Let's open a Masterthread ... M&M Changes
 

I think it was predictable enough what happend. Changes seem to fit pretty much what other, mainly, northamerican carriers did. I really find positive that some awards are to be had for less now. So it's not all too glum. Most annoying: no executive bonus on most *A, I think that they really should NOT implement.

Cheers

Jensens

Some other observations
- C, F travel (non European) now multiplier with Exec bonus is 2.25 (was 2.5) and 3.25 (was 3.75) ... so you now earn 10% less miles in C and ~13% less miles in F ... "Exec bonus is now based on Miles Flown"
- FlySmart intra Euro @ 15,000 (Y) and 25,000(C) looks like a good deal (especially if they keep the 3000 online booking bonus

Im afraid they won't keep the online discount for FlySmart, as these can from 01.08 only be booked online.

i wonder what the feedback for lh re the senator vouchers will be. the only logical reason not to give away sen vouchers every 50.000 miles, but only two once you re-/qualify ,is that everyone that flies premium over 300.000 miles a year will be invited for the new status. the new status then would surely have the vouchers every 50.000 miles. i personally fly alone on lh 400.000 miles plus each year and that would mean a loss of 14 upgradevouchers in two years time .. hard to accpet that for any sen I bet.

I think most important are :

short domest./int. up to now min. 1000 miles in all econ. now only 125 in L,T - 87,5% !! all other exept B and Y 500 - 50% !! and and B , Y 750 -25% !!!
C,D,J,Z was 2000 and now is 1500 -25%

But in there anouncement they sell it that some get more and some less ! The true all will get less within the typical short flights up to 500 miles ( thats all domestic and most European flights like FRA-LON/PAR/VIE/BRU/AMS/ZRH/.....
And the typical MR`s FRA-QKL was 5000 miles in business ( incl. FTL/SEN) now are only 3750 miles and the same in "W" class was 2500 miles and now 1250 ! (rt)
Same on intern. short flights like BKK-HKT on TG with LH flightno. upt to now 2500 ow in Busin. now 1250 , "W" class was 1250 ow now 625 and "B;Y" was 1250 now 906 !
The only thing which is positiv is flights with distance more than 1000 miles in Y and B now are factor 1,5 was 1,0 ( but who flies Y or B ???? )

what positiv differencies, compared to (most) other StarAlliance FrequentFlier programs, remain?:

* the 2 year qualification/expiry
* the downgrading by only one status level after two years (from Senator to FrequentFlier, then another two years until down to basic level)
* earning some (but much less than until now) miles on any paid fare
* class bonus counting as status miles too (flying any StarAlliance carrier)
* status bonus (only on LH, OS, LOT and UA) counting as status miles too
* upgrades (with miles or vouchers) possible on more than just one carier: LH, OS, LOT and (on standby basis) UA
* often/mostly higher minimum miles
* no expiry for Senator upgrade vouchers (but much less vouchers)
* overdraft by max 160'000 miles for Senators
* 150% 2-persons (partner-) awards for Senators

I am surprised that LH/miles&more didn't announce the introduction and rules for the new 'black card' at the same time (that's contrary to what my local ZRH LH-angels expected when we talked about new rules in late 2003).

[This message has been edited by Rudi (edited Mar 12, 2004).]

OK, we all expected something like this in the past. And I am, as a leisure flyer, not amused about the changes. Not executive bonus on other than LH, UA, OS and the other M&M partner is to not quite good as I often fly with SQ or TG; what about code sharing flights?

Miles and More focused to business travellers and persons using high price / full flexible tickets. This happens “in the tradition” of the changes of the most frequent flier programs (e.g. Executive Club of British Airways) in the last years. And as Rudi wrote, there are still some very good benefits (e.g. status for two years, earning miles on every fair).

So, the changes could have been worse (e.g. no miles in some classes [like SQ]). And in my eyes, there is not really an alternative program for those, who fly mostly domestic or intra Europe.

Jan

Those 125 miles for T class flights are a very bad joke. The only reason can be that LH still can do marketing with "miles on all fares".

What I absolutely do not understand is the missing 25% exec. bonus on star carriers other then UA.

Also I don't understand the policy not to give out SEN upgrade vouchers anymore for 50k status miles but only 2 per 2 years. Definitive consequence for me: Try to requalify sharply - and if I have a choice for KLM/NW/skyteam later on I will probably choose those.

Quite outraging is the cost of the new upgrades. 50k for a oneway upgrade europe-USA when a completely free return flight is 90K in C? Who calculated this? Maybe they think about heavily restricting award inventory, then it would partially make sense at least (for them)...

Over all a move that couldn't have been worse IMO.

And again: No communication from LH so far to me as a german SEN. Bad, bad!


Consequence:

I will for sure take LH only on the flights where I absolutely have to do so. In addition maybe a RTW every two years (in C or F) to requalify. Intra-German flights will move to DB railways.

All other flights will be on KL/NW/skyteam (if they keep their current program).

I'll start to rebook flights right away.

Goodbye LH!

Ralf, I agree with you.

The new upgrade costs are a bad joke:

All upgrades more expensive except those from Y/B to C.

All F awards still cost the same. Pfui.

No more exec. bonus on all Star carriers, and if you are lucky to get it on LH, only for the actual miles flown. D*mn!

Could not have been worse.

The reduced mileage requirement for Y and C awards does not at all outweigh the negative improvements.

Any changes to the FTL/SEN qualification requirements ?

Originally posted by davidcito:
- reduction for award miles needed (e.g. Europe-Australia 100.000/160.000/200.000)

--------------------------------------------------------------------------------

Please show me where I can find F class for 200K miles on the chart!


All reductions in C and Y and for F it remained the same. ****!

Upgrade vouchers only two per qualification.

AA gives 8 vipows and UA 6 SWUs!

No good news http://www.flyertalk.com/forum/frown.gif

I think most of us knew that this would happen after BA and many american airlines changed the rules and now focus on the travellers paying the higher fares.

But I don´t know how they calculated the miles needed for an award or an upgrade award. For me it doesn´t make much sense that you need 60,000 miles for a return-award in C class to the middle east and you need 35,000 miles to upgrade one flight (70,000 for your return flight) http://www.flyertalk.com/forum/rolleyes.gif

Exactly. It might just end up making more sense for us to build up status in Mileage Plus, as frequent LH flyers.

At least the have not devaluated the lovely Z fares...

Will Sen benefit -160K still be around?