sthubbar

What is the easiest way to achieve SkyTeam Elite+?

Can this be added to the FAQ?

I am aware of the AmEx Delta cards that can achieve Elite+ with maybe $100k spend.

How about which FF program offers Elite+ with the fewest number of segments and which offers with the fewest miles flown?

Is there any easier way?

In other words, where is the Aegean Airlines of SkyTeam?

KLflyerRalph

Soon to be Garuda but for now, AFKLM Flying Blue gives you STE with 15 segments.

Supersonic Swinger

I pulled the below together, if there are corrections or errors let me know. Have added a link to this thread on the FAQ.

None as easy as Aegean, it looks like the lowest requirements are Middle East Airlines (40,000 Qualifying Miles) or Flying Blue (40,000 Level Miles for non-French residents - although I think most economy fares don't earn full mileage credit in that program). Garuda's is also 40,000 miles but they aren't expected to join until 2014.

Korean Air gives you the easiest lifetime STE+ (500,000 miles on ST carriers).

Aeroflot
http://www.aeroflot.ru/cms/en/afl_bonus/rules_club
50,000 qualifying miles or.50.flight segments within a.calendar year

Aerolineas Argentinas
Over a 12 month period:
50.000 miles or
60 flights or
30.000 miles and 30 flights

Aeromexico
http://www.clubpremier.com/us/earn-k...evels/platinum
Premier - 80,000 Premier Kilometers on Aeroméxico and/or SkyTeam™. Airlines (works out to just shy of 50,000 miles)

Alitalia
http://www.alitalia.com/US_EN/millem.../features.aspx
Frecia Alata - 50,000 qualifying miles or 60 flights in a calendar year

China Airlines
http://www.china-airlines.com/en/club/club_mi_22.htm
Emerald – 110,000 qualifying miles in a 24 month period, then with validity for 24 months

China Southern
http://skypearl.csair.com/en/member2_en.html
Gold – 80,000 kilometers or 40 qualifying segments each year
As with China Eastern below, most Business and First fares earn more than 1 qualifying segment:
On CZ/OQ: http://skypearl.csair.com/en/air1_en.html
On ST: http://skypearl.csair.com/en/air2_en.html

China Eastern
http://www.easternmiles.com/uk/east/vip.jsp
Gold – 180,000 kilometers or 100 segments (“Elite Times”) in a consecutive 24 month period
As with China Southern above, most Business and First fares earn more than 1 qualifying segment:
On MU/FM/KN: http://www.easternmiles.com/uk/miles/mu_flight.jsp
On ST: http://www.easternmiles.com/uk/miles/sta_flight.jsp

Czech Airlines
http://www.czechairlines.com/en/port...ages/cards.htm
Earn 50,000* SkyTeam Miles for your flights, or.
Earn 30** segments on SkyTeam alliance flights
And simultaneously earn at least 2 segments on OK flights operated by Czech Airlines

Delta Air Lines
http://www.delta.com/skymiles/about_...ance/index.jsp
Gold – 50,000 Medallion Qualifying Miles or 60 Medallion Qualifying Segments. MQMs earned above 50,000 in a year roll over as a starting balance for the following year.
Note: If you are able to obtain US Delta branded American Express cards, you can earn MQMs based on spend thresholds, up to 20,000 MQMs for the Platinum Amex and 30,000 MQMs for the Delta Reserve Amex. Theoretically, if you had both cards and maxed out the spend thresholds, you could earn STE+ simply through spend.
Delta have at times also run promotions giving MQMs for stays at Hilton hotels.

Flying Blue
http://www.airfrance.com/X07/en/loca...te_devenir.htm
Gold - 40,000 Level Miles (60,000 for residents of France) or 30 flights

Korean Air
http://www.koreanair.com/
Morning Calm Premium Club - 500,000 flown miles or more on Korean Air and/or other SkyTeam partner airlines.
This is the longest to achieve but once reached is a lifetime status

Middle East Airlines
http://www.mea.com.lb/English/CedarM...rivileges.aspx
Golden Cedar – 40,000 Qualifying Miles or 30 Qualifying Flights

Saudia
http://www.saudiairlines.com/portal/...001f64e80aRCRD
Alfursan Gold – 50,000 Status Miles or 40 International Sectors in one calendar year, 40,000 miles or 30 sectors to requalify the following year

Vietnam Airlines
http://www.vietnamairlines.com/wps/p...4Q09JUjFWNw!!/
50,000 qualifying miles or 50 eligible flights in a consecutive 12 month period

MSPeconomist

The fifteen segments on AF/KLM is for SkyTeam Elite, NOT ElitePlus, right?

KLflyerRalph

Correct. I misread the OP.

sthubbar

Everyone,

Thanks for the great feedback.

It looks like Flying Blue, Middle East or Garuda at 40,000 or 30 segments.

Great thanks.

cityflyer369

Actually, this number of 40000 miles with AFKL might be misleading. For someone who typically flies on discounted Economy fares with AFKL, the DL threshold of 50000 will be way easier to pass. These people might well have to collect the equivalent of 160000 DL miles before they are granted ST E+ with Flying Blue (because discounted Economy fares give you only 25% of the miles flown). The situation is the other way round if you typically fly expensive fares. So everybody has to do the Math regarding their typical flight behaviour. And the same thing applies when it comes to lifetime status with KE versus AFKL versus DL.

KLflyerRalph

For (low fare) Economy fliers, FB is easy on segment but horrible on miles.

saraoutou

from http://www.aerolineas.com.ar/arg/mai...20&idIdioma=es

Pertenecer al nivel Platino te permite tener acceso a beneficios únicos que solo este nivel te puede ofrecer y a la vez ser reconocido como socio SkyTeam Elite Plus en todas las compañías miembros de esta alianza.

Para alcanzar esta categoría necesitas cumplir con alguno de los siguientes requisitos en los últimos doce meses:
- 50.000 millas aéreas básicas o,
- 60 segmentos aéreos o,
- 30.000 millas aéreas básicas y 30 segmentos aéreos.

So it's
- 50.000 miles or
- 60 flights
- or 30.000 miles and 30 flights (wonder what that means)

MSPeconomist

Careful. DL has decreased the miles awarded for unpublished fares and there are rumors/concerns that in the near future DL will similarly decrease the miles it gives for lower fare classes.

Supersonic Swinger

Thanks, have updated above. I think what that means is that if you fly 59 flights each of which is 500 miles, you get 29,500 miles so don't qualify, but if you fly 30 flights of 1,000 miles each you do! I guess they don't want you qualifying that easily if you just commute between Buenos Aires and Montevideo!

cityflyer369

What is unclear about the statement is that it could also mean "some flights that lead to at least 30000 miles and, on top of this, additional 30 flights (which can be very short)".
You have interpreted the statement as "at least 30 flights that must lead to at least 30000 miles".

benzemalyonnais

DL is the easiest (at least for those who will fly DL/AF/KL), because often the lowest fare flights don't qualify in other programs. Of course, segment fliers might have easier times elsewhere.

I see you're PEK based. Lost of MU/CZ flights are non-qualifying on most/all programs. Often it helps to buy a discounted CZ PEcon fare which is qualifying and has a few nice perks. My flight this morning was in PE, and was only 80RMB more than a non-qualifying fare in the back.

saraoutou

I forgot to underligne something quite importante: it's for 12 months (and not during a civil year).

coolfish1103

CI Emerald use to require 110k miles within 24 months, it has been changed for couple years now. It now requires 110k miles within 12 months and you gain 24 months status. To renew, earn 110k miles within 24 status months or soft land to Gold.