NEWS FLASH
Air Serbia is exploring the possibility of introducing a new frequent flyer program to replace Etihad Guest, which it currently uses in cooperation with Etihad Airways. Speaking at the CAPA Aviation Summit in Gibraltar, Air Serbia’s CEO, Jiri Marek, said, “We are at a crossroads because we are still part of the Etihad Airways loyalty program, despite that we no longer have any touchpoints with Etihad. We don’t even have a codeshare. We are currently looking at different options. Either at exploring this matter as part of the current Joint Venture talks with Turkish Airlines so that we can become a member of that program [Miles&Smiles] or that we create something new. We want to do a proper job with it, so we are taking our time. We don’t want to quickly jump into something and be unable to deliver. There are 692 airlines, so the library of knowledge and experience is big. Therfore, we can innovate and cherry-pick the best idea and once we decide to go our own way, we want to have something that can be trusted and that can be delivered to passengers”. Air Serbia has been part of Etihad Guest since 2013.
Dang, just when I'm on the verge of getting a Silver status now that I'm flying for work again, they plan to discontinue the program :/ It'd be good if I could port my status to whatever the new program will be, but I highly doubt it...
ReplyDeleteThey will status match for sure.
DeleteAbout the bloody time
ReplyDeleteI am already Silver member in this programme, but the problem is that as JU passenger you can't enter Lounge in Belgrade if you fly Economy (changed in 2017 and never returned as normal priviliege of Silver Member) and you can't check-in 1 piece of luggage FOC if you fly Light.
ReplyDeleteUsually all of it can be done on EY flights in AUH.
I find it pathetic as the only real privilege you might have as Silver Member is Business Class check in counter (so called "priority check in").
They don't even send you plastic silver card anymore to your home address. Can you guess what is the explanation for it? Of course - pandemic! 🤣🤣🤣
I hope they will change these stupid points if they join new FF programme or create one and of course that they will transfer a status to all existing silver, gold and platinum members.
Where do they state that they don't send out plastic membership cards anymore? I've tried to get it shipped to me twice but never received anything.
DeleteThey told me that in telephone call.
DeleteNot that I'm defending them but most airlines still don't issue FF cards. I'm waiting for my Qatar Airways one and it says on their site they have suspended them due to the pandemic.
DeleteWell Etihad does not send cards also.. the app is used as a "card" so you can show it at chek in and get benefits
DeleteJU520 BEGLAX
ReplyDeleteGo for Miles & Smiles.
DeleteFinally! YU need to rethink their whole premium experience.
ReplyDeleteI hold both a Miles&More Senator and a EY Gold card. Unlike with LH, both at BEG and at outstations the ground employees don't know anything about the status benefits. I regularly have to argue with staff about using the priority lane in BEG, when flying Y, or the check-in staff doesn't know the policies for additional / excess baggage. Unlike with LH, there is no specific customer service for status customers (only for program related issues). There are some easy perks YU could introduce onboard, like a blocked neighboring seat or a simple hello like LH do it...
One Word:
ReplyDeleteOneworld.
Two words: no alliance.
DeleteThese frequent flier programs are apparently HUGE money for airlines. It encourages [forces] people to fly with airlines that they would really never fly with if they had a choice (wink wink to stale Air Canada). There are a lot of options on the table, if Air Serbia creates it's own program then it would get bought out sooner or later by one of the big alliances, but that is not necessarily a bad thing. If it joins a big alliance it gets their traffic but also has to give those rewards.
ReplyDeleteAir Serbia will not join airline alliances.
DeleteMiles & Smiles would be great, but Lufthansa would never agree to something like that, as this is a sister program to Miles & More. LH would loose a number of benefits over JU when flying from BEG.
ReplyDeleteWithout being a member to some alliance, they will probably need to introduce something on their own, which will probably be a disaster.
Also, to be realistic, they probably have a deadline from EY to leave their program.
Miles & Smiles has absolutely nothing to do with Miles & More, in fact they couldn't be further apart. LH is actively sabotaging their frequent flyers who fly on TK by only crediting 25% of the miles you'd normally accrue on any other *A carrier. The two airlines have been at the edge of conflict for years now.
DeleteWell, “absolutely nothing and “crediting” at the same time is a bit contradictory statement?
DeleteSvojevremeno Jatov program "Let vise" uopste nije bio los jer se na 4 obavljena leta bez obzira na placenu cenu peti dobijao besplatno.
ReplyDeleteTakav program je velikodusan u poredjenju sa sadasnjim programima.
Long overdue this is great news. I think joining Turkish’s programme is a good idea however I would like to see it expanded to benefit businesses in Serbia, like it does where you can claim miles to buy from Turkish businesses. They need to customise it. That has always been the problem with Etihad Guest never benefited air serbia.
ReplyDeleteAvios is bar far best for econony passangers others are ripoff.i can claim flight or deduct from my current price all the other miles are waist.
ReplyDelete