Unless you’re an actual frequent flyer, you probably don’t pay much attention to loyalty programmes.
ADVERTISEMENT
ADVERTISEMENT
And why would you? You might assume that if you’re not constantly racking up air miles, it’s not worth your time.
That’s where you’d be wrong, because it takes very little effort to set yourself up in a way that will earn you points in your sleep, all of which puts money back in your pocket the next time you go to book a flight.
Here’s everything you need to know about the main frequent-flyer programmes in Europe.
Back to basics: Why should I join a frequent-flyer programme?
There are two main reasons to join a frequent-flyer programme: Earning miles, which can be used to pay for things, and earning elite status, which gives you benefits like lounge access every time you fly.
Confusingly, the names for miles and tier status points vary from airline to airline.
As an example, passengers flying with Qatar Airways earn both Avios and Qpoints with every flight. Avios can be used to pay for flights or upgrades, while Qpoints help you move between privilege club membership tiers.
The lowest tier on Qatar Airways is burgundy – to reach silver, you need to earn 150 Qpoints within any 12-month period. For gold, it’s 300; for platinum, it’s 600.
As a silver member, benefits include 15kg extra baggage allowance, priority boarding, and lounge access. You also get a 25% tier bonus on eligible flights, which makes it easier to keep the status once you’ve initially earned it.
As you move up the tiers, the benefits improve.
By contrast, the Air France-KLM travel currency is simply called “Miles”, while experience points (XP) help with your status tier.
The lowest tier is explorer; to become a silver member, you need to earn 100 XP in a year; for gold, 180 XP; for ultimate, you need 900 XP.
You earn more miles per flight depending on what tier you are (meaning you can save more money), while some tiers also have free seat selection, lounge access and additional baggage.
Which frequent-flyer programme should I join?
The short answer to this is: You should probably join all of them.
I’m certainly not saying pull up a list of every single airline out there and methodically make your way through them. But every time you fly with a new carrier, you might as well sign up while booking the flight, particularly now many airlines are offering free on-board wifi to members.
The long answer is: You should pick one main airline, then try to fly mostly with them along with other carriers that are part of the same alliance.
This is because you’ll be able to transfer miles earned between different airlines, meaning miles you earned flying around Europe with British Airways could be used to get money off a flight to Tokyo with Japan Airlines, or to Sydney with Qantas. All three carriers are part of the oneworld Alliance.
And why do airline alliances matter?
You could pick your main airline willy-nilly, but the easiest option will be to look at which airports are nearest to you and see if any of them are a home base for a full-service – not budget – carrier.
As an example, Amsterdam Schiphol is the home base for KLM. If you fly from this airport frequently, chances are you are already flying with them naturally as they will serve the most destinations from the Dutch capital.
By signing up to KLM’s Flying Blue frequent-flyer programme – which is also the same programme for Air France and Transavia – you’ll benefit from the SkyTeam airline alliance. This means you’ll be able to transfer points or miles gained from flying between carriers in the group.
In Europe, SkyTeam airlines include Air France, Air Europa, Scandinavian Airlines, TAROM and Virgin Atlantic, but the group also has carriers like Delta Air Lines and Aeroméxico in North America, plus Korean Air, China Airlines and Vietnam Airlines and Saudia in Asia.
If your nearest airport is Frankfurt or Munich, signing up for Lufthansa’s Miles & More scheme gives you access to the Star Alliance.
That alliance includes European carriers like Aegean Airlines, Austrian Airlines, Brussels Airlines, LOT Polish Airlines, TAP Air Portugal and Turkish Airlines, plus United Airlines, Air Canada and Copa Airlines in the Americas; Singapore Airlines, Air China, ANA and EVA Air in Asia; and Air New Zealand in Australasia.
Should your main airport be Madrid, then you’ll want to join the Iberia Club to access the oneworld Alliance.
European airlines signed up to the scheme include British Airways and Finnair; Asian carriers like Cathay Pacific, Japan Airlines, Qatar Airways and Malaysia Airlines; plus Qantas in Australasia.
Budget airlines like Ryanair, Wizz Air or easyJet aren’t typically members of airline alliances, nor do they have frequent flyer programmes in the traditional sense.
However, easyJet now offers “easyJet Plus” membership, which is a set annual fee that gives benefits like speedy boarding, a large cabin bag included on board, and free premium seat selection. Wizz Air has a “Discount Club”, which includes discounts on fares and on luggage after paying the annual fee.
How to earn miles – without flying
The amount of miles you earn while flying depends on a number of factors, such as the seat class you flew in, your airline tier status, and either the length of the flight or its cost.
But it certainly isn’t the only way to earn – for many airlines, it’s not even how the majority of people do so. In 2015, American Airlines sold 58% of its miles to third parties, meaning just 42% were handed out through flight purchases.
Different airlines will have different partners, which you’ll be able to find on the relevant carrier’s website, but they typically cover travel-associated spending, like hotels, car rentals and tour operators. They may also cover retail brands.
Members of the Aer Lingus loyalty programme, AerClub, can earn Avios on Uber rides, by shopping at M&S, and ordering through Domino’s – you just need to make sure you’ve registered to collect Avios with the right partner.
Many hotel groups, such as Marriott Bonvoy or Accor, have partnerships with airline brands which mean points you earn during stays can be changed into miles, although the ratios may not necessarily be 1:1.
Throughout the year, hotels or airlines may run special promotions that increase the number of miles you earn for a set period of time.
While you may get an email about it in your inbox, you can also follow specialty blogs that are dedicated to maximising your loyalty points earning. These vary from country to country, but in the UK, there is Head for Points, while in Germany you can try Meilenjunkies.
These websites also go into detail about various co-branded credit or debit cards you can sign up for to earn miles, which I have not touched on at all in this article because I am not qualified to give financial advice.
All I can say is that it’s a big commitment, and that you should fully read all of the terms and conditions before signing up for anything.
Other ways to earn tier status
Another reason airport alliances matter is that some carriers offer status matches.
Essentially, this means that if you have reached the silver or gold tier with one brand, you might be able to get the same with another without having to match the number of flights taken.
Virgin Atlantic offers status matches for all the SkyTeam alliance airlines. For silver status, you need to book one Virgin Atlantic flight in any cabin and share proof of status; for gold, you’ll need to share the same proof but make a premium or upper class booking.
Outside of the alliance, Virgin Atlantic will also match status on British Airways, Iberia and Lufthansa.
How much are my miles worth, and what can I spend them on?
There’s no way to exchange airline miles for cash, so there’s no actual “worth” set in stone.
Points can be used to save money on flights, to pay for an upgrade, or to pay for the flight completely, although airlines will only have a set number of miles-only seats on each plane. You may also be able to use them at the airline partners where you can earn them, which we covered above.
When people talk about how much your airline miles are worth, this is how much money you are saving by using them divided by the number you have – so you may get more bang for your buck depending on what you use them for.
The blogs mentioned above will have various breakdowns for the different airline miles and recommendations for how to spend them, but of course, it’s up to you.
A few years back, I used my miles whenever I could to save money on flights, but nowadays, I prefer to save them up and upgrade to business class when I have enough.
Frequent-flyer programmes: The top tips to know
- Pick a full-service airline that operates out of an airport near you, and sign up for the loyalty programme.
- Take a look around your carrier’s website to check its partners – you might be able to earn points while shopping, eating out, or booking a hotel, not just while flying.
- Find out what airline alliance they are in, and sign up for the loyalty programmes of other carriers you might fly with. Make sure you link your accounts.
- Use your points to save money on tickets or to upgrade, or use them at other partners.
