Is there a better/more fair program?
 

Hi

I've been a EuroBonus member since 2014 and finally made Silver earlier this year and was well on my way to achieve gold status. But as of the 1st of august they reset my points. As far as I understand the situation, I still have the points and can use them for buying tickets, but they no longer count towards my membership level. Apparently you have a year from your join date to accumulate points and after that year, the points are reset.

This seems really irrational to me. If I join the program on the 1st of January 2014 and doesn't make any flights before December 2014, then all the points I've just made in December 2014 are ignored when we get to January 2015. A much more fair system would be if they use a "sliding window" always looking back the last 12 months. That way the points earned in December 2014 would still count towards your membership level until the end of December 2015.

Of cause I can't make them change their business practises, so now I'm instead faced with either just biting the bullet or changing to a more fair reward program. What would you guys suggest? I'm based on Denmark, so SAS was the most logical choice - but I'm open for alternatives if the reward program is better :)

Welcome to FT!

None of the programs use "sliding windows" qualification periods. It is either from January to December like Miles and More is doing it or 12 months from the month you joined the program like EuroBonus is doing it.

In a lot of cases sliding windows wouldn't be too great... you would need to have a pretty constant pattern of traveling to maintain status.

As usual, it makes most sense to be member in the program of the airline you fly the most or serves the region you have to go a lot best.

For me EuroBonus works pretty well while e.g. at Miles and More I probably wouldn't even qualify for *G.

Also, what do you expect from the program? Easy award redemption at low cost? Then SK is in fact a good program, probably better would be UA Mileage Plus. Just status for lounge access? Then perhaps TK or A3 will be easier for you to achieve status. LH/LX first class awards? Then you need Miles and More or a lot of patience ;)

Did they reset your points or your qualifying points? Your qualifying points are reset every 12 months to determine the EB level for the next 12 months. What you are describing is how every FFP works.

If you have earned 40,000 points in a rolling 12 months period, I suggest to call/write Eurobonus. Sometimes exceptions are made; really depends on person you speak to. In the past my EBG was renewed once this way - but it was explained to be a 1 time exception...

Fassy: Thanks :)

I'm actually kind of glad to learn that EuroBonus isn't the only program to use this practise - At least I now know I didn't just chose the wrong program.

The main reason I joined the reward program is to get lounge access, fast track and better chances of upgrades.

As you mentioned I just signed up for FlyerTalk, so I don't know all your lingo unfortunately ;) I guess *G means Gold level? SK is the EuroBonus program, right? TK, A3, LH, LX?

FlyingMoose: They only reset my qualification points - I still have the points if I want to purchase tickets.

SK AAR: Thanks for the tip! I'll definitely do that :)

*G = Star Alliance Gold status, which is the alliance wide status you get if you qualify for EBG, EBD or EBP (Eurobonus Gold, Diamond, Pandion)

EBS will give you *S...

The other abbreviations are airline codes:
SK = SAS
TK = Turkish
A3 = Aegan
LH = Lufthansa
LX = Swiss

*G = Star (Alliance) Gold

SK = SAS, TK = Turkish Airlines, A3 = Aegean Airlines, LH = Lufthansa, LX = Swiss
Two letter codes are usually refer to the IATA airline designator for the airline: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Airlin...ine_designator

Three letter codes usually to airports: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Intern...n_airport_code

If you are after lounge access and fast track security the SAS program is I think the best option for you.

I think some programs do use a sliding window, although AFAIK all of the USA based legacy carriers base their programs on the calendar year.

IIRC A3 did do the sliding window in going from *A Silver (=Blue) to *A Gold (=Gold on Aegean), but now it seems to be twelve months with a mid-late Novemeber closing date for everyone who participated previously.

If this is your flight pattern, OP, you shouldn't get frequent flier status anyway. Because you're not a frequent flier nor a valuable customer. (That doesn't mean you aren't a valuable person :) )

Unless he can pull 45.000 points in December... C to AKL return should be just about there ;)

Then he'd reach Gold anyway and this thread wouldn't have happened ;)

HUH? Someone should be penalized or doesn't travel enough just because they join a FF program well in advance of flying that carrier? Some people would call it good planning to have a FF account with any airline that they might fly.

Actually Jet Airways has sort of a sliding window, looking back 6, 12 and 24 months with diff. criterias. But wont help OP if flying SK ;-)

A very few ffp' have a type of sliding time for status qualification. Most have status qualification based on calendar year or join date anniversary.
FFP's are only designed to benefit the airlines and not the (majority of) passengers.

http://www.flyertalk.com/forum/infor...help-here.html

A3 actually still does this (in their own obscure way), but this fact is not communicated directly to members anywhere (not even in the T&C), and this is probably in order to reduce the amount of people that will qualify for the top tier. If you read through the A3-forum, you can get enough info on how to navigate A3's program with relative ease. On the other hand, they did increase the qualifying thresholds significantly last year, so you have to fly a lot to get to GOLD from scratch.

So, good luck to you then, @wa7son


Snacky