I just picked up some bochures on SkyTeam benefits and procedures for the passenger not an internal brochure at the BOS DL Crown Room (which by the way is very hard to find). Now when I travel on AF, which I avoid at all costs, I can prove to the agents and personell of AF what I am entitled to.

And what do you expect to get ?

Would be nice to be posted on the effect on this plan !
(I travel a lot with AF too, and did not think at doing that; I am french, now the french way of life, and doubt they will be impressed)

Stam4nick,
Reading my post, I understand that I was, maybe, a little rude.

No offense;
I am just a bit reluctant, but will really be interested in your results.
We need somthing to be done, and , after all, why not this way ?

I understand. Thanks for noticing. I only wish I had one in French for the AF people. I noticed that I get Priority Check-in, but it does not say where specifically I get to check in. The SkyTeam web site shows that even DL Silver Medallions get to check-in at First Class positions of AF even when flying coach. I guess I will still have to carry a Internet print-out.

Thanks. (DL Gold Medallion, SkyTeam Elite)

DL should extend additional benefits to mid-tier level GM elites by also designating them SkyTeam Elite Plus. This way, GMs will also have Crown Room and partner lounge access when flying in economy class on same day international tickets. I know, I know. Here we go with capacity controls again - the lounges are too crowded. To remedy this problem, at least at CDG, as well as demonstrate its commitment to SkyTeam's highly touted hub in Europe, DL should build a Crown Room at CDG.

I think felis's point is that the French attitude to rules is different from the American attitude. Even the English sometimes think we are written-rule crazy.

I lived in Italy almost four years, and have travelled in France. Both countries have what you might call a more "latin" attitude toward written rules and law.

When you run up against a petty bureaucrat-type who will run your life for the next few whiles (like a ticket agent or gate agent), they are VERY AWARE that you are at their mercy. Written rules DO NOT sway them. Our concepts of "fairness" and "play by the rules" ARE NOT operative.

You can brandish all the brochures you want, in English or in French, and it will rarely make a difference.

My experience is that being very nice and polite, and trying very hard to be understood in Italian or (less successfully) French, will get you much more consideration than being pushy or status-conscious or rule-thundering. Proletarian revenge, it's called in Italian.

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"Service" should be a noun, not a verb.
Delta Flyers' Guide

Quote:

<font face="Verdana, Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif" size="2">Originally posted by FTraveler:
DL should extend additional benefits to mid-tier level GM elites by also designating them SkyTeam Elite Plus. This way, GMs will also have Crown Room and partner lounge access when flying in economy class on same day international tickets. I know, I know. Here we go with capacity controls again - the lounges are too crowded. To remedy this problem, at least at CDG, as well as demonstrate its commitment to SkyTeam's highly touted hub in Europe, DL should build a Crown Room at CDG.</font>

I am a PM but would agree with this based on the fact that other Skyteam partners are given PM like or Skyteam elite for less than DL elite. I think Korean Air is one for example. If anyone can confirm that would be great.

Korean's Skypass program is different in that elite levels are based on cumulative base miles, not yearly. Their lowest level kicks in at 50,000 miles, which of course would get you to GM status with Delta if flown in one year. However, you retain this status without having to requalify every year.

KE's Morning Calm Premium starts at 500,000 cumulative miles. That gets you SkyTeam Elite Plus status.

KE's top level is the Million Miler Club.

For a frequent flier doing 100,000 miles a year, that means it takes 5 years to get to SkyTeam Elite Plus in KE's program - when you would have already been an Elite Plus for 4 years as a Delta PM. I know which program I'd rather be in.

I was thinking about what would happen if Delta had a similar policy:

1. If it took 500,000 base miles to reach Platinum status, would more or less people fly Delta? My feeling is a lot less, I think that's a huge goal to try to achieve. (I don't know the Korean market, it's possible KE doesn't have as much competition, and thus doesn't have to offer benefits as quickly).

2. A variation - suppose Delta still has their 100k m/yr Platinum qualification, but after flying 500k total base miles, offered lifetime Platinum (effectively what KE does). No more yearly requalification would be required. Do you think those people would be more or less likely to fly Delta? Here I'm not sure.
On the one hand people who otherwise would be trying to requalify wouldn't have to fly Delta, they could fly someone else (ie. split their miles to get status on another airline).
On the other hand, you could have some people, who maybe because they aren't travelling as much, may not want/need to fly Delta, because they know they won't qualify for any significant status. Now, these people might fly Delta, because they will have status.

Comments?

Jeff

In terms of rewarding frequent fliers who pass the million-mile threshold, UA and AA grant their million-milers lifetime mid-tier status, while DL lags behind rewarding its million-milers with lifetime first tier (silver) status. UA mid-tier elites are considered Star Gold, which is equivalent to SkyTeam Elite Plus. I think the same is true for American mid-tiers (Platinum) and treatment in Oneworld.

Million milers get lifetime gold on AA. Two millionaires get lifetime platinum.

Thanks for the correction on AA. But I also understand that while only miles flown are now counted towards the threshold on UA and DL, assuming he has the credit, an AA elite could conceivably charge $2 million on his AAdvantage credit card and the miles earned would count towards the threshold and lifetime Platinum status. Or had this changed?

Well, sort of. The limits on the credit card are capped per year for non-exp's, so it would take a while. But if you are patient, that is correct. My only question, though, is that if you charge $2m to get platinum, why do you want platinum?

I suppose its similar to the guy who purchased a painting with his Amex card for a couple million to get membership rewards miles. If you're gonna spend the money anyway, you may as well as get something for it.

One detail with the Korean Air Morning Calm Premium Club (500,000 miles level): it seems to require flying all of those miles on KE, not even Skyteam partner miles are taken into account.
Doea anybody have information to the contrary?

Requirement for Morning Calm level:
Members who have flown more than 50,000 miles on Korean Air (or more than 30,000 miles, with mileage accumulation in excess of 20,000 from our partner companies)

Requirement for Korean Air Morning Calm Premium Club:
Members who have flown between 500,000 and 999,999 miles on Korean Air