Increase In Award Ticket Prices [confirmed]
Dec 1, 19, 6:36 am
#48
Join Date: Jul 2019
Posts: 1,188
My wife and I had 4 different bookings during October, all in the routes that were affected by the raises (1xEurope/Far-East and 1x back as well as 2x intra-far-east 2h-flights). If we were to book the same itinerary now it would cost us a whopping 96.000 more miles!!!! A HUGE increase!
I have a CS agent that I was corresponding with in the past few months regarding various issues I've had with some of my bookings and missing miles, which already had everything to do with how Aegean failed to communicate with/to me/us... I wrote him about this matter (main complaint being once again, missing communication on Aegean's part) the same day this topic emerged and still haven't heard back, which is by far the longest it has taken him in these past ~6 months to get back to me... whatever this might imply. I used this opportunity because it was obvious from their correspondence that they were taking steps to improve customer care and communication, so this is -to my eyes- a major blow to whatever improvement or attempt at such they were making during 2019 (and no, I did not have plans to redeem in those regions in the immediate future).
I have a CS agent that I was corresponding with in the past few months regarding various issues I've had with some of my bookings and missing miles, which already had everything to do with how Aegean failed to communicate with/to me/us... I wrote him about this matter (main complaint being once again, missing communication on Aegean's part) the same day this topic emerged and still haven't heard back, which is by far the longest it has taken him in these past ~6 months to get back to me... whatever this might imply. I used this opportunity because it was obvious from their correspondence that they were taking steps to improve customer care and communication, so this is -to my eyes- a major blow to whatever improvement or attempt at such they were making during 2019 (and no, I did not have plans to redeem in those regions in the immediate future).
Dec 1, 19, 7:49 am
#49
Join Date: Nov 2012
Location: Rhineland-Palatinate
Programs: OW Sapphire (BA), *A Gold (A3), Le Club Accor Gold, HHonor Diamond
Posts: 5,391
Dec 2, 19, 10:03 am
#50
Suspended
Join Date: Jul 2001
Location: Watchlisted by the prejudiced, en route to purgatory
Programs: Just Say No to Fleecing and Blacklisting
Posts: 102,103
So even US east coast to Europe is now 35k miles in economy class when it was previously 30k miles. Given that fuel/carrier surcharges are often involved and given the lack of availability in space when using miles wont change for the better, the c 16.67% increase seems just excessive.
Dec 2, 19, 7:32 pm
#52
FlyerTalk Evangelist
Join Date: Aug 2014
Programs: Top Tier with all 3 alliances
Posts: 11,269
Did you guys notice that the silent devaluation came right after the Gold qualification year closed (Nov 23) and right before the Black Friday miles sale of Nov. 29? In this tight 6-day window, and with no advance notice? As if they did not want any elites not buying any last minute miles they were short to requalify, and also "motivating" them to buy again at the sale to make up for the devaluation? 
Dec 3, 19, 3:29 am
#53
Join Date: Feb 2015
Location: Netherlands
Programs: A3*G
Posts: 132
Did you guys notice that the silent devaluation came right after the Gold qualification year closed (Nov 23) and right before the Black Friday miles sale of Nov. 29? In this tight 6-day window, and with no advance notice? As if they did not want any elites not buying any last minute miles they were short to requalify, and also "motivating" them to buy again at the sale to make up for the devaluation?
Dec 3, 19, 7:25 am
#54
Suspended
Join Date: May 2011
Location: London
Programs: *A G, OW S.
Posts: 996
Dec 4, 19, 6:53 am
#55
Community Director
Join Date: Jan 2009
Location: Norwich, UK
Programs: A3*G, BA Gold, BD Gold (in memoriam), IHG Diamond Ambassador
Posts: 8,282
On the redemption side it is still a very competitive program!
Of the changes the most impactful will be the Europe to NA raise... North America one way J 55k miles is not awful! yes yq surcharges on the LH group are high but others can be 100eur or less
in comparison, common Star programs..
United 70k
Aeroplan 55k
neither of which usually pass on the yq
Singapore 65k on partners + yq, 72k on their own planes
Turkish 45k
Oneworld
BA want 63k avios offpeak minimum, 75.5k to the West Coast, including Club Europe leg. And their surcharges are just as high as LH
Iberia 57k avios off peak minimum, way more on their peak calendar, surcharges like if on LOT, UA, TP etc
AA 57.5k and usually low surcharges
Skyteam's programs are chaos but Delta would want 75k and up, Flyingblue would be 60k or so and up, plus 250eur surcharge.
Virgin atlantic for Delta flights 50k and no surchages
The general synopsis is that 55k miles is definitely still competitive from an amount of miles required position, middle to lower of the amounts required.
Other award prices like 65k to Far East, 75k to Australasia, these are all still very reasonable.
Of the changes the most impactful will be the Europe to NA raise... North America one way J 55k miles is not awful! yes yq surcharges on the LH group are high but others can be 100eur or less
in comparison, common Star programs..
United 70k
Aeroplan 55k
neither of which usually pass on the yq
Singapore 65k on partners + yq, 72k on their own planes
Turkish 45k
Oneworld
BA want 63k avios offpeak minimum, 75.5k to the West Coast, including Club Europe leg. And their surcharges are just as high as LH
Iberia 57k avios off peak minimum, way more on their peak calendar, surcharges like if on LOT, UA, TP etc
AA 57.5k and usually low surcharges
Skyteam's programs are chaos but Delta would want 75k and up, Flyingblue would be 60k or so and up, plus 250eur surcharge.
Virgin atlantic for Delta flights 50k and no surchages
The general synopsis is that 55k miles is definitely still competitive from an amount of miles required position, middle to lower of the amounts required.
Other award prices like 65k to Far East, 75k to Australasia, these are all still very reasonable.
Since joining M&B in 2011 (ish), my Together account has accumulated about 450,000 miles.
I joined BA Exec Club in 2012, when they subsumed BD, and my family account there - with exactly the same two members - has banked over twice as many.
None of those miles come from anything other than flying (with the exception of about 50 from a purchase at Athens Duty Free!).
Now there will be some differences in the number of flights taken since 2012, with oneworld holding the balance, but generally speaking the 100% bonus flying BA/AA metal (or codeshare number) as a BA Gold far outweighs the 20% Aegean awards me on their metal as an A3*G.
Cabin earnings, with the exception of SK's 200% in Y+ upwards, are broadly similar.
There are far more non-earning fares in *A than there are in oneworld.
So I'd say that you earn quicker in BAEC than you do in many other programs. The flip side of that is the higher YQs.
For me, BAEC is a better overall program both to maintain status and to earn/burn in given the number of BA/AA flights I take compared to A3. It's why most of my flights have swapped to oneworld. For others who merely take the minimum number of BA flights to maintain status and rely on QR for Tier Points the sums may well be different.
So as with anything no one program will fit everyone. The devaluation will cause me, and others, to consider whether or not it's still worthwhile maintaining status in more than one alliance - particularly when switching all *A flights to oneworld could push me towards greater BA benefits.
I don't yet know what the answer is. Given my aim is still more likely to be F redemptions to Australasia, which currently have not been changed, I think it's likely I'll try to maintain status in both alliances. Any further increase in mileage costs is likely to push me away though.
Dec 4, 19, 3:40 pm
#56
Join Date: Jan 2019
Posts: 79
I wouldn't particularly disagree with your thoughts about the overall value of the FFP, but it is difficult to compare burning rates across programs without also considering earning rates.
Since joining M&B in 2011 (ish), my Together account has accumulated about 450,000 miles.
I joined BA Exec Club in 2012, when they subsumed BD, and my family account there - with exactly the same two members - has banked over twice as many.
None of those miles come from anything other than flying (with the exception of about 50 from a purchase at Athens Duty Free!).
Now there will be some differences in the number of flights taken since 2012, with oneworld holding the balance, but generally speaking the 100% bonus flying BA/AA metal (or codeshare number) as a BA Gold far outweighs the 20% Aegean awards me on their metal as an A3*G.
Cabin earnings, with the exception of SK's 200% in Y+ upwards, are broadly similar.
There are far more non-earning fares in *A than there are in oneworld.
So I'd say that you earn quicker in BAEC than you do in many other programs. The flip side of that is the higher YQs.
For me, BAEC is a better overall program both to maintain status and to earn/burn in given the number of BA/AA flights I take compared to A3. It's why most of my flights have swapped to oneworld. For others who merely take the minimum number of BA flights to maintain status and rely on QR for Tier Points the sums may well be different.
So as with anything no one program will fit everyone. The devaluation will cause me, and others, to consider whether or not it's still worthwhile maintaining status in more than one alliance - particularly when switching all *A flights to oneworld could push me towards greater BA benefits.
I don't yet know what the answer is. Given my aim is still more likely to be F redemptions to Australasia, which currently have not been changed, I think it's likely I'll try to maintain status in both alliances. Any further increase in mileage costs is likely to push me away though.
Since joining M&B in 2011 (ish), my Together account has accumulated about 450,000 miles.
I joined BA Exec Club in 2012, when they subsumed BD, and my family account there - with exactly the same two members - has banked over twice as many.
None of those miles come from anything other than flying (with the exception of about 50 from a purchase at Athens Duty Free!).
Now there will be some differences in the number of flights taken since 2012, with oneworld holding the balance, but generally speaking the 100% bonus flying BA/AA metal (or codeshare number) as a BA Gold far outweighs the 20% Aegean awards me on their metal as an A3*G.
Cabin earnings, with the exception of SK's 200% in Y+ upwards, are broadly similar.
There are far more non-earning fares in *A than there are in oneworld.
So I'd say that you earn quicker in BAEC than you do in many other programs. The flip side of that is the higher YQs.
For me, BAEC is a better overall program both to maintain status and to earn/burn in given the number of BA/AA flights I take compared to A3. It's why most of my flights have swapped to oneworld. For others who merely take the minimum number of BA flights to maintain status and rely on QR for Tier Points the sums may well be different.
So as with anything no one program will fit everyone. The devaluation will cause me, and others, to consider whether or not it's still worthwhile maintaining status in more than one alliance - particularly when switching all *A flights to oneworld could push me towards greater BA benefits.
I don't yet know what the answer is. Given my aim is still more likely to be F redemptions to Australasia, which currently have not been changed, I think it's likely I'll try to maintain status in both alliances. Any further increase in mileage costs is likely to push me away though.
Mostly I was attempting to counter the tone coming across on some of the posts that M+B had somehow gone from hero to zero with this devaluation when actually its still perfectly reasonable to very good depending on what benefits suit your travel patterns.
Dec 4, 19, 5:05 pm
#57
Join Date: Dec 2016
Location: WAW
Programs: SQ(*G), A3(*G), Marriott Platinum, Hilton Diamond, IHG Diamond Ambassador
Posts: 2,501
Did you guys notice that the silent devaluation came right after the Gold qualification year closed (Nov 23) and right before the Black Friday miles sale of Nov. 29? In this tight 6-day window, and with no advance notice? As if they did not want any elites not buying any last minute miles they were short to requalify, and also "motivating" them to buy again at the sale to make up for the devaluation?
Nov 23 is legacy qualification in any case.
Dec 4, 19, 7:18 pm
#58
FlyerTalk Evangelist
Join Date: Aug 2014
Programs: Top Tier with all 3 alliances
Posts: 11,269
What it has to do is that, if people knew about the pending devaluation, some would have decided not to renew A3 G* by either buying last minute tier miles or crediting last minute flights...they would have disengaged from the program, which would have affected miles sales...It's just the timing is a bit suspicious...This thread started Nov 25, right at the closure of the elite requalification year for most...
Dec 4, 19, 7:35 pm
#59
Join Date: Sep 2018
Programs: Alaska
Posts: 2,146
timing wise, probably more related to the "coming" black friday sales than legacy qualification.
Anyway, my altitude towards FFP is just to cherry pick the sweet spots, thus, I welcome all FFPs that sell miles at discount.
Anyway, my altitude towards FFP is just to cherry pick the sweet spots, thus, I welcome all FFPs that sell miles at discount.
Apr 11, 20, 2:34 am
#60
Join Date: Jul 2014
Location: Wedged somewhere between BTS and VIE ✈
Programs: Star Alliance Gold (A3 Gold), Oneworld Sapphire (BA Silver), Hilton Diamond
Posts: 6,308
The way they are dishing out all these bonus miles for rebookings, is anyone else here expecting a big devaluation of the award chart soon!?
