Air India Flying Returns - Major changes in FFP Program
Dec 4, 2015, 5:46 pm
#1
Original Poster
Join Date: Jul 2005
Posts: 5
Air India Flying Returns - Major changes in FFP Program
Hot update on AI Flying returns:
AI revamped the program to not charging YQ on international award tickets for AI metal, however redemption miles needed have been bumped up by 80% or so. One way DEL-ORD used to be 45k in Y, now it is 80k with no YQ. Miles needed double for J class.Huge devaluation especially for J
AI revamped the program to not charging YQ on international award tickets for AI metal, however redemption miles needed have been bumped up by 80% or so. One way DEL-ORD used to be 45k in Y, now it is 80k with no YQ. Miles needed double for J class.Huge devaluation especially for J
Dec 4, 2015, 9:21 pm
#2
Join Date: Nov 2013
Location: India
Programs: Star Alliance Gold, SkyTeam Elite Plus, Hilton Gold
Posts: 907
Hot update on AI Flying returns:
AI revamped the program to not charging YQ on international award tickets for AI metal, however redemption miles needed have been bumped up by 80% or so. One way DEL-ORD used to be 45k in Y, now it is 80k with no YQ. Miles needed double for J class.Huge devaluation especially for J
AI revamped the program to not charging YQ on international award tickets for AI metal, however redemption miles needed have been bumped up by 80% or so. One way DEL-ORD used to be 45k in Y, now it is 80k with no YQ. Miles needed double for J class.Huge devaluation especially for J
The website page says "Under Construction" right now.
If J redemptions are really increasing by 100%, then this is a huge blow, YQ or no YQ.
I now just hope that the already exorbitant Star Alliance chart does not receive such an 'improvement'.
Dec 4, 2015, 10:04 pm
#3
Join Date: Nov 2014
Location: DownUnder
Programs: SQ Gold, QR Gold, Hilton Diamond
Posts: 134
Dec 4, 2015, 11:21 pm
#5
FlyerTalk Evangelist
Join Date: Apr 2009
Location: India
Programs: Bonvoy Lifetime Titanium, IHG Plat, HH Gold, Trident Plat, DL Diamond, AI Maharajah
Posts: 29,694
Hot update on AI Flying returns:
AI revamped the program to not charging YQ on international award tickets for AI metal, however redemption miles needed have been bumped up by 80% or so. One way DEL-ORD used to be 45k in Y, now it is 80k with no YQ. Miles needed double for J class.Huge devaluation especially for J
AI revamped the program to not charging YQ on international award tickets for AI metal, however redemption miles needed have been bumped up by 80% or so. One way DEL-ORD used to be 45k in Y, now it is 80k with no YQ. Miles needed double for J class.Huge devaluation especially for J
Dec 4, 2015, 11:21 pm
#6
FlyerTalk Evangelist
Join Date: Apr 2009
Location: India
Programs: Bonvoy Lifetime Titanium, IHG Plat, HH Gold, Trident Plat, DL Diamond, AI Maharajah
Posts: 29,694
Dec 4, 2015, 11:54 pm
#7
FlyerTalk Evangelist
Join Date: Apr 2009
Location: India
Programs: Bonvoy Lifetime Titanium, IHG Plat, HH Gold, Trident Plat, DL Diamond, AI Maharajah
Posts: 29,694
Dec 5, 2015, 12:18 am
#9
FlyerTalk Evangelist
Join Date: Apr 2009
Location: India
Programs: Bonvoy Lifetime Titanium, IHG Plat, HH Gold, Trident Plat, DL Diamond, AI Maharajah
Posts: 29,694
Dec 5, 2015, 1:22 am
#10
Join Date: Jul 2014
Location: Ahmedabad, INDIA
Programs: Blasé..
Posts: 174
AI website each time leads to crap OTP requirement which never comes, FR website just works fine
Other way around, try logging in from AI website and once on OTP page, click "Logout" and re-login - It works fine each time without OTP sh*t!
Dec 5, 2015, 3:06 am
#11
Original Poster
Join Date: Jul 2005
Posts: 5
Do you have the chart or a link to the same?
The website page says "Under Construction" right now.
If J redemptions are really increasing by 100%, then this is a huge blow, YQ or no YQ.
I now just hope that the already exorbitant Star Alliance chart does not receive such an 'improvement'.
The website page says "Under Construction" right now.
If J redemptions are really increasing by 100%, then this is a huge blow, YQ or no YQ.
I now just hope that the already exorbitant Star Alliance chart does not receive such an 'improvement'.
Dec 5, 2015, 3:11 am
#12
Join Date: Sep 2005
Location: BOM-SIN-EWR
Programs: UA*G (1K again), Sixt Plat, *was*: SQ QPP01 & SK EBS/EBG, LH SEN, AA EXP, 9wPlat
Posts: 8,606
I visited the local AI office to process a redemption, the lady at the desk informed me of this and showed me an internal email containing the new chart, noted down a couple of sectors that I use. BOM-LHR is 45K OW and All India to North America sectors (SFO,YYZ,EWR,ORD,JFK) got repriced to 80K OW. Another new levy is additional 5K miles charge if you use offline (city office, telephone(?) etc) booking.
Question is, how much YQ??
Dec 5, 2015, 4:07 am
#13
Join Date: Nov 2013
Location: India
Programs: Star Alliance Gold, SkyTeam Elite Plus, Hilton Gold
Posts: 907
I visited the local AI office to process a redemption, the lady at the desk informed me of this and showed me an internal email containing the new chart, noted down a couple of sectors that I use. BOM-LHR is 45K OW and All India to North America sectors (SFO,YYZ,EWR,ORD,JFK) got repriced to 80K OW. Another new levy is additional 5K miles charge if you use offline (city office, telephone(?) etc) booking.
The additional offline charge is a rip-off !
I just fear that some incompetent folks at AI FFP will also want to charge these fees for Star A redemptions, which can't be made online at all.
The OP states that they have removed YQ component as a softener for this devaluation.
Dec 5, 2015, 4:23 am
#14
Join Date: Nov 2013
Location: India
Programs: Star Alliance Gold, SkyTeam Elite Plus, Hilton Gold
Posts: 907
Just noticed this on AI-FR website, which wasn't present earlier (bolding mine):
"YQ is no longer chargeable on international award tickets. Only non airline taxes are to be paid plus miles.
Flying Returns members can also redeem miles for upgrading the eligible paid class tickets in domestic and international network of Air India.
The miles required for economy to business class upgrade depend on the RBD/Booking class of the Economy class ticket to be upgraded and range from 60% to 190% of normal economy class redemption miles for that sector."
60% - 190% !! Previously it was a flat 75%.
Huge devaluation in most cases of booking classes then.
"YQ is no longer chargeable on international award tickets. Only non airline taxes are to be paid plus miles.
Flying Returns members can also redeem miles for upgrading the eligible paid class tickets in domestic and international network of Air India.
The miles required for economy to business class upgrade depend on the RBD/Booking class of the Economy class ticket to be upgraded and range from 60% to 190% of normal economy class redemption miles for that sector."
60% - 190% !! Previously it was a flat 75%.
Huge devaluation in most cases of booking classes then.
Dec 5, 2015, 5:06 am
#15
Join Date: Nov 2014
Location: DownUnder
Programs: SQ Gold, QR Gold, Hilton Diamond
Posts: 134