SK-status luggage check-in, but credit miles to A3
 

Hope someone might know the answer to this:

Me and the missus are both EBS and want to use the 1 piece free luggage allowance when traveling on Go Light, but want to credit miles to A3.

We recently tried to do this traveling CPH-LHR and managed to check in luggage and then change FFP afterwards on the self-help kiosks. But upon boarding, we were stopped and asked to pay for the luggage. The person in charge of the boarding process then re-registered us to EB.

Is is there any workaround on this so we could keep the EBS-benefits, but credit to another program, that any SK-FT'ers know of?

Thanks

FWIW I had my boarding card on my phone, but had printed one for the missus, when changing the FFP-details.

And it was her boarding card that alerted the SK staff. Maybe it's just a matter of printing boarding card before changing the FFP? Anyone with sSK IT insights?

Never heard of this before, could you just not check in manually, ask them to credit to A3, but show the EBS?

I have done before, when I was collecting in one program, but using benefits from another - but they may have changed.

What is your motivation to build up status with both EB and A3? Are you in the process of moving from one program to the other or is there something else? Having two FF programs in the same alliance doesn't always work out the way you want to, especially when you try to leverage perks from both.

The program you want to credit to should be on your BP and then attempt to leverage the perks from the other program showing your card. If you have lounge access, I would go there and have them update it to whatever you want to credit to incase it was changed between check-in and going through security.

Thanks for advice. ^
Yes, I'm in the process of switching program as I realised I would have made *A gold for the past couple of years if I credited my SK miles to A3 (and throw in a weekend trip to Greece), rather than easily attaining EBS, but then never getting futher than hovering around 20K miles a year with SK on EB.

So after our return flight CPH-LHR I never figured out the exact mechanics of how miles are registered/deregistered. In the end, for CPH-LHR my miles were credited to EB, but the missus' miles to A3, even though it was her boarding-pass that alerted gate agent and the gate agent then registered both our EBS-cards.

For LHR-CPH, I got the BP on my mobile, checked in luggage, then changed FFP on my computer afterwards. Alas, the gate agent was alerted and registered both our EBS-cards. But oddly for both of us, the miles have been credited to A3.

With regards to just waiving the EBS-card and explaining that I wanted to credit to a different FFP-program, I was met with suspicion and steely eyes by both gate agents that "this is NOT possible".

I have earlier learned on FT that there is two fields for FFP in Amadeus and Sabre:
FQTV - frequent flyer program that the miles should be credited to.
FQTS - frequent flyer program for which status benefits to use.

Have never tried it though....

I have, and it is YMMV as it depends on the competence of the staff. LH could manage it, but I have limited success with SAS when I used to try it (admittedly a few years ago).

Would another possible solution be to change the FFP in the app after checking-in?

I actually have it, because I fly more or less an equal amount on SK and SN, this way always fast track in BRU and CPH ;-) and in neither program, could I reach next tier...., so guess also a bit of insurance against devaluation......

This is apparently true -- the system is built for the problem the OP has. But most agents have no idea what is the difference and why and they do something random. They change one of the fields and not the other. Depending on which they change, you get a different effect. If the agent changed FQTS back to EB, then you get A3 credit. If they changed FQTV or both, you get credit to EB.

Logically it should be FQTS that is printed on a BP, but I am not even sure that this is predictable (depending on the system of the company handling the check in). I once had an SK checkin agent who was completely unable to change my MM card to EB. He would register the card and reprint the BP, but the BP would still show the MM status :) I guess he was changing the wrong field ...

I mentioned this FQTV thing many times and all staff said there's no such thing as FQTS. I can't even argue with them because I don't have access to the computer and know exactly how to do it. I have never seen FQTS on my BPs.

I think internal policy is to always push the FFP down to both fields as they (actually most airlines) would like to get the points (or cash equivalent) for that flight booked to the FFP which gets charged for the extra service.

Makes sense to me and I won't complain if they enforce it. Just annoying if you ever need to change programs.

An increasingly frequent problem being faced may have something to do with the FFP number first affiliated with the eticket itself being rather sticky.

What I default to doing is using the FFP number of the program in which I want to earn miles/status and then use the status FFP card to get the benefits of interest to me. It's not ideal, but it works out ok most times.

This FQTV vs FQTS used to work out much better for me some years back than it has in more recent years. And some of it seems to have become more frequently an issue after I started noting that the FFP number first affiliated with an eticket in my ticket receipts would just stick like crazy.

Yes, I have seen this as well. The e-ticket FFP sticks and there are no reliable ways to remove it (that I know of).