Frequent Flyer Miles

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Currency for High Flyers

Growing Alliances Multiply Mileage Options

An airline that doesnít belong to an alliance today is a rare bird indeed. New alliance members and new codeshare agreements take wing weekly.  

For frequent travelers, the benefits of such agreements are many, but perhaps not as extensive as travelers might hope.

For instance, miles issued by codeshare partners and alliance partners cannot be freely pooled. The miles travelers stash in three different accounts ó say United Airlines, All Nippon Airways and VARIG ó canít be combined for a ticket, even though all three airlines belong to the mega 15-member Star Allianceô.

Travelers can, however, send all their miles to one account and earn trips on that airline. Special exchange arrangements, such as one between Delta SkyMilesÆ and Air France (not Star Allianceô members) are exceptions.

For travelers comparing alliances for the greatest possible reach ó and the greatest ability to add miles to their favorite account ó the news that Singapore Airlines this month joined the Star Allianceô had to have eyes popping.

Widely praised by various industry and traveler surveys, Singapore Airlines instantly became the third largest player in the Star Allianceô. As first proof of that clout, Singapore Airlines brought to its partners a route system that serves more than 40 nations. More to the point, those nations are often long distances from each other. Singapore Airlinesí paying passengers flew 37.5 billion miles through October 1999, ranking it third among Alliance members behind only United and Lufthansa ó each with close to three times as many destination cities.

Singapore spokesman James Boyd says codeshare arrangements with Alliance partners will allow international business travelers seamless connections through North American gateway cities of Los Angeles, San Francisco, Vancouver, Newark and New York (Kennedy).

The biggest benefit of flying with an alliance is really all about status. United Airlines spokesman Kurt Ebenhoch likes to tell the story of his American businessman uncle, regularly sent off to Europe by corporate travel planners. ìSometimes he flew Lufthansa, sometimes United, or Air Canada. He earned miles, but never enough to achieve Premier Status on United. With Star Alliance, now he can.î

Ebenhochís uncle can apply all the miles he earns from alliance members to status requirements with alliance members, getting him a whole array of perks, even Unitedís new Economy Plus seating. The airport lounges of alliance members are open to him too.

Just a little over a year since American Airlines, British Airways, Canadian Airlines, Cathay Pacific Airways and Qantas Airways teamed up, the oneworldô alliance is already leaving its mark ó literally. Travelers will find it on the door of 303 airport lounges. Member airlines fly to 665 destinations in 138 countries. In its first year, member airlines carried 200 million passengers across 2.2 billion miles. A oneworldô airline departs somewhere in the world every 14 seconds.

Recent news in alliances and codeshares can keep frequent travelers aware of all their travel and mile options. Hereís whatís happening ó for now.

Switching Allegiances

American Airlines and four members of the Qualiflyer group of airlines ó Swissair, Sabena, Crossair and Turkish Airlines ó have started frequent flyer program cooperation. AAdvantageÆ members may earn mileage credit when traveling on non-transatlantic flights operated by the four airlines (excluding Turkish flights within Turkey) and when traveling on one of Swissairís or Sabenaís transatlantic flights if it is a codeshare flight, booked under Americanís AA code and flight number. AAdvantageÆ members may redeem travel awards on all flights operated by the four airlines. Shortly after this announcement, Austrian Airlines, Sabena and Swissair announced they would no longer participate in the Delta SkyMilesÆ program (effective April 13, 2000).

Delta Air Lines (SkyMilesÆ)

Delta Air Lines SkyMilesÆ members who fly on qualifying Air France flights will now earn miles and segments which will count toward Medallion status. SkyMilesÆ may also be accrued on all Air France coded flights worldwide and redeemed on all Air France operated flights.

Delta now has a codeshare agreement with AeroMexicoís Saturday and Sunday flights into Cozumel, Mexico. A Delta codeshare agreement announced in January with South African Airways creates the only nonstop service to South Africa from New York (JFK) and Atlanta. Another Delta codeshare agreement with Air France opens Warsaw and Prague through Paris to Delta flyers.

Writers: Stu Watson is a business travel specialist. Kathy Watson is a hospitality industry expert. Based in Portland, Oregon.

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Illustration: Bryan Peterson

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