Hey Big Speenders

Airlines love to post eye-catching deals but frequent flyers should stick to Flex fares if they want to jump tiers, collect bonus miles and secure their premium status.

- Dominic Ellis

Most aspects of travel are straightforward, but airline loyalty? It remains a web of miles, points, tiers, fares and upgrades, filling online forums day after day. I find it puzzling for different reasons; the inbox will always be full of routes, openings and deals but I can go weeks without receiving anything on loyalty.

The ambivalence may be partly attributable to carriers who, on the one hand, are keen to court premium-spending frequent flyers, while on the other, posting cheaper fares which will fill their cabins but do little for their yields – or your status.

Corporate budgets may be squeezed but business travellers should stick to the fundamentals. They need to fly regularly on Flex fares which yield bonus miles and only by sticking to the higher fares will they jump tiers or maintain their premium status. To reach the top-tier Platinum with Emirates, for example, you need to rack up 150,000 miles which works out 24 sectors a year, or say, a flight every two weeks. Maintaining your status is important for all the add-on benefits that come from a premium membership, from increased baggage allowances and lounge access to chauffeur pick-ups, which all help make life on the road more enjoyable and productive.

There are other benefits too. Alongside ticket flexibility, if you’re travelling in Emirates economy on a Flex or Flex Plus fare you won’t have to pay for advance seat reservation (fees were introduced on Economy Special and Saver fares last October). Flex also offers you the possibility to upgrade before the flight, whereas Saver you can only upgrade 48 hours before (you can jump one cabin).

“Flex is very important in two aspects,” says Skywards’ Senior Vice President Dr. Nejib Ben Khedher. “If you talk about an economy ticket, flex gives you higher tier miles and if you’re status driven, it’s 2/2.5 times higher with the miles you earn.”