Tag Archives for skyteam.
SkyTeam, long viewed as the weakest of the three global alliances, is finally improving its benefits for elite flyers. Top-tier members of several SkyTeam airlines can now access select lounges on U.S. domestic flights — a major shift that brings the alliance closer to what oneworld and Star Alliance have offered for years.
Delta will not be honoring lounge access for their own or partner elites traveling on domestic itineraries, so don’t go rushing out looking for an Air France, Vietnam Airlines, or SAS status match thinking it will help circumvent new limits on Sky Club access using a premium Delta credit card.
When working on your own strategy for this challenge, don’t forget fifth freedom routes. You don’t have to fly Virgin Atlantic across the Atlantic, for instance. You can do that with another SkyTeam airline, and hop on a short Virgin flight in the Caribbean like Barbados to St. Vincent or Granada. Other carriers have similar unexpected short (and usually inexpensive) options too – such as KLM’s Singapore – Bali and Kuala Lumpur – Jakarta.
A couple of months ago I wrote about SAS offering a status match. Some readers complained that it wasn’t broadly relevant enough, since it states it’s available only to European residents. But it’s relevant because they appear to be status matching anyone with enough of a pulse to fill out a form. Vital signs sufficient to upload attachments not required.
Delta CEO Ed Bastian told Bloomberg that the SkyTeam, of which Delta is a part, hasn’t “brought a lot of great value to customers..[or] to member airlines” and so they’re trying to create their “own international network of carriers” with Delta “as the centerpiece.”
The Atlanta-based carriers is shifting away from an alliance focus and “taking a different approach” where they use local airline brands that can operate in local markets around the world and influence those airlines to be more efficient.
Right now SkyTeam member and Delta partner Aerolineas Argentinas is promoting an aggressive new status match offer. They will give you a year of elite status based on the status you have with another airline (that is not a part of the SkyTeam alliance) or a hotel chain. Willingness to match against, say, Hilton Honors is unique, easy, and aggressive.
SkyTeam elite status makes travel easier on Delta.
Capital One has done something game-changing. They’ve made their points more lucrative. Venture customers can continue to redeem their miles with no blackout dates on all travel-related purchases
— at the same rate as before. This just adds the option to transfer points to airline miles if you’d like.
China Southern has become a stepchild within the SkyTeam alliance, with Delta taking an equity stake in China Eastern and China Eastern taking an equity stake in Air France. Moreover with Delta’s Korean Air joint venture, China Southern Guangzhou connections become less important still.
American Airlines took an equity stake in China Southern (natch) but their codesharing relationship was limited by SkyTeam rules.
Gary Leff is one of the foremost experts in the field of miles, points, and frequent business travel -- a topic he has covered since 2002.
Co-founder of frequent flyer community InsideFlyer.com, emcee of the Freddie Awards, and named one of the "World's Top Travel Experts" by Conde' Nast Traveler (2010-Present) Gary has been a guest on most major news media, profiled in several top print publications, and published broadly on the topic of consumer loyalty. More About Gary »
