Earning miles on KQ Best Buy Fares
Oct 6, 2018, 10:15 am
#1
FlyerTalk Evangelist
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Earning miles on KQ Best Buy Fares
Does anyone know for sure whether KQ Best Buy fares earn miles?
On the KQ website as you book a Best Buy fare, it says
"Mileage accural: No"
However these book into booking class R or N, usually, for the routes I take - for which the FB website says:
Earn Miles and gain XP on
Since KQ flights never post automatically for me, not sure what's worth pursuing...
On the KQ website as you book a Best Buy fare, it says
"Mileage accural: No"
However these book into booking class R or N, usually, for the routes I take - for which the FB website says:
Earn Miles and gain XP on
- Flights marketed as Kenya Airways (KQ) and operated by one of the SkyTeam partner airlines, as per the earning scheme below.
- Flights marketed as Kenya Airways (KQ) and operated by Precision Air between Nairobi and Zanzibar, Kilimanjaro, Mombasa or Dar es Salaam; or between Mombasa and Zanzibar, as per the earning scheme below.
Earning Miles and gaining XP isn’t possible for:
- Tickets with a booking class not mentioned in the scheme below
- Reward tickets (tickets booked using Miles)
CABIN AND BOOKING CLASS EARNING %:
- First Class––N/A
- Business Class––J: 175%; C, D, I: 150%; Z, O: 125%
- Economy Class––Y, B, M: 100%; U, K, H: 75%; L, Q, T, R, E, N: 50%; G, V, W, X: 25%
Since KQ flights never post automatically for me, not sure what's worth pursuing...
Oct 8, 2018, 3:54 am
#2
Join Date: Nov 2008
Programs: Flying Blue, Diamond Club
Posts: 780
KQ credits miles on every flight
Yes absolutely, you will get miles 
Either automatically (it works 75% of the time for me) or you can do a retroclaim online where you'll get them pretty quickly.
One of the Flying Blue basic rules is that you will get miles for EVERY flight, except for group bookings and award flights.
Are these sectors continental or intercontinental?
Either automatically (it works 75% of the time for me) or you can do a retroclaim online where you'll get them pretty quickly.
One of the Flying Blue basic rules is that you will get miles for EVERY flight, except for group bookings and award flights.
Are these sectors continental or intercontinental?
Oct 8, 2018, 4:05 am
#3
FlyerTalk Evangelist
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Thanks! That makes it a bit easier to get up to E+ and replace SV.
All the KQ flights I've taken so far and credited to FB have been continental. Sometimes even weeks later, and even with a couple of emails through the FB system, there has been no response. However the live chat on th KQ website seems to work a little better in getting things moving.
All the KQ flights I've taken so far and credited to FB have been continental. Sometimes even weeks later, and even with a couple of emails through the FB system, there has been no response. However the live chat on th KQ website seems to work a little better in getting things moving.
Oct 8, 2018, 5:34 am
#4
Moderator: Aegean Miles+Bonus
Join Date: Oct 2009
Location: AMS / ATH
Programs: AFKL Plat, A3 Gold
Posts: 7,331
Yes absolutely, you will get miles
Either automatically (it works 75% of the time for me) or you can do a retroclaim online where you'll get them pretty quickly.
One of the Flying Blue basic rules is that you will get miles for EVERY flight, except for group bookings and award flights.
Either automatically (it works 75% of the time for me) or you can do a retroclaim online where you'll get them pretty quickly.
One of the Flying Blue basic rules is that you will get miles for EVERY flight, except for group bookings and award flights.
When an airline explicitly states that no miles will be earned on these fares; that means that KQ will not pay FB for the miles flown. Which means that FB will be very reluctant to give you the miles as they basically have to pay out of pocket for them. FB is not known for keeping their website up-to-date, and have previously refused to credit miles even though their website may seem to say that the fare is eligible. There is always some kind of general exception-rule they can fall back on.
Oct 8, 2018, 7:56 am
#5
Join Date: Nov 2008
Programs: Flying Blue, Diamond Club
Posts: 780
Thanks! That makes it a bit easier to get up to E+ and replace SV.
All the KQ flights I've taken so far and credited to FB have been continental. Sometimes even weeks later, and even with a couple of emails through the FB system, there has been no response. However the live chat on th KQ website seems to work a little better in getting things moving.
All the KQ flights I've taken so far and credited to FB have been continental. Sometimes even weeks later, and even with a couple of emails through the FB system, there has been no response. However the live chat on th KQ website seems to work a little better in getting things moving.
Lastly, with the recent FFP "evolution" it takes longer to get miles posted on the account according to different threads posted here. Then it depends of the routes. To/from South Africa, miles were systematically credited with no delay whereas from a remote destination, most of the time it had to be done "online".
Interesting to learn that live chat is useful for such matters. Thanks for the hint.
Is that the result of actual experience or an assumption?
When an airline explicitly states that no miles will be earned on these fares; that means that KQ will not pay FB for the miles flown. Which means that FB will be very reluctant to give you the miles as they basically have to pay out of pocket for them. FB is not known for keeping their website up-to-date, and have previously refused to credit miles even though their website may seem to say that the fare is eligible. There is always some kind of general exception-rule they can fall back on.
When an airline explicitly states that no miles will be earned on these fares; that means that KQ will not pay FB for the miles flown. Which means that FB will be very reluctant to give you the miles as they basically have to pay out of pocket for them. FB is not known for keeping their website up-to-date, and have previously refused to credit miles even though their website may seem to say that the fare is eligible. There is always some kind of general exception-rule they can fall back on.
Also in the past, maybe 20 tickets of these Best Buy fares were purchased and have always credited miles (+ now XPs) without any issues.
But indeed, it's confusing/misleading that KQ's website states otherwise. I prefer this situation that the opposite though
Oct 8, 2018, 8:13 am
#6
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Join Date: Feb 2000
Location: London, UK and Southern France
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... and it shows as it clearly is no longer accurate (in particular, it no longer is 20 months of inactivity for miles to expire but 24). I would not place much reliance on the statement there that "every" flight with KQ or a Skyteam airline partner earns award miles". That is plainly inaccurate: there have been examples over the years of revenue flights on partner airlines booked in classes that did not earn miles in FB. I would, however, place much more reliance on your experience of earning miles on these KQ fares.
Oct 8, 2018, 12:27 pm
#7
Join Date: Nov 2008
Programs: Flying Blue, Diamond Club
Posts: 780
... and it shows as it clearly is no longer accurate (in particular, it no longer is 20 months of inactivity for miles to expire but 24). I would not place much reliance on the statement there that "every" flight with KQ or a Skyteam airline partner earns award miles". That is plainly inaccurate: there have been examples over the years of revenue flights on partner airlines booked in classes that did not earn miles in FB. I would, however, place much more reliance on your experience of earning miles on these KQ fares.
), but what about the few airlines having the Flying Blue program? that's what I meant If the OP explains which FFP he/she is using it could be better for more help, though I'm totally clueless with other FFPs earning.
These Best Buys fares were virtually implemented when KQ completely revamped its website 2 or 3 years ago, so not sure about the date, but at that time (and up to now) you were guaranteed level (XPs today) + award miles when selecting these fares. But once again, with SV, DL or SU FFPs for instance, the aforementioned answer might be absolutely wrong for Typical!
Oct 8, 2018, 12:49 pm
#8
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Sorry - I'm talking about collecting on FB.
These fares absolutely do earn on SV, but burning is such a pain (and STE+ from other FFPs is no longer so useful for flying AF/KL) that I'm switching from SV to FB. Also crediting became a real pain on SV so I thought by switching I'd be able to track earning more easily as flights credited immediately... so much for that
These fares absolutely do earn on SV, but burning is such a pain (and STE+ from other FFPs is no longer so useful for flying AF/KL) that I'm switching from SV to FB. Also crediting became a real pain on SV so I thought by switching I'd be able to track earning more easily as flights credited immediately... so much for that
Oct 8, 2018, 5:43 pm
#9
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