Take a look at the following thread on the KLM uk forum :

http://193.128.182.20/forums/Thread....ad_ID=723&mc=2

johan

THANKS JOHAN-

Below is summary of key pints from link:

I must admit I underestimated KLM on the conversion. But it looks like status via segments could be in danger. Better to have good news/bad news than bad news/bad news.

Four valuable points:

1. The conversion rate is approx 1.8 mile per point to mile you have in yr account.

2. RW members will be given Platinum Elite Cards for the first year, longer if they qualify already with FD points for future years ( ie multiples of 24,000 points.) Silver members will be given Gold Elite, & those almost reaching silver will get a silver card.

3. Platinum elite members will get a 100% bonus on service miles on all flights.

4. You will need 75,000 +flight miles each annum measured 31st Dec each year to renew to Platinum Elite. Business class earns x 2 rates of mileage for service & awards.

If this is true I will be out a couple of bottles of scotch but will be happy. There has to be a catch somewhere? Airlines just aren't nice (maybe I'm biased by the terrible treatment from AC over the last year).

Thanks for the heads up Johan. Can't believe they are going w/ 1.8 conversion. My calculator can barely display all the numbers in my new mile account

Now I'm curious to see what the new mileage levels for awards will be.

At 24K per year, I guess I'll be Platinum Elite For Life, based on the 1.8 conversion.

Lucky you,

so many status points in your account now? Or do you expect to get level miles (status miles) for award travel, too?

Ojh yeah, I forgot about award/bonus points not being the same as service/status points!
Guess I'm gonna have to actually fly a few segments each year!

I have for years had a fairly regular KLM flying pattern :

�18 segments at 550 points = 9900
6-10 segments at 3,600 points = 21,600 - 36,000

for a total of 31,500 - 45,900 service points, with a few flights to miscellaneous destinations on top of that. I thus qualified for RW by a very comfortable margin.

The exact same flights will earn me between 42,510 and 54,820 miles! On that basis I might or might not qualify for gold, but not even come close to platinum.

I currently have enough service points for at least five years of RW, which at a conversion rate of 1.8 will be enough for three yearts of platinum.

Assuming the "inside information" is correct, I can only conclude that KLM are doing their utmost to chase my right into the arms of the competition!

johan

newbe ..... please remember, Mike Turnbull and I do prefer the Dom Perignon chilled slightly.

------------------
~ Glen ~ Calling all United 1K Members - please join .. www.1Kflyers.com

Not too good so far... We have to wait for the details to make a whole picture out of it...

Thanks again Johan for finding this..

Seems like we can have a lot of benefits if they copy NWA, the entrance level of 75.000 miles are taken from NWA so why not the other benefits like "unlimited business upgrade in Europe"
They even might take out the very best and knowlegded people from the FD Helpdesk to make an
"Exclusive Elite Services Reservations Line, with dedicated Elite Services agents who are specially trained to address Elite members' travel needs. "

***********************************
WorldPerks Platinum Elite Benefits :

For WorldPerks members who fly more than 75,000 Elite qualifying miles in a calendar year, WorldPerks Platinum Elite membership affords our highest level of prestige and privilege:

125% Mileage Bonus on credited flight miles earned on Northwest Airlines, Northwest Airlink, KLM Royal Dutch Airlines, Continental Airlines, Alaska Airlines and other WorldPerks Partner Airlines.

Unlimited Confirmed First Class Upgrades on domestic Northwest- and Continental-operated flights, with no certificates required - and the ability to upgrade from any fare.

Unlimited Companion Upgrades on domestic Northwest- and Continental-operated flights, which provide the opportunity to upgrade one travel companion on every qualifying flight.

Exclusive Elite Services Reservations Line, with dedicated Elite Services agents who are specially trained to address Elite members' travel needs.

Priority Check-In and Pre-Boarding Privileges on Northwest, KLM and Continental, providing prompt check-in and additional time to settle in before takeoff.
Elite Personal Privileges, offering access to unique venues, exclusive privileges and special offers from our participating WorldPerks Partners.

*************************************

Oh Happy days

If they really would copy the free domestic northamerican upgrades to free european upgrades that would for shure make us and other FF's extremely happy. Possible other devaluations then would not be a problem, KLM FD would be the most outstanding FF-prog in europe for shure.

But I doubt that. They would loose some money from newly Plats then hoping to get a free upgrade instead of buying a C-tix. And in the current situation loss of those fares in exchange to make your FF's more happy would be risky...

Looking at it from another perspective :

The current RW qualification level is 24,000 Service Points. Assuming the Platinum level will be 75,000, the conversion rate would have to be just over 3 Level Miles to one Service Point, if one's accumulated Service Point balance is to retain its value.

As far as earning points/miles is concerned, I think there are very few routes, if any, where the actual mileage is three times the points currently earned. The one exception is for residents of the Netherlands, because they earn so few points.

johan

At a conversion rate of 1:1.8 the Dom Perignon and me will be at about the same temperature, ozstamps:
slightly chilled


The bet is fine with me, btw. Did you get my email, ozstamps?

However, I still think such a conversion rate is not advisable unless they introduce extremely low award levels. And that would be really surprising to me.

I deliberately take the example from the FD program brochure since everybody knows that. We're going for a trip from Amsterdam to Paris. Depending on where you live you need 9.000 or 10.000 points for the round trip now. Let's assume we're living in the KLM home market (Netherlands), hence we'll need 10.000 points for that weekend trip.

Now what will be the cost in miles? Not less than 20.000 in my opinion.

Since I assume that quite a few Dutch customers will do this or a very similar calculation, KLM will very likely need to convert at a rate of 1:2 or better in my opinion.