"Simplicity" was the watchword repeated over and over again by the managers ofAir France KLMs new format on Monday. Flying Blue. It's true that the intricacies of Air France KLM's frequent flyer programme - like those of many other carriers - tend to make even the most seasoned travellers dizzy. " Today, if you're not an expert, you suffer more than you act "confesses Frédéric Kahane. The Director of Air France-KLM's Flying Blue frequent flyer programme even believes that ". 50% of members do not understand how the programme works" . Frédéric Kahane went on to say that the aim of this reorganisation was to make the programme so simple that the rules could be written on the back of the card. An ambition that has certainly not yet been achieved, but perhaps the efforts will pay off before the Flying Blue card is completely paperless...
make it the preferred loyalty programme for travellers in Europe by 2020
Two years of work and some 15 million euros investment has been used to rethink the way the frequent flyer programme works, to make it easier to understand and, as a result, to increase its popularity. Since its launch in June 2005, Flying Blue has involved no fewer than 31 million passengersand now claims 15 million members. Not enough for the airline group, which intends to make it the preferred loyalty programme for travellers in Europe by 2020.
To achieve this, a number of changes will come into force on 1st April. The main change concerns the calculation of miles earned. Gone is the geographical ratio: the number of miles earned will now be based on the price of the ticket. For every euro spent, members Ivory, Silver, Gold and Platinum will therefore receive 4, 6, 7 and 8 Miles respectively.
The other major turn is called XP - a clear reference to the world of video games. These new "Experience points will therefore determine the traveller's membership level. Silver status corresponds to 100 XP, compared with 180 XP for Gold and 300 XP for Platinum. The calculation of these experience points is also simple. Clearly, five categories of distance have been defined, to be related to the travel class. " We're the only ones doing it, taking logic to the extreme "says Frédéric Kahane. And since a good table is sometimes better than a long speech, here is the new spreadsheet that will come into force on 1 April:
Reward ticket reservations will also be extended to all seats on board Air France, KLM, HOP!, Joon and Transavia flights. This change will come into effect in June. For the time being, no changes have been announced in terms of the benefits offered to passengers in terms of ground services.
" With Flying Blue, we are enriching the experience of millions of passengers while creating value for our Group.says Jean-Marc Janaillac, Chairman and CEO of Air France-KLM. The programme has become an essential travel companion and the common basis for customer relations between Air France-KLM airlines. Adapted to simplify the member experience and enhance attractiveness, the new Flying Blue will support our sales offensive and our strategy of personalising customer service. "he adds.
