chinatraderjmr

I've been Gold every year since this program started back in their her 99 or 2000??? and I have pushed for a higher tear every time I am in one of those "focus groups" skywards loves so much. I average 150-200K tier miles all in F a year and they don't seem to care. They are happy making Skywards a very small part of the business and not let it turn into a beast like the American carriers ff programs. I do understand that. The whole point of a Platinum' level would be special recognition and EK is very good at giving all F Pax (and I assume J) special recognition. As for I/O. I don't think it matters how much you fly or spend. It's how much spending YOU CONTROL that counts. A c.e.o. Can fly once a year and get I/O if he has 2000 employees who travel and EK wants that business

eightblack

I'm not so sure. The last EK station manager I spoke with re i/O, was that it was granted to individuals based on individual travel, with an assumption that all of it had to be in F. Station Managers ex DXB have to personally deliver the i/O kits and the last person my EK contact delivered to had approx 300K tier miles. It is driven and managed via DXB only. Remote stations have nothing to do with the program.

One of the i/O's on this forum told me that the requalification is approx 150K tier miles in F.

I'm sure there is a mix of people out of the 250 odd i/O members who are C-level guys within DXB who control spend or can direct spend, but if the latest intel is accurate then it is based on individual flying. This according to my EK contact, was/is causing concern in DXB as there are mid-level managers who are i/O who are flying with their CEO's (who are not i/O) and who are receiving so called "better treatment".

The 4th tier idea has been swirling around for 3+ years (or for as long as I have been on FT) and I am yet to see/hear anything from EK or Skywards which suggest they are even remotely close to launching such a level.

I have noticed that Skywards appear to be doing a lot more segmentation of their Gold base, with the Rewarding Journeys incentive being an example. This was clearly targeted to a group of Golds, and was based on your previous year tier mile balance (I think) because they set a target for this year for you, with a mileage incentive to achieve the target.

I've not seen that before but I have only been Gold for 3-years...

whimike

Just a few things...

Last year I had a total of about 10,000 tier miles, as I started to fly EK in December. This year I am already over 200k tier miles. So at least in my case I came from pretty much nothing last year, yet I got the Rewarding Journeys incentive.

I will blow through 300k tier miles this year. However, I am certain that I am not even a remote consideration for I/O. Simon, aren't you a 300k+ tier mile person too? There must be something in addition to 300k tier miles that determines if I/O is offered, such as revenue generated for those 300k tier miles.

ung1

It doesn't matter that you started in December, your membership year is 12 months to next December. It's even possible they only review your membership for iO at the 12-month mark but I may be wrong about that.

Also, how much of what you've flown since December is revenue F?

whimike

230k tier miles is revenue F for me.

jackiedada

My guess would be that the promotion came to folks who had already met the tier qualification criteria in the first couple of months of their qualification window. The objective of that promotion was to encourage you to continue flying EK for the rest of your tier window...

eightblack

With the only slight deficiency being that the target levels they set were too low. I mean, why put a ceiling on them? Why not make it a sliding scale that goes from whatever minimum they set to a million or so. It hardly costs them anything.

The best thing they did though with this promo was distribute the bonus miles immediately, unlike the Q4 program last year which resulted in you having to wait for the end of the competition.

whimike

And have a competition for the first 10 people who hit a million tier miles get I/O!!

mrtdxb

Nice idea - If they do that on a lifetime basis then I would be in but I don't know if I have enough left in me start from zero ...

Havoc10G

Apologies if this point has been covered but I am new to this forum and I was struck by the odd nature of this comment given the handle! If you are offered a higher tier why not take it? You can always decline aspects of the enhanced service eg meet and greet( I accept will be difficult to get cabin crew not to make a fuss!). As for tangible benefits, would say use of 1st class lounge regardless of travel class plus chauffeur regardless of travel class is tangible as well as am sure priority upgrade regardless of whether you are Mr Aarvark or Frank Zappa! Better miles multipliers too? Seems all pretty tangible to me.

Go on admit it, worth having!

whimike

Considering I/O is apparently offered for those that only fly F, I am trying to make sense of the benefits of F lounge access and chauffeur drive for any class of service. I doubt I/O customers will suddenly fly J or Y once they make I/O.

w00t

Met an I/O once in C and even on a short hop DXB-DOH in Eco. So not only F passengers.

Dave Noble

being invited may well be determined from 1st class travel but I doubt that also flying business/economy would stop the person being granted status, so benefits on economy/business travel may assist.

yyzlhr

Twice seen I/O in economy-- two weeks ago DXB-SIN he sat in bulkhead and was whisked thru J up to F just as stopped at the gate. Flight was full in J and F but with another DXB-SIN leaving 40 minutes later that had plenty of availability in J and F (according to EF and when I asked at Check in) looks like he wanted a Y seat as there were def options avail.

First time, again I/O had Bulkhead but crew also arranged for him to have a row of seats futher back in Y. He return to bulkhead seat for landing.

ung1

They do that even for Silvers, so it really does beg the question what tangible benefits iO really has!