layz

My next contract sees me moving to MAN, therefore sometimes *A will be more convenient than BA depending on flight times and my ultimate destination.

I lost BD*G when the GLA route was pulled and I'm currently BA silver, I will be BA gold, I had originally got BD*G through a status match with Flying Blue but managed to renew my status two years running but as I needed the GLA route and I lived next to LHR I decided to switch to BA after that.

So will Aegean status match a BA gold that also used to be a diamond club member? Failing that, any other recommendations for a status match? Perhaps I should look to SkyTeam as well because KL have a decent presence at MAN.

I also have a M&M account that has laid dormant since I discovered diamond club but from what I've read here I think Aegean is the best to get and keep status.

My *A travel will likely be european connections, a couple of times a month. I could easily get BD*G with a combo of regular flights to GLA and connections on LX (my favourite *A european airline) to European destinations (usually from LCY). I'd never flown longhaul during my *A years, except a couple of flights on VS (thanks to BD allowing access to clubhouse) so I have no experience of the non-European carriers.

Raffles

Turkish was matching anyone and everyone over the Summer, even other Star Alliance members.

I wrote up my experiences of getting my BA matched here http://headforpoints.com/2012/07/26/...for-two-years/

This is a quick summary of everyone who was matching BD cards - http://headforpoints.com/2012/07/12/...-club-members/

You really have 2 questions:

1. Who wil match me quickly so I have status for my flights?
2. Who should I be crediting flights to for long term status AND redeeming?

TK would give you status for 2 years. Aegean will be the quickest way to earn status from scratch. However, for redeeming, you may want to look elsewhere - eg if you want to fly LH and Swiss F then you'll need to be in M&M, realistically.

Do you want to earn with a credit card? Not many Star options in the UK market, summarised here: http://headforpoints.com/2012/07/23/...-uk-residents/

If Virgin joins Star that will open up a lot of other options, as Amex MR, Tesco, BAA WorldPoints etc all become viable collecting routes.

(Apologies for the 3 blog plugs, but the first 2 are basically summaries of the relevant FT threads and will save you a lot of time going through them. The credit card piece isn't covered anywhere else.)

MAN Pax

Some 25 years ago I started flying from what was the T1 Domestics terminal in Manchester. I soon progressed from the Servisair Shoebox (access via Diners Card) to the BA Shoebox, thanks to a newly minted Silver Card. I quickly upgraded to a Gold Card and BA and I had a very happy relationship until about 10 years ago when BA closed down the Manchester operation, local flights, local crew et al. My BA status eventually slipped to blue.

I then started to court other airlines, encouraged by BD and their LHR route, which I used to fly weekly on corporate C tickets. This got me status on both BD and M&M. I started to use *A for most of my European flights and VS for the US, LH to India. I made BD lifetime Gold, which I swapped back to BA Gold to upgrade my Silver Card this year.

After some time, changing at FRA became a PITA and I took a couple of flights on KLM and the grass seemed to be greener….. I stayed there for 3-4 years until the last couple of years when KLM have really started to cut back on the benefits for Elites, the long walk for the lounge and the crazy, time sapping, security queues at the D gates began to grate. Now they’ve started to charge to select an Economy Seat in Short Haul, I’ve given up on them. I used to fly *A for point to point journeys from MAN and some easy connections.

Last year, I rediscovered T5 now it has bedded it and found it to be a nice place. The BA lounges are excellent. Transfers are OK with a gold card, and the BA experience is good – with advanced seat selection and proper priority boarding in most places. I got my Silver card back.

So with all that preamble, this is what I fly now – which is mainly weekly trips in Europe, MAN-LHR runs to the office and long haul 4 times a year in C or Y+ depending on time:

• BA if the timings and fares are OK.
  • If I need to change, T5 is the least worst of the major hubs. (Though the recent changes at CDG have greatly improved that experience)
  • I have a BA Amex Card which is great for building miles (and the 2-4-1 if you can use it)
  • If I miss or am cancelled off the last connection home, at least I’m in the Uk an have more options.
• *A are my next choice – maybe for speed or price or better connections. I have an earned A3 *G to ease the way. I’m not hoping for any great redemption.
• Easyjet – Speedy boarding, good carry on policy if you can make the shape, some convenient routes and timing. Crap boarding process, even if at the front with too much waiting.
• Skyteam et al. No more KLM for me and I’ve not really forgiven AF for stranding me in Disneyland after a blizzard at CDG. (They took me there, just forgot to bring use all back for another flight).
• I have been tempted into a VS longhaul as well, mainly for the Clubhouse on BD*G, but that’s all over. We’ll have to see what changes with the VS domestic operation starting.

antichef

Allocated seating has just transformed this option. You no longer have the mad stampede, even among the speedy boarders. Did it twice yesterday on first day of allocated seating BFS-NCL-BFS. Totally transformed the experience.

It means you dont have to beat the hordes for a decent seat.

They actually still do a properly enforced priority boarding for SB and Easyjet Plus cardholders, which many BA Board regulars complain is often lacking on domestic BA for SCH and GCH!

MAN Pax

That only works for me if I'm also first in line for the overhead bin space.

layz

I used to be a KLM regular until those famous April Fool devaluations a few years ago. At the time AMS seemed to be the perfect connecting airport. I don't like the semi-centralised security that's been introduced at the higher up D gates, does KLM use these higher up gates or the lower numbered ones (D4 used to be the most common LHR gate when I used KLM).

What other things have KLM done to devalue the benefits for elites?

I still hope to keep BA my primary airline (I've just reached gold) but will look at *A or direct options where they make more sense.