Best SkyTeam option for European residents

Being in Amsterdam, Skyteam is of particular interest to me. Amsterdam Schiphol serves as the base for KLM Airlines and the international hub for Delta Airlines, both of which are part of the Skyteam alliance.

Moving to Amsterdam, one might consider changing his FFP to KLMś Flying Blue; which may be a good option.

In this post, I try to compare Deltaś SkyMiles program with KLMś Flying Blue, and try to pick a winner for Dutch (or even EU) residents.

Evaluate your forthcoming travel:

Before considering frequent flyer programs, it is a good idea to estimate the travel one would undertake over the coming year. Based in AMS, I would have at least 2 AMS-BOM return trips. Delta serves a direct flight on this path, but will cease operations to BOM in April. This means that each AMS-BOM return journey would involve at least 4 segments (AMS - <some_airport> - BOM and back). Each return trip would also be providing me with about 9000 miles.

Set your goals:

Before choosing an alliance and sticking with it, it is imperative to have a clear goal in mind. What do I aim at achieving by the end of the year? Do I want Elite status, or do I just want miles for free travel? Are upgrades important? Do I need/want lounge access (at what airport)?

These goals can help in calculations and make it easier to quantify the returns on joining an airlineś frequent flyer program.

Make some gross calculations (consider all earning opportunities):

Case 1 : Flying Blue:

The Flying Blue program ensures great availability in AMS. Also, getting Elite status with them, can help in accessing KLMs crown lounges at Amsterdam Schiphol.

Flying Blue has a lower number of segments needed for Elite statuses (15 for Silver, 30 for gold) when compared to Delta. Since I will be making at least 8 (4*2) segments by traveling on AMS-BOM-AMS, this is a great option for me. Moreover getting a Flying Blue co-branded card from American Express can provide me with additional qualifying flights (See: http://earnandburnmiles.blogspot.nl/2015/01/a-comparison-of-travel-credit-cards-in.html), making reaching Elite tiers using qualifying flights easier.

It is also possible to gain status using qualifying miles. 2 AMS-BOM-AMS segments will provide me with about 18.000 level miles. For me, getting to 25.000 miles for silver becomes difficult even with the level miles provided by the Flying Blue AMEX.

One fact to note is that KLM does not credit 100% mileage for all fares. So traveling in cheaper cabins will be far less rewarding when compared to SkyMiles. If one aims at accumulating miles for redemption on free/cheap tickets, KLM is certainly a bad choice.

Case 2: Delta SkyMiles:

I love SkyMiles as Delta makes earning miles ridiculously easy. Almost all fare classes accumulate 100% miles, which can cause a swell in your mile balance. Also Deltaś miles do not expire at all. Using an American Express charge card (or EuroDollar card), one can earn Membership Rewards that can be transferred to SkyMiles (See: http://earnandburnmiles.blogspot.nl/2015/01/a-comparison-of-travel-credit-cards-in.html).

This makes me believe that DL SkyMiles is of great value for anyone not interested in statuses, but in using miles for free travel. Do note that using SkyMiles on DL flights can be very expensive (and that DL charges a fuel surcharge for non-US originating flights). However it is a great idea to burn SkyMiles on travel with other Skyteam partners (including KLM) as it is much cheaper.

Verdict:

For me, Delta seems to be a great choice for travelers who aim at getting status using qualifying miles (as the requirements are almost the same as those of Flying Blue). Also, it is very easy to accumulate DL miles, as they provide 100% accrual for almost all fare classes. Since I travel in Economy most of the time, DL is what I would put my money on.

For anyone who travels on more expensive tickets, or wants to gain status using qualifying flights, KLMś flying blue is a great option. The American Express Flying Blue cards can help by providing additional qualifying flights (and qualifying miles).