Is SkyTeam loyalty worthwile for me anymore?
Jan 3, 2019, 12:15 pm
#1
Original Poster
Join Date: Feb 2017
Location: SE England
Programs: AF-KL Platinum, ALL Platinum
Posts: 755
Is SkyTeam loyalty worthwile for me anymore?
Hi,
I guess this will be deemed unaswerable but I'm just after opinions, and if more info is needed them I'll add it. Mods please move this if in the wrong place.
Currently, I have AF-KL Flying Blue Platinum (SkyTeam Elite Plus) status, achieved in September 2018 and I have enough XP (the programme status points) to maintain Platinum for 2019 and 2020 without flying. I only fly for holidays, not for work, which are long haul mostly to Asia and I budget to fly Business Class, e.g. my most recent trip was China Airlines LGW-TPE-BKK, Vietnam Airlines BKK-HAN-SIN and China Airlines SIN-TPE-LGW. Since the radical changes to the Flying Blue programme from 1st April 2018 I now avoid flying with Air France and KLM because their discounted Business Class tickets earn vastly lower amounts of redeemable miles (Miles) than before 1st April 2018. So I have been favouring Garuda, Vietnam Airlines, Korean Air, China Airlines etc. as they are all in SkyTeam, so earn Flying Blue Miles and XP. Now there are more changes coming that will limit my earning potential; i.e. China Southern is leaving SkyTeam and Garuda is dropping direct LHR-CGK in favour of LHR-DPS (back tracking from DPS to SIN/BKK/HKG is a further than from CGK and their are fewer connecting flights).
During Spring 2019 I will spend nearly all of my Flying Blue redeemable Miles on a family holiday for 2020. So I'm now thinking should I stop solely going with SkyTeam and just seek out the cheapest Business Class fares to the places I want to visit, also considering the quality of the airline's services, because the redeemable Miles earnings are much lower and flight options are being reduced?
Thanks
I guess this will be deemed unaswerable but I'm just after opinions, and if more info is needed them I'll add it. Mods please move this if in the wrong place.
Currently, I have AF-KL Flying Blue Platinum (SkyTeam Elite Plus) status, achieved in September 2018 and I have enough XP (the programme status points) to maintain Platinum for 2019 and 2020 without flying. I only fly for holidays, not for work, which are long haul mostly to Asia and I budget to fly Business Class, e.g. my most recent trip was China Airlines LGW-TPE-BKK, Vietnam Airlines BKK-HAN-SIN and China Airlines SIN-TPE-LGW. Since the radical changes to the Flying Blue programme from 1st April 2018 I now avoid flying with Air France and KLM because their discounted Business Class tickets earn vastly lower amounts of redeemable miles (Miles) than before 1st April 2018. So I have been favouring Garuda, Vietnam Airlines, Korean Air, China Airlines etc. as they are all in SkyTeam, so earn Flying Blue Miles and XP. Now there are more changes coming that will limit my earning potential; i.e. China Southern is leaving SkyTeam and Garuda is dropping direct LHR-CGK in favour of LHR-DPS (back tracking from DPS to SIN/BKK/HKG is a further than from CGK and their are fewer connecting flights).
During Spring 2019 I will spend nearly all of my Flying Blue redeemable Miles on a family holiday for 2020. So I'm now thinking should I stop solely going with SkyTeam and just seek out the cheapest Business Class fares to the places I want to visit, also considering the quality of the airline's services, because the redeemable Miles earnings are much lower and flight options are being reduced?
Thanks
