Here it is: the most exciting latest news of Frequent Flyer Programs!
This section provides you regularly with the latest news from the Frequent Flyer Programs. However, a complete news service would be far too exhaustive and of little use to you. That's why we always select the most important news which we consider to respond best to the needs of our customers.
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Frequent Flyer news released on August 16, 2010
El Al plans fourth global airline alliance
MexicanaGO temporarily suspends redemption
Sometimes we can talk about good news here, sometimes we have to talk about bad ones - but today we have an outright catastrophe: bmi will terminate its Frequent Flyer Program Diamond Club towards June 2011 and merge it into the program of its new owner Lufthansa, Miles & More. While miles and elite status will be honoured, the problem is that one of the most attractive programs will disappear from the market like that. Instead of 38,000 miles for Gold status, one will then require 100,000 (130,000 for members in Germany), Economy Class award flights within Europe will then no longer start at 9,000 miles, but cost up to 40,000 miles for same-day returns etc. The only solution for the big number of Diamond Club members can therefore only be to use all miles prior to the merger in order to avoid a massive devaluation - and then to reposition themselves within or outside of the Star Alliance. That the bonus for Diamond Club Gold members on Lufthansa flights has now been increased to 35% is thereby no real consolation either.
All those, who have not yet taken Air Berlin very seriously so far, should reconsider their position: Air Berlin has announced its intention to join the oneworld alliance in early 2012. Although Air Berlin doesn’t consider itself as low cost, but as hybrid carrier, it becomes like that nevertheless the first airline of a new generation to announce an alliance membership - and significantly exactly in that alliance putting a stronger emphasis on the quality of its members than the other two. Also its topbonus program will be subject to major modifications as a result. For instance, the only airline partners are currently Hainan Airlines and the future oneworld member S7 Airlines. Sponsor for Air Berlin within oneworld is British Airways, which has itself a long experience in the German market: Air Berlin got its domestic network only thanks to the take-over of the former British Airways subsidiary Deutsche BA… Air Berlin‘s Austrian partner Niki will join the alliance as associated member.
As expected, Shanghai Airlines will leave the Star Alliance on October 31, following its take-over by China Eastern. Whether Shanghai Airlines will subsequently join the SkyTeam alliance like China Eastern remains to be seen, but this would in any case happen after a transition period only so that the carrier will remain in some kind of vacuum for some time. Next to the bankruptcies of the former Star members Ansett and Varig and the take-over of oneworld member Canadian by Air Canada, there are by the way only two airlines that have already realised a full alliance switch: Mexicana from Star to oneworld (after some transition) and Continental from SkyTeam to Star.
As of this month, Turkish carrier SunExpress has been offering an own Frequent Flyer Program - SunPoints -, too, which will enter into history for a specific reason: It is the 200th program worldwide! The program operates on a turnover basis, but has not yet incorporated any partners at the beginning. However, those are announced for the future.
Californian boutique hotel chain Joie de Vivre used already to have an own loyalty program, Joy of Life Club, but didn’t have any partnerships with Frequent Flyer Programs. This has changed now as members of Virgin America‘s Elevate program collect one point per dollar spent. Moreover, customers receive both Frequent Flyer points and points in the Joy of Life Club as launch offer until December 31. One should just be careful to select actively Elevate as earning preference afterwards (if that is what you want) since points will be automatically credited to the hotel program otherwise.
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