RigpigMalta

I would concur with San Gottardo, only way is to make another level over Plat to thin the wheat from the chaff and get manageable numbers to offer HON type services. It's not gonna happen hence my ditching for this year over to EK to get Plat there. I already qualified for AF Plat for 2014, so thats the last they will see of me for a while. Got a nice call back from FB rep in French we dicked around over an hour and I spewed all the faults with the programs, too easy for golds to qualify, plat is too easy to obtain ergo beaucoup E+ everywhere you look on a plane.... :-) Lounges are swamped in CDG and most outstaions are too small for the amount of elites etc etc. and they stated that yes we are looking to implement new methodolgy to bring down the numbers of Elites, and we want to keep your valued flying (works out about 65k USD a year all business) yada yada yada

orbitmic

I see what you mean too! Question of pure curiosity, is 5000 the estimated number of HONs? I would have thought it was quite a bit more than that but interesting if that is the number and could indeed put a number of things into perspective.

I agree with you that HSBC Premier or Amex Centurion are not all that exclusive but I would argue that as things stand, they probably feel much more exclusive than FB Platinum! This is not just in terms of "hard" benefits although there are arguably some more than FB P, but also in terms of 'attitude' and problem soliving/going the extra mile.

And I agree that access to the F lounge for FB Plat for life might be hard to achieve (although I'm not entirely sure how many would likely be at CDG at a given time) but a couple of upgrade certificates or so should be manageable as would GGL type 'jokers' for instance.

brunos

Agreed.

Personally, I do not think that it is the Gold level that is too easy to achieve. For example, in the huge Star Alliance there are many airlines where gold level is easy to achieve. Perhaps I should qualify my statement, FB Gold is not that easy to achieve if you qualify on miles, but easy to do so if you qualify on segments (only 30). My guess is that AF is thinking of raising the number of segments needed, or making qualifying segments more "expensive" to earn.
And there is no way that they can improve the benefits of Plat unless they significantly raise the qualification levels to insure that these Plats are really big contributors to AFKL bottom line. Just as BA or LH are doing by focusing on premium class travel.

pjhartog

My wife who has been a PE since 1996 received an email to congratulate her with reaching LTPE... (?). Also this week an invitation for the LTPE event welcoming all new LTPEs and promising a specially produced and personalized gift. She is not really planning to attend but we are curious as to the gift.

Anyone else received this invite ?

I have been LTPE since 2000 or so never received any invitation for any event so that seems strange too.

Anyone else ?

orbitmic

First of all 1996 is 17 years so it sounds very strange indeed! Are you sure she did not drop to gold in the early 2000s even for a ingle year??

As for gifts and events, they all seem to be country specific, so however stupid it may sound, are you actually registered in the same country (i see you enter two locations in your profile)? In my case, when I received the Lifetime Plaitnum card, I was given a UK phone number I can ring for reservations although I have no idea if it is really only for Lifetime Platinums or also to platinums or golds.

pjhartog

The years is indeed difficult - I asked FB to sort it out because we wanted to cancel Amex FB and they could not figure out when it started - and when they went from FD to FB.

We are registered in NL - same address both.

Would be interested in the gift - not so much in the event itself

thanks though

orbitmic

I wouldn't hold my breath!! Probably an agenda or a book or a luggage tag or something that grand!

ajs123

And the personalizes part will be the LTPE's name :P

johan rebel

As a LTPE avant la lettre I never received any gift or invitation to anything. All I got was an unofficial message alerting me to my new status. Good enough for me.

Johan

pjhartog

I do agree it does not matter too much but it is weird to see how the oldest and (once) most loyal customers got neglected vs the more recent ones

Gajan

As far as I understood from FB, these events have been introduced recently.

On a personal note, of course it would be nice to offer something for those who have qualified in the past, but understand it may be difficult to sell congratulating people on obtaining LTPE for those who qualified X number of years ago.

Goldorak

Same for me

NB00

I was invited for the event at Schiphol last year and thought it was a very nice gesture, also understood from a purser it was something new. I could not attend but got a nice little hanger of a blue KLM house on a necklace by mail. Male LTPE I am sure got something else.

johan rebel

Sometime in the mid-90s, i.e. back in the FD days, they sent me a letter offering me a choice of gifts. I think it was to reward me for my loyalty as a RoyalWing, and the selection of presents included a button-down shirt and a fruit basket (without fruit). Can't remember the rest. It so happens that I chucked this fruit basket out today, it was getting a bit long in the tooth.

A few years later I received a letter inviting me to pick up a Hästens travel pillow from one of their retail stores.

Johan

stimpy

I look forward to an invite soon then. But will it come to my NL address? Or French address? Or US address?