Flying Blue Change/Cancel fee waived for Platinums as of 01FEB24
#1
FlyerTalk Evangelist
Original Poster
Join Date: Mar 2008
Location: Netherlands
Programs: KL Platinum; A3 Gold
Posts: 28,799
Flying Blue Change/Cancel fee waived for Platinums as of 01FEB24
It was mentioned today in another thread by Ben Lipsey, but I think this deserves a thread of its own for greater visibility.
As of today, the change/cancel fee is waived on Flying Blue award tickets booked by FB Platinum members.
https://www.flyingblue.com/en/progra.../tier-benefits
As of today, the change/cancel fee is waived on Flying Blue award tickets booked by FB Platinum members.
https://www.flyingblue.com/en/progra.../tier-benefits
#6
Moderator: Aegean Miles+Bonus
Join Date: Oct 2009
Location: AMS / ATH
Programs: AFKL Plat, A3 Gold
Posts: 7,366
This is great news! It is limited to award tickets only (Having this applied to regular AFKL Light/Standard tickets would be totally awesome..) but that may not be within FlyingBlue's control. The award tickets are issued by FB themselves.
So..how is this going to work in practice? The Matrix mentions something about "Waived offline fees" for Ultimates only (Implying that this does not apply to Platinum). Does this mean that if I (Being Plat) were to call the PSL to cancel an Award they would charge a service fee (other than the 50/70 euro change fee)? Is the process of cancelling/changing award tickets possible online?
I believe that we can conclude from this new benefit that the Light/Standard/Flex fare structure currently used for paid tickets are likely not going to make it across to FB. This new benefit would probably not be introduced right now if they were planning to change the award fare structure into those light/standard/flex types. Which is something that I was fearing but I'm thinking that's much less likely now.
So..how is this going to work in practice? The Matrix mentions something about "Waived offline fees" for Ultimates only (Implying that this does not apply to Platinum). Does this mean that if I (Being Plat) were to call the PSL to cancel an Award they would charge a service fee (other than the 50/70 euro change fee)? Is the process of cancelling/changing award tickets possible online?
I believe that we can conclude from this new benefit that the Light/Standard/Flex fare structure currently used for paid tickets are likely not going to make it across to FB. This new benefit would probably not be introduced right now if they were planning to change the award fare structure into those light/standard/flex types. Which is something that I was fearing but I'm thinking that's much less likely now.
#7
Join Date: Dec 2015
Location: Paris
Programs: FB Platinum, All Accor Platinum
Posts: 533
This is great news! It is limited to award tickets only (Having this applied to regular AFKL Light/Standard tickets would be totally awesome..) but that may not be within FlyingBlue's control. The award tickets are issued by FB themselves.
So..how is this going to work in practice? The Matrix mentions something about "Waived offline fees" for Ultimates only (Implying that this does not apply to Platinum). Does this mean that if I (Being Plat) were to call the PSL to cancel an Award they would charge a service fee (other than the 50/70 euro change fee)? Is the process of cancelling/changing award tickets possible online?
I believe that we can conclude from this new benefit that the Light/Standard/Flex fare structure currently used for paid tickets are likely not going to make it across to FB. This new benefit would probably not be introduced right now if they were planning to change the award fare structure into those light/standard/flex types. Which is something that I was fearing but I'm thinking that's much less likely now.
So..how is this going to work in practice? The Matrix mentions something about "Waived offline fees" for Ultimates only (Implying that this does not apply to Platinum). Does this mean that if I (Being Plat) were to call the PSL to cancel an Award they would charge a service fee (other than the 50/70 euro change fee)? Is the process of cancelling/changing award tickets possible online?
I believe that we can conclude from this new benefit that the Light/Standard/Flex fare structure currently used for paid tickets are likely not going to make it across to FB. This new benefit would probably not be introduced right now if they were planning to change the award fare structure into those light/standard/flex types. Which is something that I was fearing but I'm thinking that's much less likely now.
For awards my understanding from a call to PSL is that a platinum/ultimate have to call to cancel an award for free because doing online is not gonna be free when handled by some other team.
#8
Join Date: Nov 2010
Location: Europe
Programs: Flying Blue: Platinum for Life Elite Plus - EuroBonus: Gold
Posts: 933
I find this very interesting, especially for us with Flying Blue Platinum for life who are not after the XP hunts anymore.
This potentially makes all economy tickets fully flexible. The price to buy miles when Flying Blue have discounts are 80 cents per mile. This will bring the price of buying miles to then use on award tickets roughly the same as buying a revenue ticket. The difference is the fully flexibility. Why would we ever buy a revenue ticket again?
Sincerely,
SB
This potentially makes all economy tickets fully flexible. The price to buy miles when Flying Blue have discounts are 80 cents per mile. This will bring the price of buying miles to then use on award tickets roughly the same as buying a revenue ticket. The difference is the fully flexibility. Why would we ever buy a revenue ticket again?
Sincerely,
SB
Last edited by strikerbird; Feb 3, 2024 at 6:51 am
#9
Moderator: Aegean Miles+Bonus
Join Date: Oct 2009
Location: AMS / ATH
Programs: AFKL Plat, A3 Gold
Posts: 7,366
Well this is only true if you are able to purchase miles for 0.8 cent/mile (Which is rare) and you find award availability at the lowest fare. Which is quite rare nowadays. So the reason for purchasing a paid fare... not having to pay double just because the cheapest fare group has been sold.
#10
FlyerTalk Evangelist
Original Poster
Join Date: Mar 2008
Location: Netherlands
Programs: KL Platinum; A3 Gold
Posts: 28,799
#11
Join Date: Aug 2011
Location: PWM/CDG
Programs: AF/KL Plat, AA Plat, HH Diamond
Posts: 789
The wording isn't fully clear to me - does that mean that if as a Plat I book a reservation for myself and another passenger, both would benefit from free changes? Or would I still have to pay one change fee?
#12
Join Date: Nov 2010
Location: Europe
Programs: Flying Blue: Platinum for Life Elite Plus - EuroBonus: Gold
Posts: 933
#13
Join Date: Sep 2014
Programs: Flying Blue Plat, Air Europa Silver, IHG Plat, Accor Plat
Posts: 1,011
I find this very interesting, especially for us with Flying Blue Platinum for life who are not after the XP hunts anymore.
This potentially makes all economy tickets fully flexible. The price to buy miles when Flying Blue have discounts are 80 cents per mile. This will bring the price of buying miles to then use on award tickets roughly the same as buying a revenue ticket. The difference is the fully flexibility. Why would we ever buy a revenue ticket again?
Sincerely,
SB
This potentially makes all economy tickets fully flexible. The price to buy miles when Flying Blue have discounts are 80 cents per mile. This will bring the price of buying miles to then use on award tickets roughly the same as buying a revenue ticket. The difference is the fully flexibility. Why would we ever buy a revenue ticket again?
Sincerely,
SB
#14
FlyerTalk Evangelist
Original Poster
Join Date: Mar 2008
Location: Netherlands
Programs: KL Platinum; A3 Gold
Posts: 28,799
Any Platinum can cancel *any* award made from their account without paying a fee.
#15
FlyerTalk Evangelist, Ambassador, British Airways Executive Club
Join Date: Jun 2008
Location: Somewhere between 0 and 13,000 metres high
Programs: AF/KL Life Plat, BA GGL+GfL, ALL Plat, Hilton Diam, Marriott Gold, blablablah, etc
Posts: 30,634
Secondly, of course, we all know that with dynamic pricing cost of award tickets can vary roughly between 1-10 and 1-15 depending on the route, with a far steeper curve than for paid tickets, and when you get the higher rates, that is a lot more than flex paid tickets again, This means that quite frankly, if you need to change your flights late, the issue is never so much the change fee as the vast different in miles you'll often need at the last minute.
All that to say that I think you might be reading a bit more into it than I do. Personally, and as another PfL, I certainly don't think that this will in any way affect my arbitration between buying paid or award tickets when flying with AF-KL. It is mostly a nice gesture which I arbitrate and may on the other hand affect my choice to get my award travel from AF KL rather than, say, BA which has also given me fee less changes and cancellations for years.