beduin

I have over 50K miles that I can't use unless I decide to lose my mind. A flight from London to Istanbul can be bought on Aegean for GBP80, but if I want to use my miles with Aegean or other star alliance airline I'm looking at over GBP120 for taxes only. That is in addition to the miles they will deduct.
One thing that makes me very angry with A3 is that they will charge 20 Euros issuance fee if I decide to use other Star alliance airlines. As if the redemption was a bargain already! A perfect example of a failed program.

on22cz

I would rather call it a perfect fail of understanding to where the miles from M+B are worth of being used. Evaluating the whole program on this kind of redemption will obviously result in a negative result. Look into the redemption thread and you will find where you get the real value from your miles. There are some sweet spots in the chart. And it won't definitely be on an 80GBP leg. Good luck in finding better redemption opportunity!

FlyerTalker688786

I think you have every right to dislike the programme. For average person, sometimes the reward programme does not make sense. In your case, you should just buy the cash ticket and forget about the points and save it for another trip when the value make sense (for example when LON-IST on the date you wanted costs you over £180 one way)

Knobbgb

I think you're being a little unfair really. As the other poster said, Inter-European Economy class is probably about the worst place to redeem miles, with base fares so cheap and taxes so high - especially from the UK! I suspect that's probably the same with most of the other programs too.

If you must stay within Europe, a business class redemption would be much better value. For example, you can go with TK from LHR to IST and then on to somewhere else in Europe (or North Africa) such as Greece, Cyprus, Egypt or Israel for example, in Business Class for 42,000 miles (return) and around GBP160 in taxes, which represents MUCH better value. TK use 777 and A330/340 on many of their LHR flights and both the hard and soft product is excellent. Or save the miles for when you need to fly somewhere not on a popular "trunk" route where fares are much higher due to lack of competition. Again that's something that applies to all programs, not just this one.

Also, I'm certain that the taxes for your 80 Euro Aegean flight, booked as a redemption, will NOT work out over 120GBP. They should be the same as the taxes on that fare you've found (if it's actually available and not just some click-bait from a cheap OTA - the cheapest I can find for the next few months, that is actually bookable, is 233GBP return). Looking on the A3 site now, LHR-ATH-IST-ATH-LHR is 35120 miles + 98GBP tax. And if you book online (A3 and OA flights only) there is no 20 Euro service fee either. Still not great value though, I agree.

Tokyoite

Not finding a profitable use for your miles doesn't mean they are useless!

haa

I've found with various points programs that I usually can not use the points to travel when I want to due to no award availability. Only very seldom I've found some good use for any points I may have. I consider any points to have little value because of this.

Thus I'm more into status than miles: making travel more convenient with exit row seating, lounges, priority check-in, priority boarding (always have space for my carryon). A3 program is pretty good from this viewpoint for *A for me and many others.

Now that OneWorld airlines have "enhanced" their FF programs to be much worse then before, I've switched to flying *A and find it works well for me with A3*G status. I'm sure I'll find some useful use for the A3 miles, too, some day, as they don't expire if there is activity.

The various points programs are surprisingly different in details, to get the most you need to play around one evening with a spreadsheet comparing a few programs from each alliance with your typical travel pattern, home base and preferences. With the same travel, you might get good status and lots of miles or almost nothing depending on the FF program you use.

DELLAS

I am surprised that you have not made yourself familiar with and educated yourself on where to maximise the miles you have. There are plenty of very good value ways to use your miles in the M&B program. If after going through all of those you still do not find anything then maybe it is time to choose another program.

To call it a useless program is a bit like a child throwing their toys out of the pram to be honest. Thread title is a bit drama queen

kallisthenis

In any case, I would like to add that one should not compare an award ticket against the respective "GoLight" fare only in terms of their price, because they are worlds apart in flexibility, baggage allowance, no-show fee, etc.

Jma12

With 50k you can book a one-way North America - Europe for 45k in J, and still have 5k left over. Not useless at all imo, please do some research before complaining.

Tokyoite

A sample of very useful scenarios;
US-EU in business class as noted above

Intra Asia in business class for only 21k one-way
first class for only 40k!

Bangkok to Beijing on Thai 747 first class with no fuel surcharges
Singapore to Tokyo on ANA 777w first class with only 30 euro surcharges

even, two first class legs for that "useless" 40k, with no fuel surcharges!!!
(Hong Kong-Bangkok-Tokyo/Osaka on Thai airways A380 first class)

Swanhunter

As ever, learn about the programme before you start accumulating miles. @:-) When I started with A3 the redemptions were largely so-so with a few sweet spots but as other programmes have changed there are some excellent values relative to the market.

Not the best value in some ways but was able to get SSH-CAI-LHR for 21K miles and €200 or so. Cash fare north of €600, decent deal IMHO.

Plus I like supporting the best quality European airline out there.

beduin

Wow guys chill.. how would I research the program for the amount of taxes I'll be required to pay for every destination?? I'd agree if at least they mentioned in the program rules something like this: "Our dear valued members will only have to pay an outrageous amount of taxes for any redemption ticket".

For those that suggest far flung routes in Asia or across the atlantic I'd say "hello!!". This is an intra European Airline and most of it's members will logically want to fly intra European! Not from Guam to The Kingdom of Tonga! And my complaint is regarding those flights.

If some of you are in A3 for the ease of it to gain Star alliance gold status and are based else where in the world then I wouldn't call you "regular A3 customers". And yes, this program may suit you perfectly.

I sense that A3 is intentionally making it difficult for members to redeem within Europe to presuade them to buy tickets instead.. and save redemptions to routes they don't fly. On top of that they'd get that 20 Euro issuance fee. That makes more sense. It also is poor treatment towards loyal members.

Knobbgb

Well, it's the governments that set the taxes (particularly highly in Europe and in the UK in particular), not the airlines, so the problem is a result of where we happen to live and the politics of our region. I don't think any program would offer award tickets with the taxes included - it would cost them a fortune. Fuel surcharges - now that's a different matter! I agree they SHOULD be included. I'd be genuinely interested, not being at all confrontational, to know what redemption you would have been able to get within Europe had you credited your flights to another program. I suspect you would be in exactly the same situation with ALL of them, although I'd be happy to be proved wrong.

The taxes did come as a bit of a shock to me when I first looked at redemptions (particularly the fuel surcharges as I mentioned) and it would be nice if the airlines made that requirement clearer, but I quickly got over it, learnt how to research them (and beat the system as much as possible) and considered I'd taken a step up the learning curve. There's really no point in being annoyed about it!

As for you second point - M&B has many members who are not based in Europe and never actually fly A3. That isn't a requirement - even without actually flying them, the requirements to reach Gold are still very low. This forum has many reports of members who regularly and successfully redeem in Asia and other parts of the world.

Are you aware you can also use your miles for things other than flights, thus avoiding the airline taxes? For example, when you next visit Greece you 50,000 miles would allow you a purchase of 250 Euro at the Hellenic Duty Free shops. Not great value, but just another option for you. Car hire and hotel stays are also an option.

DELLAS

Actually you are wrong there. The big money spinners who commute on A3 between ATH and EU capitals weekly in paid J actually prefer to burn their miles for own personal travel often with family to long haul destinations in Y or J. Basically they see it as getting something back for their loyalty. Burning all those hard earned miles for boring intra EU on A3 flights is not appealing to them.

Just because M&B does not meet an individuals limited personal preferences in burning miles does not make it a useless program. Again maybe another program would be more suitable where the intra European taxes are subsidised. Maybe BA Exec Club for example.

sokolov

50k miles is a oneway trip to/from Australia/NZ/Oceania or Hawaii - if you can find a one-stop connection with available rewards seats.

Redemptions in Europe are rarely a good use. It is the same with Miles and More - it is regularly cheaper to buy a ticket than to use miles.