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Flying Blue is the Frequent Flyer Program of Air France and KLM . In June 2005, the frequent flyer programs of Air France (Fréquence plus) and KLM (Flying Dutchman) were combined to the Flying Blue program after the two companies merged into a single airline. Flying Blue members can earn and spend mileage points on flights and services of Air France-KLM and other companies of the Skyteam Airline Alliance as well. Kenya Airways and many other financial, travel, and transportation companies are participating as well. STRUCTURE Flying Blues introduces a distinction between Level Miles and Award Miles. Level Miles Flying Blue contains four membership levels – Ivory (Basic level), Silver (Elite level), Gold and Platinum (both Elite Plus level). The basic Ivory level to which most users are confined does not confer any advantages besides the `right' to earn miles. The Silver, Gold and Platinum levels offer some advantages such as priority boarding and extra baggage allowance, and, for the highest levels, also the coveted lounge-access. For Air France users, priority boarding can be a useful asset since the airline frequently resorts to an aggressive practice of overbooking. Level miles are gained by flying one of Skyteams' airline companies. However, certain flights, such as domestic discount tickets of Air France, do not count as flights towards a higher status level, effectively blurring the distinction between Level miles and Award miles. Air France and KLM claim that `each mile flown is one level mile (minimum 750 for international and 500 for domestic)'. The reality, however, is much less glamorous. The rule `One mile flown = one mile earned' applies only to full-price (= expensive) tickets. By contrast, discounted tickets earn only a small fraction of the miles actually flown. Because of this practice, Flying Blue is a lot less attractive for customers than the mileage programs that it replaced, Fréquence Plus (Air France) and Flying Dutchman (KLM). Since the partner airlines do not reveal this practice in any of their public statements, the formula that Flying Blue uses to downsize actually flown miles into earned miles remains opaque for users. Flying Blue is also a lot less attractive than comparable frequent flyer programs of other airlines. Award Miles Award Miles can be used for free flights, discounts, ticket upgrades, gifts and donations and are earned for every flewn mile and for use of services of non-airline Flying Blue members like car-rental companies, hotel bookings and for buying duty-free items in flight. For full-price tickets, each mile flown translates into one award mile. For discount tickets, the miles award is only a small fraction of the miles flown. Elite and Elite Plus members may earn 50%-100% bonus award miles on each flown mile as well as bonuses for flying a higher class of service. |
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