San Gottardo

Here you go: http://www.flyertalk.com/forum/air-f...l#post28891658

San Gottardo

Admittedly my post was prompted by thinking of many flights on BA longhaul - which I find increasingly terrible compared to competitors - and the transfer experience at LHR.

But if you have status on BA, are London-based, fly them primarily in Europe, don’t mind BOB, etc then there are these and a number of other elements that can make your BA experience just as good or bad as that on any other airline.

irishguy28

Yes, I've seen that, but assuming that it is either not real, or currently limited to German residents/topbonus status holders, of which I am neither.

San Gottardo

Got it.

Just wanted to respond to your initial statement about there currently being no ST status matches around. I could only find some examples targeted to specific markets/segments, rather than those that are accessible to irishguy28

But you're right that ST is challenging, at least based on the overall read of the situation one gets when consulting www.statusmatcher.com there aren't many examples of ST airlines having accepted a match. And even Alitalia - which has a high acceptance rate - has recently turned down all requests.

EDIT: on page 2 of that site I saw how someone on September 23rd managed to get his DeltaSkyMiles Platinum matched to AirBerlin topbonus Gold! http://statusmatcher.com/report/56918 This is several weeks after AB has declared insolvency, and 48 hours before administrators were deciding which bidder would pick up the pieces.

But smart move by the chap who got it, he now has an entry ticket to all campaigns by other FFPs that want to pick up AB topbonus customers.

irishguy28

Given reports on other threads, I am not sure that there actually is an FB status match in progress...

though they probably will make some kind of a targeted offer once AB finally bites the dust.

(And I am hoping they would do similar for AZ/Millemiglia when its ownership leads it to leave Skyteam, if that happens....though hopefully not til next year...that would expend the likely matched status date if the year changes first!)

Xandrios

What percentage of AZ elites have actually flown enough to qualify? Perhaps I'm way off, however I have the feeling that a large number have been matched from other programmes. Not sure if FB would want to take those..

CosmicGirl

I tried that a couple of weeks earlier, after they had sent out an e-mail assuring members that topbonus would continue, but before they split the pie. I never received a response on the status match, but did receive an envelope in the mail from them last week. I thought it had gone through after all, but then I opened it to discover that they had sent me a classic card even though I've never credited anything with them. Really? That's what you're spending money on now?

chil

I don't think they will cancel Platinum for Life for existing members -- this will mean that they are screwing their most loyal customers. However, who knows, maybe they will cancel it for the "new prospective members" like me. I qualified for platinum in nov/2008 and this year I already have 78k miles so effectively I should become lifetime next april unless they change the rules.

It's useless to compare FB with other programs -- you will always find some pros and cons and there will be people defending every program. In my opinion, the two good things they offer are: the status miles rollover (for those who need it) and the platinum service line -- from my experience they are more efficient there than AA on their exec.plat line.

Also, it's quite easy to qualify for FB lifetime platinum as of now if you compare it to US based programs -- you need 4 million skypesos to become lifetime platinum with Delta (or 1 million to become gold, which might be good enough), 2 million AA miles to become lifetime platinum in AAdvantage, which is also more like FB gold.

irishguy28

Well, I have, and I'm the only one I care about!

[It's easier to earn status with FB by segments - but with a few longhaul business flights, much, much easier to earn it on MM, which was my route to status this year]

irishguy28

I don't think so.

Any status match offers are likely to request a statement of the previous years's flying, and evidence of future travel with the airline offering the match.

AB were notice for matching all comers - even, as you say, when they were themselves in administration.

No airline is going to want to roll out the red carpet to people with little track record to back up their airberlin status. [If the airline was so anxious to match these people, surely they would instead match on the basis of whatever status they used to obtain AB status, after all]

Zembla

Well. I have analysed the new mileage earning scheme and I have concluded that I will be considerably better of than now, also if I deduct the taxes first.
In case this turns out to be right, it might even motivate me to fly more with AF/KL than I do currently. But, that is under the condition that Platinum For Life remains treated like any Platinum, and that there will be no miles devaluation.

NickB

That is true for individual, unsolicited, ad hoc status matches. OTOH, those under organised status match campaigns typically only ask for evidence of status from the FFP from which the match is made, IME.

Xandrios

Surprising. For me it is considerably worse assuming the earning will be based on base fare only. Some example roundtrips in cheap (G/V) and medium economy (K), and cheap business (Z):

AMS-DUS (G) 99 euro / 47 without tax. Old scheme: 300 miles, new: 188
AMS-DUS (K) 412 euro / 361 without tax. Old scheme: 1125 miles, new: 1444
AMS-DUS (Z) 595 euro / 543 without tax. Old scheme: 3750 miles, new: 2172

AMS-ATH (G) 149 euro / 97 without tax. Old scheme: 543 miles, new: 388
AMS-ATH (K) 400 euro / 349 without tax. Old scheme: 2037 miles, new: 1396
AMS-ATH (Z) 1199 euro / 1147 without tax. Old scheme: 6790 miles, new: 4588

AMS-SFO (V) 697 euro / 363 without tax. Old scheme:2737 miles, new: 1452
AMS-SFO (K) 1505 euro / 1170 without tax. Old scheme: 8211 miles, new: 4680
AMS-SFO (Z) 3738 euro / 3304 without tax. Old scheme: 13685 miles, new: 13216

Only on the (heavily overpriced) K-fare to DUS the new scheme offers more miles than before. On some (long haul eco) the new scheme only offers about half of what it was

Sjondorn

This is for Ivory though, for Platinum it would be:

AMS-SFO (V) for 363E w/o tax is 2904 for Platinum in the new scheme, but 5460 in the current scheme.
AMS-SFO (K) for 1170E w/o tax is 9360 for Platinum in the new scheme, but 16380 in the current scheme.
AMS-SFO (Z) for 3304E w/o tax is 26432 for Platinum in the new scheme, but 24570 in the current scheme.

Kindof aligned with expectations on revenue based programs. If you fly J / F it's gonna be better, for Y it's gonna be worse (or way worse on the cheap fares).

San Gottardo

Unless there is a minimum earnings level.