Who has a gold card?
Join Date: Jul 2002
Location: Bali H'ai
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Who pays for my tickets? Me
Last year I flew Kuala Lumpur - Johannesburg on 6 occasions, Kl to Zurich and London once, KL to Brisbane once and 2 trips to Penang, all on Malaysian , or SWISS.
All in economy, and they still give me the Enrich Gold Card. This is always useful for the red lane check-in, the lounge and the opportunity to check for a better seat (by the emergency exit). On a recent trip the comment was "well there aren't any, I'll move you upstairs" They get my money everytime!
Had a surprise move "upstairs" when I was travelling on an economy redemption ticket KL to Jo'burg.
The best ever upgrade, given at the gate was SWISS, Zurich to Singapore, First Class in an MD-11, nothing like it.
Last year I flew Kuala Lumpur - Johannesburg on 6 occasions, Kl to Zurich and London once, KL to Brisbane once and 2 trips to Penang, all on Malaysian , or SWISS.
All in economy, and they still give me the Enrich Gold Card. This is always useful for the red lane check-in, the lounge and the opportunity to check for a better seat (by the emergency exit). On a recent trip the comment was "well there aren't any, I'll move you upstairs" They get my money everytime!
Had a surprise move "upstairs" when I was travelling on an economy redemption ticket KL to Jo'burg.
The best ever upgrade, given at the gate was SWISS, Zurich to Singapore, First Class in an MD-11, nothing like it.
Join Date: Sep 2003
Location: uk
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BA Gold, AA Platinum and whatever Sky Team's top level is... what I don't get though, is that deal on BA's Ex Club Website that allows you to track the points needed to stay on Gold. In recent years I didn't have a problem keeping BA Gold, because on the routes I was travelling BA operated decent services. In my account, according to the Website, they'd indicate Gold expired in say October of that year and I needed 1300 Tier Points to retain etc. More recenly I've been flying BA less and other airlines more and last year fell short by 500 points - and they gave me Gold back anyway.. Nice to have, but the only advantage I've spotted is they give you first choice for meals.... oo-ooh... I also thought BA Gold conferred a guaranteed seat on any scheduled service - not when I tried... The only advantage of AA Platinum is being able to check-in in the Lounge - excellent for American Airports.
I don't get the snide insinuations about who precisely pays for tickets. What's that got to do with anything? If airlines relied only on people who paid for tickets using their own money they'd be out of business rather quickly. I prefer to spend my own hard-earned cash on the better things in life rather than seats on aeroplanes...
I don't get the snide insinuations about who precisely pays for tickets. What's that got to do with anything? If airlines relied only on people who paid for tickets using their own money they'd be out of business rather quickly. I prefer to spend my own hard-earned cash on the better things in life rather than seats on aeroplanes...
Join Date: Jan 2005
Location: Brisbane-Manila
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QF Platinum and Oneworld emerald.
Travel mainly with CX since AN went down and 911 happened.
Most J class service isn't worth poop these days. No fault of the crews (except for the ocasional QF guy having a bad hair day) just the airline bean counters screwing us all again. No matter who pays for your ticket
Travel mainly with CX since AN went down and 911 happened.
Most J class service isn't worth poop these days. No fault of the crews (except for the ocasional QF guy having a bad hair day) just the airline bean counters screwing us all again. No matter who pays for your ticket
Nigerian In Law
Virgin Flying Club Gold
The use of the lounge and Upper Class check in at LHR Terminal 3 is nice, but other than that I can't see any benefit on the actual flights; I use Upper Class every few weeks and pay for my upgrades from Economy. Spending the miles is good though.
And if it is relevant (although I don't see how) no, I don't pay for my economy tickets !!
And if it is relevant (although I don't see how) no, I don't pay for my economy tickets !!
Join Date: Mar 2002
Location: Scotland
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* Alliance Gold / Aeroplan Elite on Air Canada. - Need 35,000 miles per year travelling on * airlines to achieve this status.
The 'experts' say AC is the easiest * carrier to gain status, due to their lower threshold level into * Gold.
-Was gold on KLM, now silver for 2005, and maintain silver on BA.
The 'experts' say AC is the easiest * carrier to gain status, due to their lower threshold level into * Gold.
-Was gold on KLM, now silver for 2005, and maintain silver on BA.
Join Date: Mar 2002
Location: India
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Gold Cards on StarAlliance (TG) and Skywards. Platinum on Jet Airways.
I've found that TG's programme is the best among StarAlliance, with LH's being absolute rubbish. Of late, they have begun discriminating against members of programs other than their own - this, together with their appalling food on long haul and their inexistent catering on short haul have had the desired effect on me: I avoid LH like the plague.
All three cards tend to get me upgrades to next higher class when booked class is full.
I've found that TG's programme is the best among StarAlliance, with LH's being absolute rubbish. Of late, they have begun discriminating against members of programs other than their own - this, together with their appalling food on long haul and their inexistent catering on short haul have had the desired effect on me: I avoid LH like the plague.
All three cards tend to get me upgrades to next higher class when booked class is full.
Fixed+Rotary (aircraft, not washing lines)
Join Date: Jan 2005
Location: Peak District, Yorkshire, UK
Age: 56
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At 'peak' I had StarAlliance (BMI) Gold, Virgin Silver, BA Silver and a host of hotel (Hilton Gold, Marriot Silver, etc. etc.) but I've since changed jobs to get out of the away-from-home-5-days-per-week rat race.
With BA I was saving for a Concorde LHR->JFK return trip for myself and my wife. I was regularly commuting MAN->LHR and was just *three* flights from getting the points when Concorde's retirement was announced!
From then on, getting to use the points was impossible.
So last year we went to Hawai'i first class. Used the BA points to get to SFO, then used StarAlliance vouchers to get the UA upgrade to first from SFO to the Islands after buying economy tickets.
Now have just over 200,000 StarAlliance points, to get us from UK to Australia next year in First (with a supplement to pay). Then that will be all my points burned...
A KLM Gold Elite card dropped through the mail last year - unsolicited. It has now expired and I've only ever been on KLM twice so no great loss.
Apart from lounge access/seat reservations I can only recall *one* time when having any of the cards made a difference. I was travelling Vienna->Brussels (or Schipol?) and managed to get upgraded from economy to business for what it was worth.
The only time a card has made a difference has been the Hilton Gold. In the UK it might mean a free bottle of wine (Hilton Kensington), but in the US I've received major upgrades *every* time I've shown the card at check in. Including a major upgrade at the Waikoloa Village in Hawai'i for a two week stay!
With BA I was saving for a Concorde LHR->JFK return trip for myself and my wife. I was regularly commuting MAN->LHR and was just *three* flights from getting the points when Concorde's retirement was announced!
From then on, getting to use the points was impossible.So last year we went to Hawai'i first class. Used the BA points to get to SFO, then used StarAlliance vouchers to get the UA upgrade to first from SFO to the Islands after buying economy tickets.
Now have just over 200,000 StarAlliance points, to get us from UK to Australia next year in First (with a supplement to pay). Then that will be all my points burned...
A KLM Gold Elite card dropped through the mail last year - unsolicited. It has now expired and I've only ever been on KLM twice so no great loss.
Apart from lounge access/seat reservations I can only recall *one* time when having any of the cards made a difference. I was travelling Vienna->Brussels (or Schipol?) and managed to get upgraded from economy to business for what it was worth.
The only time a card has made a difference has been the Hilton Gold. In the UK it might mean a free bottle of wine (Hilton Kensington), but in the US I've received major upgrades *every* time I've shown the card at check in. Including a major upgrade at the Waikoloa Village in Hawai'i for a two week stay!
Join Date: Sep 2001
Location: by the river
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Gold on One world (BA), Skyteam (AF), Star Alliance (UA) & on Swiss - bout 600K miles in total, but its getting harder to keep them all as I'm down from the 800hours a year to around 4-500 at present.
BA is the long haul favourite in Club (flat beds that you need first class for on anybody else), otherwise AF for great food and the best earl grey tea ever though some of the affaires seats are older that the planes. Srating in business in TG, CX & SQ are Ok if you have to lie diagonally !!!
BA is the long haul favourite in Club (flat beds that you need first class for on anybody else), otherwise AF for great food and the best earl grey tea ever though some of the affaires seats are older that the planes. Srating in business in TG, CX & SQ are Ok if you have to lie diagonally !!!
Join Date: Dec 2004
Location: USA
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I'm AA Platinum, and it does make a huge difference:
1) You get double mileage credits!
2) I can pre-reserve exit row seats in coach (only allowed to FF customers). This is probably the best thing about being AA Platinum, especially when travelling long-haul on the 777.
3) You can check-in at Business or First Class counters when travelling in coach. Very useful, e.g. for check-in in FRA where there are usually very long lines at the coach counters.
4) Free access to Lounges (Admirals Club) when travelling internationally (does not include Canada and Mexico), regardless of booked class of service.
5) Very friendly reservation phone line with mostly no wait times.
1) You get double mileage credits!
2) I can pre-reserve exit row seats in coach (only allowed to FF customers). This is probably the best thing about being AA Platinum, especially when travelling long-haul on the 777.
3) You can check-in at Business or First Class counters when travelling in coach. Very useful, e.g. for check-in in FRA where there are usually very long lines at the coach counters.
4) Free access to Lounges (Admirals Club) when travelling internationally (does not include Canada and Mexico), regardless of booked class of service.
5) Very friendly reservation phone line with mostly no wait times.
Fixed+Rotary (aircraft, not washing lines)
Join Date: Jan 2005
Location: Peak District, Yorkshire, UK
Age: 56
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KLM Gold Card
I flew Air France from Toulouse to Manchester (via Paris CDG yesterday). Thought that I might as well use the KLM card to collect some points. I showed it at the desk, it has 2004 written all over, obviously expired but I simply wanted the number recorded for my KLM miles (you never know when you might start frequenting certain airlines so I always take the points...)
I'm on an economy ticket, no big deal. When I got the tickets handed back I was upgraded to Business and given access to the Air France lounge at CDG. Which was nice as I had an hour or so wait...
On another point, taking off at CDG on 27L (or was it R?) sitting in an A seat I noticed in the commercial part of the airport a single Concorde parked out of the way, obviously out of view to the public - does anyone know of Air France's intentions for this a/c?
I'm on an economy ticket, no big deal. When I got the tickets handed back I was upgraded to Business and given access to the Air France lounge at CDG. Which was nice as I had an hour or so wait...
On another point, taking off at CDG on 27L (or was it R?) sitting in an A seat I noticed in the commercial part of the airport a single Concorde parked out of the way, obviously out of view to the public - does anyone know of Air France's intentions for this a/c?
Too mean to buy a long personal title
MyData: On another point, taking off at CDG on 27L (or was it R?) sitting in an A seat I noticed in the commercial part of the airport a single Concorde parked out of the way, obviously out of view to the public - does anyone know of Air France's intentions for this a/c?
Platinum Elite with KLM, and I've just received a letter (and a new card), telling me that I am a Platinum Elite member for life. Yes, I've done a lot of flying with KLM, some of which I've paid for myself, but I never expected such a reward. I've been upgraded on a number of occasions (without asking), and apart from a few times when they have failed to deliver my baggage I have always found the service to be very good.
I have a blue card with the British national carrier, because I don't use them very much. Their timings on the routes I travel are inconvenient, and at least at Schiphol I only have to move around one terminal.
I have a blue card with the British national carrier, because I don't use them very much. Their timings on the routes I travel are inconvenient, and at least at Schiphol I only have to move around one terminal.
Join Date: Aug 2001
Location: Stuck in the middle...
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Wub,
When I was a BA gold, I was boarding a BA flight CDG to BHX. At every other BA port, goldies can board at will, so when boarding was announced, I lined up to take my seat (it was in row 1 or 2).
However, as they were boarding from the back first, the gate nazis steadfastly refused to let me and about six other rather bemused goldies get on until after our row had been called (ie. last).
That said, whilst generally BA were never amazingly good, they were always dependable with a solid product and never sunk to the depths I experienced (almost invariably) on a certain other British long-haul carrier.
However...
Nowadays, just a lowly BA blue, QF gold and LH gold (senator). Still reckon the benefits one gets as a BA gold are the best of the lot but it ain't me wot decides the corporate travel policy!! The LH lounges (even at FRA) aren't nearly as good as Terraces but the Germans who answer the phones seem to be able to think a little more laterally and are always helpful. And the new LH biz class is pretty good.
When I was a BA gold, I was boarding a BA flight CDG to BHX. At every other BA port, goldies can board at will, so when boarding was announced, I lined up to take my seat (it was in row 1 or 2).
However, as they were boarding from the back first, the gate nazis steadfastly refused to let me and about six other rather bemused goldies get on until after our row had been called (ie. last).
That said, whilst generally BA were never amazingly good, they were always dependable with a solid product and never sunk to the depths I experienced (almost invariably) on a certain other British long-haul carrier.
However...
Nowadays, just a lowly BA blue, QF gold and LH gold (senator). Still reckon the benefits one gets as a BA gold are the best of the lot but it ain't me wot decides the corporate travel policy!! The LH lounges (even at FRA) aren't nearly as good as Terraces but the Germans who answer the phones seem to be able to think a little more laterally and are always helpful. And the new LH biz class is pretty good.
Join Date: Oct 2001
Location: France
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Gold on Emirates and on Gulf Air. Emirates has now transferred DXB lounge privileges to the general DAA lounge (meaning the one that Saudia and Qatar uses) until their new gold/silver lounge is operational "later this year".
By comparison, Gulf Air allows me to use their first class lounge in Bahrain.
Upgrades? Never, ever on intra gulf flights, but once on a flight from UK to DXB.
By comparison, Gulf Air allows me to use their first class lounge in Bahrain.
Upgrades? Never, ever on intra gulf flights, but once on a flight from UK to DXB.
