GBitaraf

I often fly Manchester/London - Paris.

Depending on the time the flight is either operated by FlyBe or Air France. I've discovered if you book the flight with the other airline all sorts of problems can occur with checking in/meal vouchers etc so I tend to book with the airline the flight is operated by.

I thought I was receiving Flying Blue points for all my FlyBe flights but it appears I am not.

Is there any clarity on whether you receive any Flying Blue points for FlyBe flights? Or only whether you book these FlyBe flights through Air France (which then leads to other problems).

Any help appreciated!

irishguy28

FlyBE is not a Skyteam airline, nor is it a Flying Blue partner. As such, you will not receive any Flying Blue miles or level segments for taking FlyBE flights.

However, FlyBE do operate a number of codeshare services for Air France. Any flight booked under an AF flight number and operated by FlyBE will, for the purposes of the Flying Blue programme, count as an Air France flight and as such will earn miles and segments as per the Air France earning table.

Air France only codeshares on services from Manchester, Birmingham, Southampton and Exeter to Paris. If you buy these flights directly from FlyBE, you will not be buying them as an Air France codeshare and so they will not count for Flying Blue earning purposes.

(The same applies for KLM codeshares on FlyBE flights from Inverness and Southampton to Amsterdam).

GBitaraf

Has it always been this way or changed recently? I was sure I used to get Flying Blue points (maybe it was even in the days before Flying Blue).

To be clear - I have to book all flights under Air France to get points?

irishguy28

It has always been this way. To earn Flying Blue miles, the flight has to be coded with an AF or KL flight number (in which case, with very, very limited exceptions, it does not matter what airline actually operates the service); or it has to be coded with a Skyteam flight number and also operated by a Skyteam member (not necessarily the same airline as indicated in the flight code).

If a flight is coded with a non-Skyteam airline code - such as BE for any regular FlyBE flight - it will not earn.

And to illustrate the point a little further, if you booked a flight operated by KLM but under its Etihad code - for instance EY7307 which is Etihad's code for the KLM-operated KL437 on the AMS-AUH route - you would earn nothing in Flying Blue even though the flight was actually operated by KLM themselves. And why? Because the flight code used to book the flight - EY (or, in your case, BE) - is an airline that is not a Skyteam member.

Exactly. To earn Flying Blue miles, the flight must be either:

- coded as an AF or KL flight - doesn't matter who operates the actual flight (so, this is the only way to get a FlyBE flight to earn)
- coded Skyteam, and also operated by a Skyteam airline

The normal rules for mileage earning still apply though - Mini Fares don't earn (if such fares are offered on FlyBE codeshares, I don't know - but I suspect that they are).

Beware that booking flights under the AF code is likely to be much, much more expensive than just booking the flight from FlyBE. Is it worth it, for the paltry number of miles (if any - again, if Air France sells these as MiNi fares you probably are not going to earn any miles)?

GBitaraf

Thank you. That is very useful.

I may check how many points I actually get for these flights and like you say whether it's worth it vs cost and sometimes the fact you don't get a meal voucher/can't check in etc.

irishguy28

What do you mean by meal voucher?

Such things are usually only handed out during delays/IRROPs. Why is it an integral part of your FlyBe experience?

Calchas

AF give you meal voucher on BE flights. Otherwise you'd have to buy on board on (what you expected to be) an AF flight!

irishguy28

That strikes me as unusual. KLM doesn't do it; nor does BA; when you end up on a KL or BA flight operated by a partner with Buy-on-Board service (specifically Aer Lingus).

Has AF in-flight shorthaul food improved to the extent that AF flyers not only look forward to their packaged meal, but may actively avoid other food options on the ground, in anticipation of the tasty treats to be served onboard?

GBitaraf

Apologies - I wasn't entirely clear.

When I book a VIP ticket with FlyBe (equivalent to AF Premium Economy) I receive a snack voucher to claim on board the flight.

If I book Air France Premium Economy, I don't get this and have to pay for my food, even if it's a FlyBe flight.

I agree, it's such a small thing but when I'm travelling quickly between places I know that I will get an on board snack with FlyBe.

It is also very hit and miss whether you can check in online to a FlyBe flight if booked through AF which means I have to get to the airport earlier that I would had I of booked direct through FlyBe.

But ... to get my AF level points I need to book as much through them as possible.

Nico40

At least on MAN and BHX flights, but sometimes you have to claim it (flying from CDG is generally ok as boarding is performed by AF staff but flying to CDG is another story).

On SOU and EXE flights (aswell as all other codeshare connecting flights such as GCI, BFS...) AF passengers have no such privilege - don't ask why.

mike turnbull

The other weak link out of Southampton is the FlyBe service to AMS...ideally to connect on to KL, but, as it's not code share with AF you can't book an award ticket all the way through to whereever.....FB insist on routiing you through Paris from SOU, and Orly at that which is completely inconvenient for long haul.