Increase In Award Ticket Prices [confirmed]
Nov 25, 19, 11:57 am
#16
Join Date: Apr 2012
Location: DTW/MBS
Programs: UA 1K, HHonors Diamond, Hyatt Globalist, Formerly Starbucks Gold
Posts: 3,434
I've been waiting for LH F to open up for my early christmas trip. Seems like if this was only a week from now, I could have booked it. Since I'm 3 weeks out, well, sucks for me. I can either buy the miles or fly biz. Disappointing that there wasn't any notice.
Nov 25, 19, 3:20 pm
#17
Join Date: May 2008
Location: ARN
Posts: 3,410
Oh, my!
M&B has been a great program for status, but for a long time it's been a terrible program for awards due to:
1. Low earnings in many classes.
2. The ridiculous rule of maximum two flights per one-way award.
3. The even worse rule about no mixed classes.
4. Low availability for award seats for several airlines.
5. Often very high fuel surcharges.
With this sudden raise in award mileage, M&B is now a horrible program for award redemptions. Maybe it's time to move away from M&B to some other program.
M&B has been a great program for status, but for a long time it's been a terrible program for awards due to:
1. Low earnings in many classes.
2. The ridiculous rule of maximum two flights per one-way award.
3. The even worse rule about no mixed classes.
4. Low availability for award seats for several airlines.
5. Often very high fuel surcharges.
With this sudden raise in award mileage, M&B is now a horrible program for award redemptions. Maybe it's time to move away from M&B to some other program.
Nov 25, 19, 3:38 pm
#19
Join Date: Feb 2012
Location: BSL, BCN
Programs: A3*G, IB
Posts: 105
Originally Posted by RedChili
Oh, my!
M&B has been a great program for status, but for a long time it's been a terrible program for awards due to:
...
With this sudden raise in award mileage, M&B is now a horrible program for award redemptions. Maybe it's time to move away from M&B to some other program.
M&B has been a great program for status, but for a long time it's been a terrible program for awards due to:
...
With this sudden raise in award mileage, M&B is now a horrible program for award redemptions. Maybe it's time to move away from M&B to some other program.
Last edited by EAPflyer; Nov 25, 19 at 3:56 pm Reason: The most stupid thing to do
Nov 25, 19, 4:44 pm
#21
Join Date: Aug 2014
Programs: Top Tier with all 3 alliances
Posts: 9,548
So there are bad news and good news here, the bad news is they just devalued the chart, the good news is that you can buy the miles back in the upcoming, I am guessing, Black Friday sale...
This is what we call a win-win situation, they win, and then they win again...
This is what we call a win-win situation, they win, and then they win again...
Nov 25, 19, 5:41 pm
#23
Join Date: Dec 2010
Location: LHR
Programs: Accor PLT,Thai Silver, HH Dia, SPG Titanium (LT Gold), Aegean Gold, BA Silver
Posts: 4,977
Originally Posted by Garimi
Dxb-lhr J now 30k 5kmore
I will fly it in few days.....
India-Europa Y 35k 5k more
Small increases
But Asia huge over 50% for J
I will fly it in few days.....
India-Europa Y 35k 5k more
Small increases
But Asia huge over 50% for J
Nov 25, 19, 7:05 pm
#25
Join Date: Sep 2018
Programs: Alaska
Posts: 2,107
Originally Posted by mylabel
It's funny how Far east got screwed badly meanwhile other region such as South America which is pretty much the same size remains on the old table..
it is very easy to redeem Intra-Far East.
A3 loses money or earns much less for this route.
Nov 26, 19, 1:14 am
#27
Join Date: Mar 2018
Location: ARN
Programs: A3*G, SK*G
Posts: 336
Originally Posted by Chiller3333
The big question is, how does Aegean handle changes to existing award tickets?
Will simple date changes (on the same route) be accompanied by an additional mileage-charge now (for tickets issued under the old chart)?
Will simple date changes (on the same route) be accompanied by an additional mileage-charge now (for tickets issued under the old chart)?
Originally Posted by hydrogen
Well if only they could have at least given a day or two's notice...
That is not very nice, I was going to book an intra-Far East award
That is not very nice, I was going to book an intra-Far East award
Originally Posted by GUWonder
Scummy move. Giving even a few weeks advance notice would have been the decent thing to do.
This kind of move without any advance notice before implementation is not a good indicator for the future of this program for its customers. It also makes me wonder what economic pressures Aegean felt now that they needed to rush this change in now just a few weeks before the calendar end and do so with no advance notice to its customers.
This kind of airline move most intensely punishes the airline’s most loyal customers that accumulated and maintained the biggest balances of points in the program.
This kind of move without any advance notice before implementation is not a good indicator for the future of this program for its customers. It also makes me wonder what economic pressures Aegean felt now that they needed to rush this change in now just a few weeks before the calendar end and do so with no advance notice to its customers.
This kind of airline move most intensely punishes the airline’s most loyal customers that accumulated and maintained the biggest balances of points in the program.
Originally Posted by 747jetter
Seems like my redemption last week on NH F LAX-HND-LHR was well timed. Increasing is bad but it has been for years the best program to use miles with. Agree they could give some notice in advance. Ugh...will need to count if this is still the most generous FFP then.
Originally Posted by Cookoovaya
I fixed it for you.
Originally Posted by RedChili
M&B has been a great program for status, but for a long time it's been a terrible program for awards due to:
1. Low earnings in many classes.
2. The ridiculous rule of maximum two flights per one-way award.
3. The even worse rule about no mixed classes.
4. Low availability for award seats for several airlines.
5. Often very high fuel surcharges.
With this sudden raise in award mileage, M&B is now a horrible program for award redemptions. Maybe it's time to move away from M&B to some other program.
1. Low earnings in many classes.
2. The ridiculous rule of maximum two flights per one-way award.
3. The even worse rule about no mixed classes.
4. Low availability for award seats for several airlines.
5. Often very high fuel surcharges.
With this sudden raise in award mileage, M&B is now a horrible program for award redemptions. Maybe it's time to move away from M&B to some other program.
When I switched to M&B I intended it to be my major FFP, and kept my EB account as a mileage bank (and for crediting LH P fares, and certain UA fares). Yet I since last year I have been gradually shifting back to EB, mainly for redemption purposes. Although I plan to keep my A3*G, it won't be my focus FFP anymore, as it has lost a lot of its past attractiveness
Just to sum up all enhancements in M&B since 2017:
1. Discount voucher for partner's ticket on domestic routes evaporated into thin air.
2. Free ASR for A3*S/A3*Gs enhanced into a 50% discount.
3. Mixed class redemptions no longer available.
4. Award chart devaluation.
Am I forgetting something? Anyway for some reason I am pretty confident that the above list will expand in 2020...
Nov 26, 19, 1:31 am
#28
Join Date: Dec 2013
Location: Cyprus
Programs: THY Elite Plus, Aegean Gold, LH FTL. Former BA Gold, Air France Platinum, Czech Gold, United PE.
Posts: 587
This increase was inevitable given that most other *A carriers have recently increased their award mileage charges, while some have moved to usurious dynamic pricing. Aegean has to purchase mileage from other airlines for non-A3 tickets and it was impossible for them to maintain an award chart that provided certain redemption tickets for half the mileage compared to some other airlines. TK is currently in the same situation with Miles and Smiles, with the result that I class redemptions on most routes are impossible unless booked on TK (and then only on economy revenue tickets upgraded to J rather than I). For sure, an enhancement of the requalification levels for A3*G will also be coming soon. In my view, the Aegean award chart is still relatively competitive compared to most other *A carriers.
Nov 26, 19, 1:54 am
#29
Join Date: Mar 2018
Location: ARN
Programs: A3*G, SK*G
Posts: 336
Originally Posted by johnirvine
For sure, an enhancement of the requalification levels for A3*G will also be coming soon.
Originally Posted by johnirvine
In my view, the Aegean award chart is still relatively competitive compared to most other *A carriers.
Nov 26, 19, 2:01 am
#30
Join Date: Dec 2013
Location: Cyprus
Programs: THY Elite Plus, Aegean Gold, LH FTL. Former BA Gold, Air France Platinum, Czech Gold, United PE.
Posts: 587
Originally Posted by East_and_West
I would be surprised if it it isn't according to the new chart. It's like fare prices going up: rebooking an existing ticket prices according to the new price.
Perfectly agreed, it's not the most honest behavior towards one's loyalty base. Yet I don't blame A3 for that. Giving heads up about an imminent devaluation would by large beat the very purpose of it. One can see miles as a form of currency, and if a currency depreciation is announced beforehand, it won't be as effective. About a year ago SK also changed their *A award chart to the worse without any warning whatsoever.
Yes, in sheer mileage terms it is very generous, especially compared to SK's Eurobonus. In the very end however it's not. Too many restrictions, excessively high YQs. RedChili sums it up in excellently:
If these factors are taken into account, it's very far from being the most generous. Plus that LH P which I fly a lot earns no miles (although I understand that this is personal, and not many people care about that).
When I switched to M&B I intended it to be my major FFP, and kept my EB account as a mileage bank (and for crediting LH P fares, and certain UA fares). Yet I since last year I have been gradually shifting back to EB, mainly for redemption purposes. Although I plan to keep my A3*G, it won't be my focus FFP anymore, as it has lost a lot of its past attractiveness
Just to sum up all enhancements in M&B since 2017:
1. Discount voucher for partner's ticket on domestic routes evaporated into thin air.
2. Free ASR for A3*S/A3*Gs enhanced into a 50% discount.
3. Mixed class redemptions no longer available.
4. Award chart devaluation.
Am I forgetting something? Anyway for some reason I am pretty confident that the above list will expand in 2020...
Perfectly agreed, it's not the most honest behavior towards one's loyalty base. Yet I don't blame A3 for that. Giving heads up about an imminent devaluation would by large beat the very purpose of it. One can see miles as a form of currency, and if a currency depreciation is announced beforehand, it won't be as effective. About a year ago SK also changed their *A award chart to the worse without any warning whatsoever.
Yes, in sheer mileage terms it is very generous, especially compared to SK's Eurobonus. In the very end however it's not. Too many restrictions, excessively high YQs. RedChili sums it up in excellently:
If these factors are taken into account, it's very far from being the most generous. Plus that LH P which I fly a lot earns no miles (although I understand that this is personal, and not many people care about that).
When I switched to M&B I intended it to be my major FFP, and kept my EB account as a mileage bank (and for crediting LH P fares, and certain UA fares). Yet I since last year I have been gradually shifting back to EB, mainly for redemption purposes. Although I plan to keep my A3*G, it won't be my focus FFP anymore, as it has lost a lot of its past attractiveness
Just to sum up all enhancements in M&B since 2017:
1. Discount voucher for partner's ticket on domestic routes evaporated into thin air.
2. Free ASR for A3*S/A3*Gs enhanced into a 50% discount.
3. Mixed class redemptions no longer available.
4. Award chart devaluation.
Am I forgetting something? Anyway for some reason I am pretty confident that the above list will expand in 2020...
