Which Skyteam FF-programme to enroll ?
 

Hi there.

I have never been frequent traveller before, but in the near future, I will have to fly a few times per year for business purposes. Therefore I'm trying to determine which Skyteam programme I can best enroll.

I will be starting my flights from Amsterdam or Paris on KL/AF usually, yearly somewhat 10 returns, mostly to UK and European destinations and probably 3 or 4 times yearly intercontinental itineraries, to USA, Philippines, Middle East.

Flying Blue seems the obvious one to enroll, but the expiration of miles and level and low percentage of earning miles in lowest farebuckets looks tricky to me or am I mistaken? I'll be flying mostly lowest farebuckets, eg R, N, on KLM/AF and probably U, T on DL. I saw somewhere that flying in R gives 25 pct mileage on KL/AF Flying blue but 100 pct on Delta Skymiles? Would it therefore be better to enroll the DL Skymiles programme? Any other programme better suitable?

Main goal is lounge access, select seating and waitlist clearance.

Thanks for replying !

It will depend on your flying pattern.

For example, if you fly mostly short-haul, about 30 segments a year, you will be DL Silver (FO) or FB Gold, which grants you lounge access. Because, if you fly short haul (500-600 miles per flight), you will qualify through segments.

If you fly long haul, DL SM should be better as you will always earn 100% of the mileage when flying a paid ticket on AFKL.


About the mileage earnings, yes, you will earn less with AFKL than with DL, but FB allows one-way awards, and you have the promo @wards, a 50% discount on the required mileage for an award.

About the mileage expiration, as long as you take 1 flight every 20 months, the validity of ALL your miles is extended of 20 months! Except if you stop flying for a long time, you should not bother.

Also note FB elites have greater award inventory in business class than DL elites (on AFKL). That said, DL elites can upgrade from AF Premium Voyageur to Affaires using miles, something not available to FB elites (this is not relevant if your company will only buy Voyageur, but you may be able to use this for leisure travel...note only TATL flights are eligible. You could not do this from CDG-Asia/Africa, etc.)

Thanks for all helpful answers, it will be Flying Blue for me.

I wonder where you got this idea from. All FB members (not only elites) can upgrade from Premium Voyageur to Affaires (for half the miles that are necessary for an upgrade from Voyageur to Affaires). The booking classes for Premium Voyageur are A, S and W. Booking classes S and W are upgradable. And this is possible for all AF longhaul flights (not just TATL).