Air France Hippocampe & Club 2000 Status: What Are They?

This article fairly represents the two designations. To me, Hippocampe is akin at BA's Premier. AF CEO approves those on the list. Only key executives and travel managers spending 8+ digits annually with AF get on the list. Club 2000 benefits have been reduced to those of Platinum (for the most part).

It's the French trying to stroke French VIP their exclusivity ego of being French.

I would be interested to read a post listing all the airline invitation-only tiers out there. I know of the US big-3, BA and now Air France but I'm sure there are more out there. I think JAL has one?

There’s nothing more important to the French than a well defined class system

Many top French politicians supposedly have top-tier Air France status, which is presumably Club 2000. French cabinet ministers, senators and MPs are pretty notorious for also flying La Premiere.

@Ben Hippocampe and Club2000 are been discontinued and they are now consolidated under Ultimate given there’s no additional value

The first part is true but second is incorrect. Those you mention only flies business and use the reserved room at the AF business class lounge.

Uh, I think that describes the Limeys.

If the description in the article is correct, Hippocampe did have (very significant) additional value over ULTI.

Club 2000 is not moribund, it is dead.
"2000" used to be the perspective over the year 2000 as a distant (bright) future. Post the year 2000, the name makes no sense.

The card came every year (it was pretty much permanent in the beginning, say the 1970's) with a quality present, think those which were given to passengers aboard Concorde, and the main perk was access to "Le Salon", the lounge at French and main airports, as well as priority on occasional operational upgrades. Upgrades at the time were not given as a usual perk but Economy Class was still something of quality.

My father had "Club 2000" status from the 70's until maybe the year 1990.
I had it in the late 80's, maybe until the late 90's (?). Then the card stopped coming, I strongly suspect because those who managed the program were dead.

Before Flying Blue existed, there was a program in-between, I have forgotten the name, and I briefly was a member, straight coming out of "2000". Then came the globalization with KLM, Skyteam, and the present structure. I haven't seen "2000" signs in a very long time. I am surprised some still exist.

Do French politicans lose their status when the French govt collapses? If the govt collapses after six months, do they get to keep their status until the end of the year?

If I was Dutch, I would find this unequal treatment of Dutch CEOs offensive. How can you have a status that only applies to one airline of freq flyer program?

Because the super-secret status only applies to Air France, not the program itself. Air France and KLM operate as two distinct airlines within one company. And that's a good thing because KLM's bean counters would ruin Air France's F&B if they had the opportunity.

KLM had the Skipper (of the Flying Dutchman) status back in the day... I think it may still exist, as there was such a thing as Skipper Ultimate.

Cabin crew iPads do still say HIPP and C2K alongside the other designations.

This is so true.

- Qantas has 'The Chairman's Lounge' program, which has an entirely separate Lounge (a level above the QF 'First Lounge') in certain international / gateway destinations. The 'Chairman's Lounge' is uniformly unmarked / devoid of signage and members are given access locations in their (annual) Welcome pack. Members are typically top-level CEO's of prominent global Australian companies, sitting members of Parliament, diplomats, our current (and former) Prime Ministers. Significant members of the cultural landscape from the arts, prominent film stars etc are often included. Membership numbers are comparatively low and is marked by a high level of 'exclusivity'. Members are often invited to significant QF PR events and receive a courtesy gift at Christmas. It is similar to:

- the Emirates program which is called 'IO' (not 10) and is structured almost identically. Both 'clubs' are not directly referenced on eithers website. They are also far wider in benefits than just a separate lounge.

Both are separate from their standard Frequent Flyer programs, cater exclusively to high-level VVIP's, are 'Invitation Only' and members are invited / approved *only* by the Chairman of each carrier.

Due to the long-standing partnership between Qantas and Emirates, members of each program also enjoy complementary access to each other's program and facilities.

club 2000 and hippocampe are being withdrawn to avoid 3 tiers with the same benefits. Hence they well all be branded as Ultimate. Matter resolved.

Yes however they are being absorbed into Ultimate status

Wasn't there the notion that BA Premier would also be awarded to British uber-VIPs like Kate Moss? Does that also apply to HIPP?

Isn't that the pajeets?

It's giving "indian caste system"...