Unfortunate changes to Skywards

[Beduin]

"You will earn 100% of base Miles when you purchase 'Skyward Flex' fares. You will earn 50% of base Miles when you purchase 'Skywards Saver' fares".


Yes, unfortunately I received and email from Skywards saying that there will be different miles allowances based on how much I paid for me economy class ticket starting Jan 2010. I planned to fly with them and go up the ladder but I was put off by this.

 

[dajop]

For those with an interest in Skywards, a couple of key changes, effective 01 Jan 2010 are:

1) (as mentioned by Beduin), 50% earn on Skywards Saver Fares - these are fares with eligibility (eg seniors, children) restrictions or "purchase by" restrictions (ie most special fares)
2) mileage earning will be based on zones rather than miles flown. So someone who flys CGK-DXB-LHR will get the same miles as someone who flies BKK-DXB-FRA (assuming CGK & BKK and FRA & LHR are in the same zone). In some ways similar to the Air NZ program, which is zone based.

Links for more detail (from Skywards) and more discussion (from FT).

As suggested in FT it was bound to happen, so the days of earning a full quota of miles on $400 return airfares between MEL/BNE & SIN are over. Likewise for those doing their earlybird returns to Europe.

 

[futaris]

One positive, is that oneway redemptions will now be possible.

Rolling Tier status (over the last 13 months to move up a level and over the last 12 months to retain) which lasts exactly 12 months.

At least you can still upgrade any fare using miles. Hope this feature stays.

 

[Dave Noble]

For me the changes seem positive

The change to a 13 month period for earning status seems better
The increase in bonus for 1st class travel is better so should have better mileage earning
The only concern I have is whether the mileage charts for redemption will be increased

One bit that is ambiguous to me is whether the mileage earning will be based on start zone to end zone or whether each leg will be counted

e.g. LGW-DXB-SYD-AKL . Will it be counted as between the zones for UK-NZ for earning or will it count UK-DXB, DXB-SYD and SYD-AKL zones individually when determining mileage

Dave

 

[Beduin]

A strange thing, I asked skywards the following:

If i got my new gold status on 1st Jan2010, I will have until 31st Dec 2010 to get another 50,000 miles in order to retain gold status. But lets say I got 50,000 miles within three months (March) from 1st Jan 2010, the system will trigger a new gold status with a review date after 12 months (March 2011)!!

Instead of me retaining 24 months of Gold status, I will only retain that for 15 months!!!!

Guys, when you get gold status, and you fly quite frequently, monitor your flying with EK so not to get 50,000 miles before the review date.

I have never seen an airline that would like you to apply brakes on flying!

 

[Dave Noble]

A strange thing, I asked skywards the following:

If i got my new gold status on 1st Jan2010, I will have until 31st Dec 2010 to get another 50,000 miles in order to retain gold status. But lets say I got 50,000 miles within three months (March) from 1st Jan 2010, the system will trigger a new gold status with a review date after 12 months (March 2011)!!

Instead of me retaining 24 months of Gold status, I will only retain that for 15 months!!!!

Guys, when you get gold status, and you fly quite frequently, monitor your flying with EK so not to get 50,000 miles before the review date.

If you fly frequently then it shouldnt be an issue since as long as have 50k points within last 13 months gold status will be maintained

What it means is that those that don't fly frequently but manage to attain status once will only have it for 13 months rather than 2 years

What it does mean is that a member is no longer affected by an arbitrary membership year date which is of benefit c.f. with QF ... member has a membership year 1jan-31dec.... earns 700 SCs during November and 700 during Jan... rather than attaining top tier by virtue of 1400 within 3 months only gets gold status

Dave