The online Skywards calculator seems to be full of errors.

I start with a simple example: Looking at AKL-SYD as a one way.

I understand the flight is eligible to earn 1,000 tier miles for saver and 2,000 for flex.

I understand the flight is also eligible to earn 1,000 Skywards miles for saver and 2,000 for flex - but in line with tier bonuses; silver get 25% bonus, gold get 50% bonus, platinum get 75%. So in theory it should read:

SAVER
Blue - Silver - Gold - Platinum
1,000 - 1,250 - 1,500 - 1,750

FLEX
Blue - Silver - Gold - Platinum
2,000 - 2,500 - 3,000 - 3,500

Crazy thing is if you flick through the tier levels on the calculator page - it actually shows up as

SAVER
Blue - Silver - Gold - Platinum
1,000 - 1,500 - 2,000, 2,500

FLEX
Blue - Silver - Gold - Platinum
2,000 - 2,500 - 3,000 - 3,500

So the Flex side seems accurate - but Saver side seems to be showing you're eligible for double what you really are.

It appears that the Saver side calculation (for Tier bonuses) is wrong regardless of whether you input a one-way or a return city pairing. The flex side seems accurate regardless of one-way or return.

I know there's been a few changes with the QF alliance but surely a published chart would be a bit safer than the fancy pants online calculator. Maybe one exists that I'm not aware of? The online calculator is confusing, apparently inaccurate, and if one is to rely on it and take a screen shot of what Emirates is offering on Saver fares - certainly in this example - presumably they'd have to honor it!?

I've played with multiple city pairings, different classes - and it just gets weirder. In some cases the offering appears to suggest you'll get more than you're entitled to, in other cases it suggests you'll get less. Overall - it's a shambles!

Anyone else noticed the inconsistency, and has it affected actual flights or are they being posted as they should?

Can you point out a couple of instances where the mileage calculator shows lesser miles than you are entitled to.
Thats not inconsistent, that's the way it is supposed to work - tier bonuses are calculated on the full tier earning miles and then added to the actual skywards miles for the flight.
So, for AKL- SYD. The Flex earning mileage is 2000 miles, the saver earning mileage is 1000, the Silver bonus is 25% of 2000 = 500 miles, the Gold bonus is 50% of 2000 = 1000 miles, and the Platinum bonus = 75% of 2000 = 1500 miles.

So for a Flex fare, the total Skywards miles are
2000, 2000+500=2,500, 2000+1000=3,000, 2000+1500=3,500 for Blue, Silver, Gold, Platinum

And for a Saver fare, the total Skywards miles are
1000, 1000+500=1,500, 1000+1000=2,000, 1000+1500=2,500 for Blue, Silver, Gold, Platinum

I wasn't aware the tier bonus was based on the Flex fare level - but upon further review of the Skywards Rules you're right. It's a bit convoluted - but it appears each route is assigned "Base Miles". Those Base Miles become the relevant starting point in terms of calculating what a pax will earn and either go down based on Fare Type (Flex vs. Saver) or up if in Business or First. Tier Status Bonus is always added based on the starting point - not the ending point of what was earned.

Obviously a Saver ticket in Economy will yield a higher percentage bonus given the Tier Bonus is applied to the higher "Base Miles" (aka Flex Fare, Economy ticket). But when you start mixing classes into it, your yield goes down.

e.g. Flight 1
Gold pax flying Economy Saver fare on the AKL-SYD route earns 1,000 Miles - BUT - gets a full 1,000 Bonus Tier miles. The effect is a 100% uplift - not 50% as the Gold membership suggests. Great result!

However; change classes - say go into First Class and the yield drops:

e.g. Gold pax flying First Saver fare on AKL-SYD earns 4,000 Miles yet still only gets a 1,000 Bonus Tier uplift. Resulting Bonus as a percentage is 25%.

Strange system. I would've thought it to be better to apply Tier Bonus to the 'end' total of what was earned not to a hypothetical starting total.

i.e.
Flight Miles = the amount of Miles you're eligible to earn based on the ticket purchased (i.e. Flex or Saver)
Class Bonus = uplift for Business or First
Tier Bonus = your Silver, Gold or Platinum percentage uplift - based on what you just earned that flight.

Wouldn't a calculation that followed this formula: Flight Miles x Class Bonus x Tier Bonus be a better reflection of a consistent tier bonus?

If the formula was as above, for flight 1 instead of getting 2,000 Skywards Miles total - you'd get 1,500 (instead of 2,000) and for flight 2 you'd get 7,500 (instead of 6,000). Seems logical to me - pax who has spent more, gets more rewarded benefit.

The way the current calculations work incentivises the Status Bonus to be applied as much as possible on low yield airfares (Savers) but penalises you, effectively, for when you're in a more expensive Class.

As a very new Skywards member I can offer no useful input myself - but I sure am impressed with the intricate knowledge seen here of the inner workings (and apparent anomalies) of what is undoubtedly a complex system.......

Perhaps the day is not far off before the appearance of the first university degree course .......

"Frequent Flyer Schemes : their structure, methodology and practical application"

Think of it the other way around. In the good old days of Skywards, we would earn full tier miles on even the cheapest booking class. This got devalued when Skywards introduced Flex and Saver fares. What you are talking about is a further devaluation of the program - not sure if most of us would want that. So, why don't we end this thread here lest EK gets some ideas.

Present day Tier Bonus is earned on a hypothetical allowance assigned to the route flown. I think I understand to a degree why they've done this - it makes things clear and constant but I also think it borders on false advertising, e.g: their frontline marketing around Tier Bonuses states "25%, 50%, 75% bonus Skywards Miles when you fly with Emirates". Sure, in the fine print which I've eluded to above, the actual percentage bonus you earn is on a hypothetical mile allowance (aka "Base Miles") but in some cases this means your actual percentage bonus (of Miles earned) is more, and in other cases it is less.

I disagree that my suggestion would further devalue the program. In flight 1 example - I concede that a Silver, Gold or Platinum level pax will technically be earning less miles in total - but they'd truly be receiving the % bonus that is advertised.

In flight 2 example (or any other example where a Silver, Gold or Platinum level pax is in Business or First) - they will technically earn more miles in total - and still would be truly receiving the % bonus that is advertised.

i.e. in both cases the percentage bonus advertised would always come to fruition.

The current formula they use means the percentage bonus I perceive I am eligible to get [from the miles you've earned by flying with Emirates] may actually be less, given they're using a hypothetical starting point of Miles earned.

Granted, it is very technical, but I for one would love them to change it. I'd be happy to waive the benefit of picking up a higher percentage when on Saver tickets to instead get better overall value from Premium cabin tickets whether Saver or not.

just to confirm - I've got no present issue with the earning of Tier Miles - they are not affected by Tier Bonus. I'm just addressing the apparent inconsistency in earning rates of Skywards Miles when Tier Bonuses are added.

I spotted this when I first got to silver but thought I was getting something I shouldn't and so decided not to raise it in case it was a glitch that they would rectify. Now I understand (I think!)