ever got credited!

AA_EXP09

Remember in Canada we have 2 official languages, so if it's any easier, we could translate French into Greek.

KLouis

Or Cree!