Why unequal treatment for US/MEX elites in ST?
Jul 30, 2010, 10:36 pm
#1
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Original Poster
Join Date: Jan 2010
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Why unequal treatment for US/MEX elites in ST?
I am sure this has been answered somewhere, but I cannot find it.
Why are US/MEX-based elites given the short end of the ST stick?
US-based Gold FB members are merely ST Elite. FB Gold members based anywhere else in the world are ST Elite Plus. For the AF program, tier requirements are less for non-French residents, including Americans...but then the attained status is worth less only for Americans? Who thought of this program? Why would you deliberately make your FFP as uncompetitive as possible?
On KE, flying .5 MM miles gets you STE+. On DL, it gets you nothing.
On SU, flying 50k in a year gets your STE+. On DL, it gets you STE.
What gives? What is the reasoning behind this? I understand that each airline sets their own requirements for achieving status, but ST should really work on achieving some basic continuity when it comes to the STE and STE+ tiers.
For basic reference:
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Sky_Tea...future_members
as well as AF's FB page.
Why are US/MEX-based elites given the short end of the ST stick?
US-based Gold FB members are merely ST Elite. FB Gold members based anywhere else in the world are ST Elite Plus. For the AF program, tier requirements are less for non-French residents, including Americans...but then the attained status is worth less only for Americans? Who thought of this program? Why would you deliberately make your FFP as uncompetitive as possible?
On KE, flying .5 MM miles gets you STE+. On DL, it gets you nothing.
On SU, flying 50k in a year gets your STE+. On DL, it gets you STE.
What gives? What is the reasoning behind this? I understand that each airline sets their own requirements for achieving status, but ST should really work on achieving some basic continuity when it comes to the STE and STE+ tiers.
For basic reference:
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Sky_Tea...future_members
as well as AF's FB page.
Last edited by DLNYC; Jul 30, 2010 at 10:59 pm
Aug 1, 2010, 3:49 pm
#2
Join Date: Jan 2007
Location: GLA
Programs: AF/KL FB Plat 4L, VA Vel Silver, BA EC, LH M&M
Posts: 1,825
It is a matter of markets and the particular type of competition on a specific market.
The main difference between STE and STE+ is lounge access. It is unusual for US/Mex FFPs to offer lounge access on the basis of merely 30 segments or 40,000 miles. So AF/KL probably felt that offering STE+ to their US/Mex Gold customers is not necessary. (It remains to be seen, however, if this decision remains a smart move after last year's 1 Apr changes.)
Apart from this aspect, a full explanation would also have to take into account
- agreements on how to control competition within Skyteam,
- the fact that KE and SU have a comparably small customer base on the US/Mex market, and
- past, present and future collaboration between DL (and NW) and AF/KL.
Finally, note that the requirements for achieving status levels also differ very much within the other two major airline alliances (for Star Alliance, compare Lufthansa with Turkish Airlines, for example).
The main difference between STE and STE+ is lounge access. It is unusual for US/Mex FFPs to offer lounge access on the basis of merely 30 segments or 40,000 miles. So AF/KL probably felt that offering STE+ to their US/Mex Gold customers is not necessary. (It remains to be seen, however, if this decision remains a smart move after last year's 1 Apr changes.)
Apart from this aspect, a full explanation would also have to take into account
- agreements on how to control competition within Skyteam,
- the fact that KE and SU have a comparably small customer base on the US/Mex market, and
- past, present and future collaboration between DL (and NW) and AF/KL.
Finally, note that the requirements for achieving status levels also differ very much within the other two major airline alliances (for Star Alliance, compare Lufthansa with Turkish Airlines, for example).
Last edited by cityflyer369; Aug 1, 2010 at 3:54 pm Reason: add on
Aug 2, 2010, 9:26 am
#3
Join Date: Feb 2010
Posts: 1,857
I am sure this has been answered somewhere, but I cannot find it.
Why are US/MEX-based elites given the short end of the ST stick?
US-based Gold FB members are merely ST Elite. FB Gold members based anywhere else in the world are ST Elite Plus. For the AF program, tier requirements are less for non-French residents, including Americans...but then the attained status is worth less only for Americans? Who thought of this program? Why would you deliberately make your FFP as uncompetitive as possible?
On KE, flying .5 MM miles gets you STE+. On DL, it gets you nothing.
On SU, flying 50k in a year gets your STE+. On DL, it gets you STE.
What gives? What is the reasoning behind this? I understand that each airline sets their own requirements for achieving status, but ST should really work on achieving some basic continuity when it comes to the STE and STE+ tiers.
For basic reference:
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Sky_Tea...future_members
as well as AF's FB page.
Why are US/MEX-based elites given the short end of the ST stick?
US-based Gold FB members are merely ST Elite. FB Gold members based anywhere else in the world are ST Elite Plus. For the AF program, tier requirements are less for non-French residents, including Americans...but then the attained status is worth less only for Americans? Who thought of this program? Why would you deliberately make your FFP as uncompetitive as possible?
On KE, flying .5 MM miles gets you STE+. On DL, it gets you nothing.
On SU, flying 50k in a year gets your STE+. On DL, it gets you STE.
What gives? What is the reasoning behind this? I understand that each airline sets their own requirements for achieving status, but ST should really work on achieving some basic continuity when it comes to the STE and STE+ tiers.
For basic reference:
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Sky_Tea...future_members
as well as AF's FB page.
Aug 2, 2010, 11:43 am
#4
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Aug 2, 2010, 11:46 am
#5
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Join Date: Jan 2010
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After the explanations, much of it makes sense. I still don't understand why DL GM should not be included in STE+. I am a GM on my way to PM, and international lounge access would be much appreciated.
Aug 2, 2010, 3:44 pm
#6
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Aug 2, 2010, 5:05 pm
#7
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I am sure this has been answered somewhere, but I cannot find it.
Why are US/MEX-based elites given the short end of the ST stick?
US-based Gold FB members are merely ST Elite. FB Gold members based anywhere else in the world are ST Elite Plus. For the AF program, tier requirements are less for non-French residents, including Americans...but then the attained status is worth less only for Americans? Who thought of this program? Why would you deliberately make your FFP as uncompetitive as possible?
On KE, flying .5 MM miles gets you STE+. On DL, it gets you nothing.
On SU, flying 50k in a year gets your STE+. On DL, it gets you STE.
What gives? What is the reasoning behind this? I understand that each airline sets their own requirements for achieving status, but ST should really work on achieving some basic continuity when it comes to the STE and STE+ tiers.
For basic reference:
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Sky_Tea...future_members
as well as AF's FB page.
Why are US/MEX-based elites given the short end of the ST stick?
US-based Gold FB members are merely ST Elite. FB Gold members based anywhere else in the world are ST Elite Plus. For the AF program, tier requirements are less for non-French residents, including Americans...but then the attained status is worth less only for Americans? Who thought of this program? Why would you deliberately make your FFP as uncompetitive as possible?
On KE, flying .5 MM miles gets you STE+. On DL, it gets you nothing.
On SU, flying 50k in a year gets your STE+. On DL, it gets you STE.
What gives? What is the reasoning behind this? I understand that each airline sets their own requirements for achieving status, but ST should really work on achieving some basic continuity when it comes to the STE and STE+ tiers.
For basic reference:
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Sky_Tea...future_members
as well as AF's FB page.
