Moira Magro, public relations, Air Malta plc, Luqa
How to earn KMiles with Air Malta
I refer to the letter entitled Twenty-Seven Air Malta Flights For A Free Ticket by Michael Borg (November 9). Flypass is Air Malta’s frequent flyer programme. It gives the opportunity to Air Malta’s clients to earn KMiles every time they travel on the airline’s scheduled services and on code-shared flights with partner airlines such as Lufthansa and Swiss. The number of KMiles earned is dependent on flight segment, type of service and fare.
Extra KMiles are earned when using other Air Malta services. When booking online, passengers earn an extra 500 KMiles. An additional 1,000 KMiles are earned when passengers check in online. Depending on the membership tier level, passengers are granted an extra percentage bonus on the applicable amount of flown KMiles, the lowest being 35 per cent.
Taking Mr Borg’s example, a passenger booking a saver fare to Frankfurt, which is the lowest fare, will earn 1,300 KMiles. If we add 1,500 KMiles for booking and checking in online plus 35 per cent tier level bonus, the total amount of KMiles earned would be 3,255 KMiles. This means that, in order to obtain enough KMiles to qualify for a free return flight to Frankfurt, a passenger has to travel 12 times to Frankfurt and not as miscalculated by Mr Borg.
Moreover, a passenger may opt to take advantage of the Take Off Award, whereby the members can utilise 10,000 KMiles and benefit from a 25 per cent discount on the applicable fare of a particular destination.
Permanent members who earn 10,000 KMiles through Air Malta scheduled flown flights in a calendar year are entitled to 35 per cent tier bonus KMiles over and above the KMiles accrued on flown flights whereas Diamond members are entitled to a 50 per cent bonus.
May we remind Flypass members they can also accumulate KMiles when using particular services offered by Flypass partners such as banks, dining outlets, car rentals and other non-travel partners.
The list of partners is on the new Flypass online newsletter at www.airmalta.com/flypass-news.
From time to time, Air Malta also encourages its clients to benefit from earning extra KMiles when it offers double KMiles on particular destinations and booking hotel accommodation through its website at www.airmalta.com.
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Joseph Calleja
Nov 17th 2010, 15:22
Ms Magro I think you have just opened a Pandoras Box. It seems that your service leaves a lot to be desired according to the comments below. I have a suggestion for all those who call the public relations, Air Malta plc, Luqa, please don't call during lunch and break times because they don't answer the phones at those particular times. So please be patient and keep calling.
Stefan Engelbert
Nov 17th 2010, 15:10
Interesting. But why did I never get those extra miles? I always book online and I always check in online. To put insult to that I still have just a piece of paper instead of a proper plastic card - even though I have enough miles on the card.
J. Stafrace
Nov 17th 2010, 13:46
I totally agree that clocking Kmiles is quite easy, but redeeming them is another kettle of fish. It's like an obstacle race. I have some 70,000 kmiles and only once I managed to get a free seat upgrade. To get through to the flypass unit is quite a hard task. Moreover, I have come to learn that miles earned through code share airlines are not valid for upgrading to the next tier. Is this correct Ms Magro?
Michael Borg
Nov 17th 2010, 13:18
Dear Ms. Magro,
Thank you for the clarification. Your reference to miscalculation is respectfully incorrect; indeed, the facts that I raised have not been disputed by you. You have simply tried to come up with ways to increase the number of points per flight. However, for your information, your suggestions are limited by the following practical circumstances. The major reason frequent flyers go to Frankfurt is to connect with Lufthansa flights; in this common situation, it is not possible to book online since your on-line system is not linked with that of Star Alliance - to book separately would be unrealistic in its expense. Similarly, because of the normal tight connection times in the busiest airport in Europe, desk check-in is essential in order to have a boarding pass for the ongoing flight. Wouldn;t it be easier - not to mention fairer on your supposedly esteemed clientele - to simply take my suggestion and revise, pro-rata, the airmiles needed to get a free flight so as to make them equivalent to the significantly lower allocations on the same flights? And whilst you are at it eliminate the early booking fine?
Andrew Mumford
Nov 17th 2010, 13:02
KMiles are a bit like UK Nectar points - they are easy to accumulate, but almost impossible to do anything with. Last year I tried to use my accumulation of KMiles, and could only get any information on how to do so from Customer Services. They offered me a discount off a standard fare if I jumped through some hoops on dates of travel, but I found it cheaper and far simpler still just to book online. I have travelled on AM hundreds of times over the years, and much prefer them to anyone else, but this sort of illusory 'bonus' is actually counter productive.
Phil Humphries
Nov 17th 2010, 10:46
Clocking-up the KMiles is easy enough, but exchanging them for something you actually want is an exercise in climbing mountains and jumping through hoops, not to mention the admin charges.
Barbara Galea
Nov 17th 2010, 17:00
I am about to book flights to Malta for next year and have some KMiles!..I have no idea if I can redeem them when booking online? I cant see anywhere where I can?..is it possible?
Thanks
RMangion
Nov 17th 2010, 09:22
Dear Ms Magro,
With all respect, why does it take AGES to reach the flypass unit ? I mean I had an issue and I had to phone twice your call centre for them to tell flypass to call me, I was phoning repeatedly for an hour on both numbers and its like I am calling limbo. NO ANSWERR. This also happened when I wanted to book my take off award in September. Get those lines working and customer care going before writing such articles.