I’m writing about this because Air France’s execution of this is jaw-droppingly bad, and not because Flying Blue is actually a frequent flyer program I really care about.
Continue reading: Air France introduces “new benefits” overnight
Share your questions, experiences, and thoughts below.
I'll say it, they're shit heads.
Now I know what mileage program to avoid, though that may be their intention. Consider it a success.
In the example you cite (along with just about any other intra-europe trip) you also have the far more desirable option (in my opinion) of taking a high-speed train for about $200 round trip. 60,000 miles + fees is insane. Absolutely insane.
AirFrance/KLM redemptions have been a nightmare for sometime. In respect of Fuel Surcharges, the do make BA look cheap. You should remember that there are special (high) taxes for premium cabins from London and that BA charge the same taxes/fuel surcharges rate for the whole of the Europe area. I guess they aggregate them.
Well, if Flying Blue was the saving grace for the SkyTeam on international, that just went out the window. I guess they wanted to lower the standard and be on par with Delta.
Lucky, can you please say what the 60,000 mile ticket would've cost before this change? Not knowing the program, I have no point of reference as to how bad a devaluation this is. Did it used to be 50,000 miles? 20,000 miles?
Thanks.
It is the Sky Team genes. Perhaps DL has been sharing its management expertise with the partners. 🙂
I have said for a while that it will get harder and more expensive to redeem miles. People who are stockpiling large amounts of miles for use in the future will be disappointed.
It was 20000 miles for intra-Europe business...so 3x increase! However, given that it is just an economy seat with the middle seat left empty, was anyone really that interested in flying in business with miles?
This is really going to hurt the value of DL miles to book business class awards to Europe. All those trips that people were expecting to book on Air France/KLM with a CDG or AMS stopover and then on to FCO or ATH (among others) might have to be thrown out the window now.
First of all, this wasn't a surprise. It was reported on Flyertalk back in April. Secondly it appears to be good news. Seriously who books intra-Euro C awards? That's a waste of cash and miles. Y awards are better now, as predicted. The real concern is long haul. Hopefully FB will get an earful about C awards and improve them on long haul, rather than making it worse.
@ stimpy -- So you think something being "reported on FlyerTalk in April" is sufficient disclosure to all members for a frequent flyer program to make a substantial change?
So does this mean there will also be less taxes for Delta members using miles on AF/KLM intra-Europe award flights?
@lucky, not to everyone, but many serious frequent flyers who care about FFP's are on Flyertalk. And again I don't see this as a substantial change. I'll bet the number of business class Euro redemption's are extremely low in comparison to economy. And it's a nice little improvement for Euro economy awards. But not a huge announcement in any case.
Before: AMS-LYS 10,000 miles + €64.57
After: AMS-LYS 10,000 miles + €30.12
It's a nice improvement and I'll send a thank you to FB. But not something to get overly excited about.
I'm not terribly concerned about the impact on partner redemptions. First, Y and J are basically equivalent intra-Europe on AF/KL, so if you can't get O inventory, just take X. Second, it looks like they're basing the new business mileage levels on distance or something like that and still coding the award space as O. The enhanced coach inventory for more miles, however, likely will not be released to partners.
Even being platinium for life air france flying blue,i think they completely list it,travelling first with miles is a waste of miles,the only good use is the 50%promotion from time to time and being based in.london i find the diffetence in taxes for departing from LHR so huge i opt to buy my tiket LHR to CDG then the miles.
I still remember in 2008 when london beirut was barely 40000 miles in first today its 100000.
Air France is just rubbish,i wish BAcan match my status so i will swith alliance immediately.