Which FF programs still mail out plastic membership cards?
 

Hi everyone,

Can anyone name me some FF programs that still mail out plastic membership cards as soon as you sign up without having to take any qualifying flights

I'm doing an essay for school on how FF programs have changed since 9/11 and I'd be interested to see how many have stopped mailing out membership cards upon signup.

Thanks for any help.

I am pretty sure United still mails them.

I'm quite sure Qantas and Air NZ do (at least to their members in Australia). Then again Qantas charge for the membership - I can't remember if Air NZ charge for theirs.

P.S. You are a sales executive and still at school?

I'm at school 4 days a week, work Tuesdays and Saturday mornings :)

I know nothing of the OP or of the OP's job, but quite a few large corporations (in the U.S.; I suspect in other English-speaking countries as well) use titles such as "Sales Executive" or "Account Executive" for one of the upper levels of their sales force. It doesn't necessarily imply management, let alone executive-level management, responsibilities, though one may have some subordinates or coordinate a small team. A Sales Executive's immediate supervisor typically has a title such as Branch Manager or Regional Director.

ANA (NH) mail you a proper card upon joining. BAEC (BA) provide a card to all members as well, but it is rather flimsy looking.

off the top of my head CX and AF

and US

i got temp "cards" from frontier and AA.

I know that Korean Air does.

CA as well

United
Lufthansa
Finnair
Delta

in my experience, at least.

LH requires you to earn 3,000 miles before they will send a card.

Airtan as well

I'm not quite sure I understand what you mean by plastic. Do you mean those really thin plastic that can easily be bent? Because AFAIK most membership cards are in a form of plastic but the rather thick hard plastic.

From the context it seems clear that the OP means credit card thickness-plastic...

For TG, you will get a thin plastic card upon signup (may not apply for online signups), and a credit card-style card upon Silver qualification.

Virgin Atlantic
Midwest Airlines

Both send out credit card type plastic cards

Virgin Atlantic sends out a different card everytime you qualify to the next mileage level e.g. from Red, to Silver, then Gold

Actually not anymore, 1 mile is enough nowadays, so any one cheapo flight will do.

QF charges to join if live in Australia or NZ.
NZ charges to join unless recently flown NZ in business class or paid koru club membership.

NH sends out card as soon as join, as does MH, AA, OZ.

did not know that, an M&M card showed up after i signed up for them

I think HHonors still mail

Malaysia Airlines 'Enrich' FF scheme dosh out cards as soon as you sign up....

Delta for sure.
Singapore, no. Have account with them, but they never send me anything.

I stand corrected. M&M must have changed their 3,000 miles policy in the past few months.

OS as well.

Not Virgin - they only send out cards once you have flown with them, not at sign up.

Huh ? OS is using LH's Miles and More. Also, SK Eurobonus mail card as soon as you are registered.

JAL sent me one within a week or so of signing up. No flight or other earning activity needed.

they indeed do. Signed up recently and had the card through the post. AA also do but it`s a thinner plastic card.

NWA does.

Also, Frontier Airlines.

Iberia does.

Air Canada Aeroplan does (at least I got mine when I signed up some time ago...)

The only way to find out is to sign up for all of them yourself.

BD as well. The better card comes at silver and gold.

I signed up for NWA to buy their 60-day trial World Club program...they sent a paper card...

When I saw the thread title I thought it was that guy from 99 who kept asking for people to send him their elite level cards. This is not a comment on this thread, just brought me a little chuckle when thinking about that guy.

When i lost my CO status for a year I pulled out my original Onepass card (red and very flimsy plastic) that has the CO and EA logos on it to present to an agent and that got a chuckle out of her (and I think treated a little nicer.)


BSL

Just looking through my cards now.

NW sends out thick Elite cards (been too long to remember if they send out GM cards). Just got my Silver card (fell back from Plat)

UA sent out thick cards (3P and GM), when our accounts were opened via a mileage sign-up promo, and not a mile has been flown (oops!).

DL sent new thick GM cards, when our address changed.

CO didn't send out any cards, should call them for new ones.

AA might have sent cards, that was 10 years ago.

As per non-airline:

Hertz sent out a #1 Club Gold thick card, and it's showing it's age after 10 years (wouldn't mind a new one)!

Starwood Gold sent out a thick card.

Trip Rewards sent a thick card, after one stay.

Priority Club is a printout, even after 7000 points.

Steve B.

My F9 card, which I got as soon as I signed up, is flimsy plastic, not like a credit card.

:confused: Of 8 NWA accounts under management here, only the elites have plastic -- general members are invited to print their own online.

/.

I just tried to print out one for CO and AA today, and couldn't find the "print your own cards". I was going to try to call this week, just to have them lying around. If all else fails, how hard is it to make Silver? :)

Steve B.