Concerto

That's great, for starters. I am already one third of the way there (10 segments) so this could be a great help, depending how long this goes on for. I expect it is something that could change further down the line.

yurtripper

SQ just announced a 12 month extension to status.

malmostoso

TK extended by 6 months.

djjaguar64

Aegean also did the extension.

• For all the Silver and Gold members of our Miles+Bonus loyalty program whose tier expires from 31/03/2020, their tier will be extended for 6 months. Every member will have 18 months available - instead of 12 - in order to reach the rules, needed for their tier retain.
  If, for example, a Silver or Gold member’s tier expires on 30/11/2020, the new tier expiration date will be on 30/05/2021. Therefore, the period for the member to meet the criteria for tier retain will be 18 months, and specifically from 31/11/2019 until 29/05/2021.
• For all the Silver and Gold members who have already accrued the requested number of miles for their tier retain, their tier is secured for 12 months post the extended tier expiration date.

airoli

The difference is that these programs have rolling Elite qualification periods, i.e. some members are up- / downgraded every month. So it was important for these airlines to communicate new policies right away.

Miles&More, along with many other programs, has a fixed calendar year qualification for everyone. So there is absolutely no urgency to communicate anything now, nobody is getting downgraded until February 2021 anyways. So the program managers will wait and see how long and severe this crisis is, and then take appropriate measures later on.

If they are smart, they offer various personalized bonuses / challenges / reduced thresholds, but not a blanket extension.

Concerto

It's still relatively early days, so a lot could happen during April (which we've just begun), May and June. I am less worried about this than about the future of M&M itself, though. We're going to all have to forget the hyper speed of things in this internet driven world and take it a bit slower over the coming weeks.

IAN-UK

... but, typically, have made a mess of implementing the scheme.

sophialite

Major moves by UA and DL over the weekend. To be frank, and I want to make clear when I think I was in the wrong here, this was far sooner than I expected. And still, to be frank, I think it's too early to tell if this is the final move by airlines on this. On the other hand, the major airlines have pretty sophisticated tools, models and teams for predicting how things will play out over the next few months, so I'm willing to give them the benefit of the doubt.

In light of a major carrier moving forward on this (and BAEC and FB already having made moves), I expect M&M to come soon with their announcement

vantage03

I still think it’ll be a while, they don’t have enough flights at the moment to be trying to get butts on seats or retain loyalty. Happy to be surprised though!

Also, I stick by my thoughts that the new system will be delayed.

Concerto

I totally agree with that. I think it would be in their interest to delay it. Anyway, they need to direct their energy and finances into making sure that the LH Group airlines stay alive.

Dave_C

It's interesting that I've heard from all the major travel programmes, except for Miles and More about what they're going to do. There was a very bland holding statement a couple of weeks ago, but that was all.

Whilst it may be in their interests to wait to see what their competitors are doing, it risks them being left behind their peers.

The way that the LH Group airlines have handled COVID-19 so far I have to say is very disappointing. I just get the over-riding impression of self-interested as opposed to wanting to do right by their customers. It's very definitely made me re-think where I want to spend my money going forwards.

sophialite

I think it's too early to be making a decision on this right now. The resumption of flights is a constantly moving target at this point (as is the right to simply leave your own home). Until you stop the bleeding, it's difficult to focus on the healing. I still think the other airlines acted too quickly.

GalaxyChris

I agree, this is similar in the hospitality with Marriott, who just did not reacted much until now.
I think communication and reaction is a better way to keep your customers.

athome

The decision for M&M to extend the status by - let's say a year - is not so easy, as for other airlines/programmes. The main reason is that they plan to change the re-qualification rules as of 2021.
There may be several cases, where an extension by a year would still have a major negative impact. For example somebody who planned to re-qualify in 2020 for a status extension until Feb-24 would loose 2 full years, even if the actual status would be extended to Feb-22. This person would then be "again" obliged to re-qualify in 2021 and 2022 to get up to his original date (Feb-24). Therefore I believe M&M has to come up with a broader solution than a simple 1-year extension. One possibility would be a delay by one year to 2022 the 1-year re-qualification cycle or adapted solutions for certain cases.

San Gottardo

How would they be left behind by their peers? In normal times I’d get it, some passengers would be attracted to the airline with the more generous mileage program. But now? Even if airline XY offered to extend my status, would that make me fly them more? No, because that airline has grounded its planes and I am hardly allowed to go out and walk my dog.

By the time people and airlines start flying again M&M better has something to say to its customers because othwrwise indeed some (a few) customers may defect.

But until then, it doesn’t matter. There is no point to make a product more attractive when you can’t sell it and there is no demand for it.