Aegean Airlines Miles&Bonus is offering 2000 miles for signing up.
In the past the offer was 1000 miles. The key though is that the 1000 miles counted as status miles.
And it only takes 4000 miles within 12 months to earn Silver status. Which is Star Alliance Silver, for priority boarding and a free checked bag domestically on partners United and US Airways.
This offer should mean you only need 2000 more miles to make Star Alliance Silver. And then after that only 16,000 more for Star Alliance Gold which gets lounge access.
And it seems that, so far, once you earn status with Aegean you keep it (rather than having to requalify each year).
I outlined the Aegean program back in June when I was comped to Aegean’s Gold status (based on my british midland Gold). And then last month they improved their change policies on award tickets. And I flagged the Aegean as a non-obvious program to consider.
Interesting. If I were to fly a Star Alliance carrier for 2000 miles and credit the miles to my Aegean account, would that work?
Interesting
Not a single global major hotel chain partner?
Not a single credit card partner?
Other than flying for elite status it looks really grim
unless I’m missing something
I can confirm that they are posting as status miles.
Gary, what would you suggest is the easiest/most economical way to get that final 2k for status? Is actual butt-in-seats miles the only option?
@Sean has to be earned butt-in-seat.. and some discounted United fares only earn 50% mileage (while all US Airways fares earn 100%)
Gary, can I change reservations for flights on us airways already ‘linked’ to my dividend miles account to this new Aegean airlines account to accrue miles in the next month?
@Gary: Very basic question — once you earn elite status on Aegean (or any other alliance carrier), what do you need to do to have that status recognized when you book on one of the American members of that Alliance?
If they had a US credit card, I’d consider them.
Brian, the reason to use Aegean is that status only takes 20 000 miles and for 21 000 you get a one way domestic Business ticket. Thus for 21 000 credited miles you are getting 3 years of Star Gold plus a one way ticket. Awesome deal even i you can’t earn more.
Just signed up. The 2000 points is half way to Blue, not Silver status. Doesn’t seem to be an easy way keep the points from expiring without actually flying.
@qi I think Gary’s point is that Aegean Blue = Star Alliance Silver. http://www.staralliance.com/assets/doc/en/benefits/frequent-flyer-programmes/pdf/FFP-table.pdf
Do we have any indication if the 2,000 points offer is permanent or just temporary? I don’t have any paid tickets on US/United scheduled right now, so I’m debating whether to sign up now to lock in the 2,000.
Is it gone? I can’t see any 2000 miles offer, just the 1000 miles one.
@ qi – Aegean Blue = Star Silver
@ redcat – the 2000 tier miles are good for a year, so if you sign up today, you only need 2000 more miles by the end of September 2013.
My Aegean Star Gold card came in the mail last week and is good through 12/2015. I have just over 21K miles (just 1K more than what’s required for *G) which I’m putting toward a one-way transcon in business.
I checked both US airways and United website. Star Alliance Silver members don’t get priority boarding or a free checked bag domestically, which is different from the post here.
@Ray check again 🙂
@LarryInNYC – enter that frequent flyer # in your reservation to get the status recognized for waived check bag fees, though once you check bags you can change your frequent flyer #. For priority boarding if you don’t have the # on your boarding pass just use your membership card.
@Jon – sure!
I am a dual US and Greek citizen and could go for the Aegean credit card…but only 5k miles. I think I ‘ll pass:-)
Looks like 1 day Hertz rentals in the US earn 350 miles. Do these not count toward the 4000 for Aegean Blue?
Is there any problem with crediting miles from flights that occurred prior to joining the program? I have a TAM flight from June that I have not yet credited to United. I also recently got moved from a BA flight to Austrian a couple weeks ago after getting delayed from ORD-LHR. Those 2 flights together plus the 2K sign-up miles would get me very close to the 4K mark, though I wish I had not already credited one of the TAM flights to United which would have pushed me over 4K.
The post says one gets to keep the status:
“And it seems that, so far, once you earn status with Aegean you keep it (rather than having to requalify each year)”
But this response from AK mentions an expiration date:
“the 2000 tier miles are good for a year, so if you sign up today, you only need 2000 more miles by the end of September 2013”
Which is it? Sorry a little confused.
You need 2000 more miles after the 2000 free miles to earn status. And once you earn it, you will keep it for some admittedly a bit indeterminate amount of time. Cards are issued lasting three years, terms and conditions seem to suggest that once you earn status you don’t lose it as long as you keep your account active. But I personally expect that to change the rules at some point so that status once earned is not actually permanent.
so- then can you transfer them to United miles?
@karen – no you cannot
This is probably a stupid question, but if I book tickets for two people (myself and a friend) on a RT flight to California from NY, would that count as ~6,000 miles or ~12,000 miles, or something completely different (assuming 100% on US Airways)?
@Mike – each person earns miles for their own account based on their own travel only
@Gary
can you please explain:
“once you check bags you can change your frequent flyer #”
– how? once you check your bags it means you’re already checked-in for your flight no?
thank you.
@Lantean – yes. You’re checked in. Just go up to the gate or customer service counter, ask them to put a different frequent flyer # in and print you a new boarding pass
i didn’t know you could do that! cool!
thank you.
😉
Gary said:
Cards are issued lasting three years, terms and conditions seem to suggest that once you earn status you don’t lose it as long as you keep your account active. But I personally expect that to change the rules at some point so that status once earned is not actually permanent.
I tend to agree. Aegean handing out such easy status based on small amounts of spend appears as unsustainable as the Greek debt. I qualified for A3 Gold some time ago based on perhaps $1500 in spend. I’ve gotten free bags, free lounge access and premium security on numerous trips since. I have a friend who earned A3 gold just over a year ago, and moved to Berlin soon thereafter. He has practically lived at Senator lounges since. I don’t know when, but at some point, the wheels just have to come off this wagon.
@ Ray – not only do *A silver members get no priority seating on US and UA, but for reasons I do not understand, US withholds it from *A GOLD members on the DCA/LGA/BOS shuttles. This has aggravated me greatly.
David, I think Ray is right. Based on the link DH provided above (http://www.staralliance.com/assets/doc/en/benefits/frequent-flyer-programmes/pdf/FFP-table.pdf) Star Silver only gets you priority wait listing and standby.
I believe the US-based Star Alliance carriers (US Airways and United/Continental) have historically allowed a free checked bag for Star Alliance Silver members, even though they are not required to do so.
Maybe two years ago, I booked a flight on Continental for my two kids and myself using my Aegean frequent flyer number for *A silver status and my Continental credit card, which also gives a free bag. The computer automatically allowed me six free checked bags ((1 for *A silver + 1 for credit card) x 3 people in my party). I do not know whether these airline still offer this benefit and still extend the benefit to everyone in the boarding party.
@Ray, @Susan
Change the “Status or memberships?” dropdown menu to Star Alliance Silver on United website:
https://www.united.com/CMS/en-US/travel/Pages/CheckedBaggage.aspx
See “1st checked bag fees waived” on the US Airways website:
http://www.usairways.com/en-US/traveltools/baggage/baggagepolicies.html
Also note while you do not get priority seating as *S on US or UA, you do get priority BOARDING. They reserve priority seat assignments for their elite members.
Would it count if I transferred 4000 miles in from amex or do they have to be individually earned
@Bruce – it’s flight miles. And Aegean isn’t a Membership Rewards transfer partner in any case
@Gary Do you think I could create 2 accounts and ask them to merge them together (2000 + 2000 = 4,000)?
@Gary Do you think you can earn the extra 2K with Hertz which is one of their partners?
I tried to enroll with Chrome and IE but it never advances past the Enrollment page. Is this deal dead?
I enrolled. Flew 2k more and got the Star Silver status.
I just got back from my first trip with free checked bags in both directions. Thank you! Wouldn’t have this status/perk without this blog.
@rxgeek deal not dead, enrolled today 11/25/12
Hello All,
I have a question.If i become star alliance Gold member through aegean and if i travel through United or US airways is star alliance gold members get any additional bonus mails like united gold members?.
Thanks,
GVK
@GVK – Aegean does not offer a status bonus
Just signed up for Aegaen, now all I have to do is do one RT flight cross country on Us Airways and have them credit my miles to Aegaen which will make me Aegaen Blue (*A Silver), right? Please correct me if im wrong. That sign up bonus was 1,000. Thanks!!