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MINI-fares have arrived at KLM?

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Old Nov 9, 2014, 11:18 pm
  #1  
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Thumbs down MINI-fares have arrived at KLM?

since when is KLM offering fares on KLM flights without mileage? I tried to book NUE-AMS-HAM-AMS-NUE - for 169€ - and the website says frequent flyers earn 0 miles. the fare is XSRDE.

have AF style MINI fares arrived at KLM finally?
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Old Nov 10, 2014, 12:55 am
  #2  
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I very much doubt KL would offer MiNi fares: the main aspect of MiNi (above all else) is the absence of authorised checked luggage and KL has crossed that particular bridge differently. I'm not aware of KL offering miles-less fares although I would not be surprised if they moved that way at some point. However, X is used for both paid and redemption tickets so this may well be a mere system error.
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Old Nov 10, 2014, 2:08 am
  #3  
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Booking class X does indeed not earn on KLM. For AF this is a mixed (earning / non-earning) bucket, this seems not the case for KL:

http://www.flyingblue.com/earn-miles...er/39/klm.html

However this is not a 'true' MiNi fare, as the fare base should end with '9' for it to be MiNi. I would expect that either:

a. This is some kind of group booking, or non-retail, fare
b. KLM is introducing fare class X and has not yet updated the earning chart

Where did you try to book this ticket? On KLM.com?
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Old Nov 10, 2014, 2:21 am
  #4  
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X is not a "normal" revenue KLM fare: KLM Fare Structure

X is used as the Economy Classic Award fare bucket for award bookings.

Therefore, I really doubt that you bought the ticket on the KLM website. How did you acquire this ticket?

I would, like other posters, assume this is some special group/agent/tour rate that is not generally available to the public - or that the ticket was purchased with miles.

The cheapest I could find on random dates next year on klm.com was €185, which the website [naturally] says comes with miles.

Last edited by irishguy28; Nov 10, 2014 at 2:55 am
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Old Nov 10, 2014, 4:00 am
  #5  
 
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Originally Posted by irishguy28
X is not a "normal" revenue KLM fare: KLM Fare Structure

X is used as the Economy Classic Award fare bucket for award bookings...
I am afraid that X is a normal BC on this route

[KVS Availability Tool 7.7.0 - Fares/GOL]
Code:
NUE  Nuremberg DE [EDDN]
HAM  Hamburg Metro / Fuhlsbuettel DE = HAM LBC ZMB [EDDH]
R/T  06 Jan 2015 | 13 Jan 2015

Carrier    From    To    Fare      Cur             Min  Max  Fare Basis
---------  ------  ----  --------  ----  --------  ---  ---  -------------
KL         NUE     HAM        40   EUR             Sun   1M  GSRDE
KL         NUE     HAM        46   EUR             Sun   6M  XSRDE
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Old Nov 10, 2014, 4:04 am
  #6  
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KLM seems to have changed its fares structure for european flights during the last days ... they introduced an X fare between G and V fare buckets.
the advance purchase requirement was modified for the cheaper fares.

G is still earning miles, but the slightly more expensive X does not. I hope that this is an IT glitch and they forgot to add X as mileage earning fare bucket to their systems.

e.g. fares for NUE-HAM on KL as of today

Results from ExpertFlyer.com
Code:
Fare Information Search:

Departing NUE on 12/12/14 for HAM
Returning on 19/12/14
Flying KL  
Purchasing at NUE
Viewing in currency EUR
Validated Results

Fare Basis  Airline  Booking  Trip Type   Fare           Cabin  Effective  Expiration  Min/Max  Advanced
                     Class                                      Date       Date        Stay     Purchase Req
GSRDE       KL       G        Round-Trip  40.00 (EUR)    E                             SU / 1M  25
XSRDE       KL       X        Round-Trip  46.00 (EUR)    E                             SU / 6M  19
VSRDE       KL       V        Round-Trip  55.00 (EUR)    E                             SU / 6M  12
RSRDE       KL       R        Round-Trip  68.00 (EUR)    E                             SU / 6M  10
NSRDE       KL       N        Round-Trip  76.00 (EUR)    E                             SU / 6M  10
ESRDE       KL       E        Round-Trip  81.00 (EUR)    E                             SU / 6M  10
QSRDE       KL       Q        Round-Trip  83.00 (EUR)    E                             SU / 6M  10
TWKDE       KL       T        Round-Trip  86.00 (EUR)    E                             -- / 6M  22
HSRDE       KL       H        Round-Trip  124.00 (EUR)   E                             SU / 6M  10
LWKDE       KL       L        Round-Trip  150.00 (EUR)   E                             -- / 6M  14
KSRDE       KL       K        Round-Trip  190.00 (EUR)   E                             SU / 6M  10
UWKDE       KL       U        Round-Trip  226.00 (EUR)   E                             -- / 6M  01
MWKDE       KL       M        Round-Trip  317.00 (EUR)   E                             -- / 6M  01
BFFDE       KL       B        Round-Trip  426.00 (EUR)   E                                      
YFFDE       KL       Y        Round-Trip  556.00 (EUR)   E                                      
ZFFDE       KL       Z        Round-Trip  636.00 (EUR)   B                                      
CFFDE       KL       C        Round-Trip  750.00 (EUR)   B                                      
JFFDE       KL       J        Round-Trip  882.00 (EUR)   B
and as of mid-october ...

Results from ExpertFlyer.com
Code:
Fare Information Search:

Departing NUE on 12/12/14 for HAM
Returning on 19/12/14
Ticketing on 01/10/14
Flying KL  
Purchasing at NUE
Viewing in currency EUR
Validated Results

Fare Basis  Airline  Booking  Trip Type   Fare           Cabin  Effective  Expiration  Min/Max  Advanced
                     Class                                      Date       Date        Stay     Purchase Req
GSRDE       KL       G        Round-Trip  40.00 (EUR)    E                             SU / 1M  25
VSRDE       KL       V        Round-Trip  57.00 (EUR)    E                             SU / 6M  12
RSRDE       KL       R        Round-Trip  70.00 (EUR)    E                             SU / 6M  10
NSRDE       KL       N        Round-Trip  78.00 (EUR)    E                             SU / 6M  10
ESRDE       KL       E        Round-Trip  85.00 (EUR)    E                             SU / 6M  10
TWKDE       KL       T        Round-Trip  86.00 (EUR)    E                             -- / 6M  22
QSRDE       KL       Q        Round-Trip  87.00 (EUR)    E                             SU / 6M  10
HSRDE       KL       H        Round-Trip  135.00 (EUR)   E                             SU / 6M  10
LWKDE       KL       L        Round-Trip  150.00 (EUR)   E                             -- / 6M  14
KSRDE       KL       K        Round-Trip  194.00 (EUR)   E                             SU / 6M  10
UWKDE       KL       U        Round-Trip  226.00 (EUR)   E                             -- / 6M  01
MWKDE       KL       M        Round-Trip  317.00 (EUR)   E                             -- / 6M  01
BFFDE       KL       B        Round-Trip  426.00 (EUR)   E                             -- / 6M  
YFFDE       KL       Y        Round-Trip  556.00 (EUR)   E                                      
ZFFDE       KL       Z        Round-Trip  636.00 (EUR)   B                                      
CFFDE       KL       C        Round-Trip  750.00 (EUR)   B                                      
JFFDE       KL       J        Round-Trip  882.00 (EUR)   B
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Old Nov 10, 2014, 4:10 am
  #7  
 
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Originally Posted by f0zzyNUE
...I hope that this is an IT glitch...
As X is also the award eco bucket, it is probably a glitch; as for AF, a few years ago, when A was an award bucket and also Premium paid BC
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Old Nov 10, 2014, 4:11 am
  #8  
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OK, I must say I am surprised at that.

How long has KLM been using "X" as a normal revenue (non-earning) fare class? EDIT: f0zzyNUE's sleuthing above seems to have answered the question.

I barely travel KLM these days, but it doesn't seem to be using X as a fare class for departures from Amsterdam. Looking at my most-travelled routes, on ExpertFlyer, there are no X-class fares listed (AMS-TXL, AMS-LHR) [AF does, however, offer X fares in the Dutch market]
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Old Nov 10, 2014, 4:27 am
  #9  
 
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I have booked the same class X code on a route BHX-AMS-FRA return. I assumed they were introducing mini fares like Air France that did not earn miles and segments. I didn't realise I wouldn't be earning miles until I read my confirmation email.

Is this more than likely a glitch in their system or will I not be earning points on this booking? I am more bothered about the segments than the miles. It makes no sense that a cheaper code would earn miles when a more expensive code wouldn't.
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Old Nov 10, 2014, 4:37 am
  #10  
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I did an AMS-LYS RT booking recently, and noticed that on the AF site it proposed a MINI fare which was actually a tiny bit more than the cheapest KLM.com fare which was R outbound and V return.
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Old Nov 10, 2014, 4:41 am
  #11  
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Originally Posted by rodg857
Is this more than likely a glitch in their system or will I not be earning points on this booking?
Whether or not it's a glitch, you won't be earning miles. X simply does not earn miles in Flying Blue.

It seems ridiculous to introduce X as a revenue code which is priced a little bit more than G, which does earn. Whether that's the glitch, simply not thought through, or intentional, is unknown. But given how long such anomalous situations were allowed to continue with other carriers, I would not have any faith in KLM/Flying Blue making this correct and giving you the segments that you need...

http://www.flyertalk.com/forum/air-f...ll-action.html
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Old Nov 10, 2014, 5:07 am
  #12  
 
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Originally Posted by f0zzyNUE
since when is KLM offering fares on KLM flights without mileage? I tried to book NUE-AMS-HAM-AMS-NUE - for 169€ - and the website says frequent flyers earn 0 miles. the fare is XSRDE.

have AF style MINI fares arrived at KLM finally?
Originally Posted by orbitmic
I very much doubt KL would offer MiNi fares
Sorry guys but KL may sell MiNi fares :

Originally Posted by bodory
But in the OP's case I very much suspect an IT glitch due to X bucket being at the same time a revenue and an award class.
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Old Nov 10, 2014, 5:31 am
  #13  
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KL never sold AF mini fares. up to now you could be sure that when you bought a ticket for an AF on the KLM website, it was NOT a mini fare.
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Old Nov 10, 2014, 5:35 am
  #14  
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Originally Posted by f0zzyNUE
KL never sold AF mini fares. up to now you could be sure that when you bought a ticket for an AF on the KLM website, it was NOT a mini fare.
historic fare search showed that the X fares were loaded on October 14.
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Old Nov 10, 2014, 8:49 am
  #15  
 
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Originally Posted by irishguy28
Whether or not it's a glitch, you won't be earning miles. X simply does not earn miles in Flying Blue.
I think your statement is a bit too bold! Assuming it's a glitch, then the most likely scenario (there are, of course, others) is that KLM have introduced a new revenue fare code (which the KVS quotes here seem to confirm), but the FB earnings chart has not yet been updated to reflect that (and we all know how long it can take before fare-basis changes are incorporated into the FB system).

As this fare is higher than known miles-earning buckets, then it is reasonable to assume that it will (eventually) earn miles/segments. However, as has been noted in other threads, this may take some considerable time and/or effort on the part of the passenger to sort the matter out with the folks at FB.

-- Henry
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