Flight Tip Friday
Basic Airline Tips
#7: Why Airlines Value Loyalty
In reality, there are two different types of people who search for plane tickets. There are the ones who just look for the cheapest ticket no matter the airlines they are flying, so long as they’re getting a good price. Then there are the ones who believe in the power of airline (or alliance) loyalty. Personally, I’m type B, so this post will discuss how to get the most out of loyalty to airlines.
What is Airline Loyalty?
Simply put, airline loyalty is the preference of flying a particular airline or multiple airlines in an alliance. An example of this is choosing to fly Delta, or SkyTeam which includes other airlines such as Alitalia, China Eastern, Aeroflot, and several other airlines, even if a particular ticket is slightly more expensive than other airlines.
So why would a person choose to pay more for a flight when other airlines offer similar tickets for less? A seasoned traveler knows that loyalty to certain airlines comes with lots of benefits if you know what to look for.
What You Get Out of Loyalty to Airlines
There are a number of benefits that come with being loyal to specific airlines. The benefits manifest in short and long term ways, as long as you’re enrolled in that airline’s frequent flier program (which is usually free).
- Accrue Frequent Flier Miles - This is the biggest perk that comes with airline loyalty. The more you fly, the more miles you earn. When you earn enough miles you can cash them in for free flights or upgrades to already purchased flights
- Early Seat Selection - In many cases, airlines will allow loyal customers to pre-book their seats for free. That means no more automatically allocated middle seats on full flights.
- Priority Check In and Pre-Boarding - Like with the baggage allowances, many airlines offer dedicated check in areas and pre-boarding as rewards for loyal clients.
- Free Checked Bags - When you get past the entry levels of most airlines' frequent flier programs, many of them offer free checked baggage allowances as a reward for loyalty.
- Upgrade Priority - In the event that airlines need to (or in some cases just have space to) upgrade passengers, being a frequent flier gives you a better chance of getting that upgrade.
- Lounge Access - Many airlines offer free or discounted airport lounge access for frequent fliers. Why not grab a bite and have somewhere to relax before a long flight?
- Earn Miles on Partner Airlines - The benefit of choosing an airline in a major alliance (such as SkyTeam) is that you earn miles on your main airline even if you're flying one of the other airlines in the alliance. Very often you can also trade in miles from your main airline for free tickets on a partner airline.
- Exclusive Deals - Airlines send their best deals to loyal customers first. You'll get email notifications for fare sales early before tickets sell out.
- Dedicated Service - Frequent fliers tend to get better customer service because airlines value loyalty. The higher your status, the more dedicated airlines are to helping you with issues.
Note: Each of the airlines treats their frequent flier programs differently. If you want to know more about the benefits of loyalty programs, you should check the program details of the airline you want to fly.
Picking The Right Airlines
Ok, so I’ve convinced you. Now you want to go and sign up for airline perks. But how do you pick the right airlines? The truth is, you’re going to have to do a little bit of homework, and this answer will vary for everyone.
Here’s how I became a Delta (SkyTeam) loyalist. Before I figured out airline loyalty I used to buy the cheapest tickets available regardless of the airlines. I got my samples of American Airlines, Jet Blue, United Airlines, and Delta. These are the 4 major U.S. airlines that have an abundance of flights in and out of JFK Airport, my home base.
In terms of in-flight experience, Delta was always my favorite. Their service was great, and they had a ton of both domestic and international options to chose from. The problem was that Delta wasn’t always the cheapest ticket. In some cases it was under $100 cheaper, but I was a “budget” traveler so cheap was the way to go no matter what.
The more I traveled the more I learned about the benefits of airline loyalty. My miles were starting to add up, and I finally cashed in a ticket to Puerto Rico, for which I only paid $11 in taxes. That was over a $300 savings. Who doesn’t LOVE free plane tickets?
Then, I got the Delta American Express credit card that started amplifying the number of miles I was accruing. The credit card came with sign on bonus miles and a bunch of the perks mentioned above. The more I got, the more I wanted. So it became a game.
Becoming a Delta SkyMiles member changed the way I travel. Instead of picking random destinations to places I want to visit, I plan my travel around how to get there on SkyTeam. The huge worldwide network of flight options creates unlimited options to get to my destination and still use the benefits of being a Gold Medallion member.
Plus, with the perks I get from Delta,the savings end up to be way more than any of the “cheap tickets” I bought on random airlines. An example of this is a flight I got on Delta to Barcelona. From a Black Friday deal advisory email from Delta, I bought 2 round trip tickets from JFK Airport for $358 each.
Let’s think about that for a second. Average ticket price from JFK to Barcelona is $700 – $1000 for travel in April. Already that’s at minimum a $342 savings on each ticket. Add on to that my medallion status that got us free upgrades to Delta Comfort+. The average cost of a Delta Comfort+ ticket for the same dates is about $1300 each.
For those of us who are bad at math…my companion and I saved an at minimum total of $1,900 because of my status with Delta. That’s not to mention the 3,600 miles I accrued, which is like 1/2 a ticket to Florida. Ant that’s just one of the times I saved big on a Delta flight!
Now, if you’re someone who flies other airlines more often, you don’t have to go with Delta. If going with American Airlines (Oneworld) or JetBlue is more beneficial to you, whether it be because of flight options or preference, go with it. The point is the same. Pick one, and do your best to stick with it. The more you fly the better the perks.
Also, just because you have a favorite doesn’t mean you shouldn’t sign up for other airlines’ loyalty programs. Sometimes you HAVE to fly another airline, and since in a lot of cases miles don’t expire, you may as well rack them up. You’ll be surprised how quickly they add up.
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