Collecting airmiles
Mar 24th 2009, 1:03 pm
#1
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Thread Starter
Joined: Jan 2008
Location: Gold Coast, Australia
Posts: 363
Collecting airmiles
I am hoping to get a loyalty card for collecting airmiles. Can anyone tell me how it works? Are Airmiles an actual company or do lots of companies offer a "points for miles flown" scheme? I have recently booked flights to Oz on Singapore Airlines through Flight Centre...could I add these flights onto a card or is it too late? I live in France and am moving to Oz in September so it would need to be something transferable between UK/France/Oz.
Cheers
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Mar 24th 2009, 1:27 pm
#2
Lost in BE Cyberspace
Joined: Feb 2009
Location: UK
Posts: 14,284
Re: Collecting airmiles
There is a reward scheme called "Airmiles" but I don't know much about that and I think that airline reward schemes are used more commonly.
Most airlines will have such a scheme, additionally many of them will be part of one of two major alliances, these are One World and Star Alliance. For example Singapore Airways and Air New Zealand are part of Star Alliance. Qantas and British Airways are part of One World.
The advantage of using an airline in one of the alliances is that you can then collect points in one account whenever you use any of the other airlines in the alliance so you don't have to fly with the same company every time or have lots of accounts with a few miles in each. You can also redeem the points on any airline in the alliance.
If you join up now, you can collect your points at any time including after you fly, but that is more complicated, you can do it at check in easily enough. You can join any of the Star Alliance airlines to get points from the flight you have mentioned. It doesn't matter where you live or if you move country.
Most airlines will have such a scheme, additionally many of them will be part of one of two major alliances, these are One World and Star Alliance. For example Singapore Airways and Air New Zealand are part of Star Alliance. Qantas and British Airways are part of One World.
The advantage of using an airline in one of the alliances is that you can then collect points in one account whenever you use any of the other airlines in the alliance so you don't have to fly with the same company every time or have lots of accounts with a few miles in each. You can also redeem the points on any airline in the alliance.
If you join up now, you can collect your points at any time including after you fly, but that is more complicated, you can do it at check in easily enough. You can join any of the Star Alliance airlines to get points from the flight you have mentioned. It doesn't matter where you live or if you move country.
Mar 24th 2009, 8:31 pm
#3
Joined: Jan 2005
Location: Asia Pacific
Posts: 4,922
Re: Collecting airmiles
Singapore Krisflyer is my FF program of choice. Star Alliance I find a lot more flexible because of the number of partner arilines and hotels than One World which basically is just Qantas and BA (I'd rather swim than fly them anyhow!).
The redemption for Singapore is a lot more generous than with others and there is an excellent online upgrade and booking facility. I find availability of award seats to be excellent as well, rather than say Virgin Atlantic who even if you have a million FF you have to book several decades in advance.
Just as a tip. Consider using a credit card that awards points which can then be transferred to your frequent flyer account. For example I use my Amex for just about everything from fuel, shopping etc then shunt the points over to Singapore airlines at a conversion rate of 1:1 when needed.
As Bermuda says, sign up with Singapore Krisflyer now and then contact them and make sure that your booking has your Krisflyer number associated with it. They can add that at any point up to and including check in, even though you have already paid for the flights. So at least youll be credited for your upcoming trip as well.
The redemption for Singapore is a lot more generous than with others and there is an excellent online upgrade and booking facility. I find availability of award seats to be excellent as well, rather than say Virgin Atlantic who even if you have a million FF you have to book several decades in advance.
Just as a tip. Consider using a credit card that awards points which can then be transferred to your frequent flyer account. For example I use my Amex for just about everything from fuel, shopping etc then shunt the points over to Singapore airlines at a conversion rate of 1:1 when needed.
As Bermuda says, sign up with Singapore Krisflyer now and then contact them and make sure that your booking has your Krisflyer number associated with it. They can add that at any point up to and including check in, even though you have already paid for the flights. So at least youll be credited for your upcoming trip as well.
Mar 24th 2009, 9:25 pm
#4
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Thread Starter
Joined: Jan 2008
Location: Gold Coast, Australia
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Re: Collecting airmiles
Taken from the Singapore KrisFlyer website...
"Most booking fares are eligible for accrual of KrisFlyer miles. However, some booking fares, such as Economy Class tickets issued in V, Q, G, N or T booking classes on Singapore Airlines and V, Q, G, N, T, W or L booking classes on SilkAir, are ineligible for mileage accrual."
What does this mean??!
"Most booking fares are eligible for accrual of KrisFlyer miles. However, some booking fares, such as Economy Class tickets issued in V, Q, G, N or T booking classes on Singapore Airlines and V, Q, G, N, T, W or L booking classes on SilkAir, are ineligible for mileage accrual."
What does this mean??!
Mar 24th 2009, 9:35 pm
#5
Frequent Flyer Member
Joined: Jun 2007
Location: Melbourne
Posts: 10,994
Re: Collecting airmiles
Taken from the Singapore KrisFlyer website...
"Most booking fares are eligible for accrual of KrisFlyer miles. However, some booking fares, such as Economy Class tickets issued in V, Q, G, N or T booking classes on Singapore Airlines and V, Q, G, N, T, W or L booking classes on SilkAir, are ineligible for mileage accrual."
What does this mean??!
"Most booking fares are eligible for accrual of KrisFlyer miles. However, some booking fares, such as Economy Class tickets issued in V, Q, G, N or T booking classes on Singapore Airlines and V, Q, G, N, T, W or L booking classes on SilkAir, are ineligible for mileage accrual."
What does this mean??!
When I lived in the UK my Star Alliance programme of choice was bmi.....it was SO easy to earn miles and the redemption rates are super generous & super flexible, certainly better than Singapore Airlines. A friend of mine just used 110,000 Krisflyer miles just to upgrade one way Sydney to London! And on top of that he had to pay GBP900 for a (return) fare that was eligible to be upgraded in the first place!
With bmi a one way in business (SYD-LON) was something like 37,500miles + GBP270 + taxes. The miles + cash scheme is brilliant!
Your Singapore flights can be credited to a bmi account as they are both star alliance carriers - HOWEVER - not sure what is happening with the bmi / Lufthansa merger/takeover whatever - this may affect bmi Diamond Club in the future.
