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).

A comparison of travel Credit Cards in the Netherlands

Credit card sign up bonuses are a great way to acquire lots of miles in a short span of time. Moreover spending with Credit Cards ensures that oneś balance of miles is replenished regularly. Countries like the United States and the United Kingdom have great credit cards that offer a significant sign up bonus. But here, in the Netherlands such cards are a rarity.

I have inquired with many banks about reward earning credit cards, and almost all of them have replied in the negative. However American Express offers some credit cards that can help earn reward points.

In this post, I aim to compare different CC options in the Netherlands and choose a winner.

American Express – Flying Blue cards:

The AMEX Flying blue cards are indispensable for customers of Air France-KLMś Flying Blue loyalty program. These cards are offered in different variants (Entry, Silver, Gold, Platinum) and they offer different bonuses.

Here is a comparison of the cards:

	Sign up bonus	Earning rate	Qualifying Flights	Fees
Silver AMEX	2.500	0,8 award mile/€	2	Free 1st year, €75/year
Gold AMEX	10.000	1 award mile/€	4	€170/year
Platinum AMEX	20.000	1,5 award mile/€	8	€600/year

The gold and the platinum AMEX do offer 1,5 and 2 award & level miles (respectively) /€ spent on KLM/Air France tickets. If you manage to get the cards using a referral, the benefits are even more. For instance, upon signing up for the Gold card using a referral, the 1^st year fee is waived off, and a referral for the silver card gives 4.000 miles upon sign up instead of the regular 2.500

Using these cards once every 20 months ensures that your Flying Blue miles don´t expire.

American Express – Charge Cards:

These are charge cards that offer Membership Rewards (MRs) for every € spent. MRs can be redeemed on-line on the AMEX shop, or can be transferred to airline or hotel partners. Although every MR is valued less than a mile when being transferred to a partner, I prefer these cards due to the flexibility they offer.

Instead of being tied to Flying Blue, these cards can be used to transfer points to Delta, British Airways and other partners. Occasionally AMEX does run promotions where the value of every MR is doubled upon being transferred.

I prefer the Gold charge card over the Flying Blue Gold as it does include 2 complementary visits to lounges at Schiphol. Moreover these cards are cheaper!

	Sign up bonus	Earning rate	Qualifying Flights	Fees
Green **	5.500	1 MR/€	0	€65/year
Gold	12.500	1 MR/€	0	€150/year
Platinum	20.000	1 MR/€	0	€700/year

** The Green card offers 2MR/€ for overseas spends! This makes it almost perfect for international travelers.

American Express – EuroDollar Charge cards:

The EuroDollar charge cards are offered by American Express UK and not by American Express Netherlands. I believe that this is the best credit card option for Dutch residents as these cards offer Membership Rewards that can be redeemed on a much larger selection of partners.

Airlines like Etihad and Emirates are partners for AMEX EuroDollar and not for the regular Dutch AMEX. Moreover for many transfers the MR to mile conversion ratio is much better than the Dutch AMEX.

However, when getting these cards one must ensure getting a referral. There is no sign-up bonus if one applies for these cards without a referral.

	Sign up bonus (referral needed)	Earning rate	Qualifying Flights	Fees
Green	5.000	1 MR/€	0	Free 1st year, €100/year later
Gold	8.000	1 MR/€	0	€300/year
Platinum	15.000	1 MR/€	0	€550/year

Verdict:

I personally believe that getting the American Express EuroDollar charge card is a great option. These cards offer a great flexibility when transferring Membership Rewards to airline partners (I am not very much a Flying Blue fan). However, one must get these cards via a referral, to gain from the sign up bonuses.

For members of the Flying Blue program, the FB AMEX is almost a no-brainer. Not only does it extend the validity of your miles; the extra level miles and qualifying flights that the FB AMEX provides can help in gaining/maintaining Elite status.

Of all these cards, only the Dutch Gold and Platinum AMEX cards offer Lounge access at AMS, and this is another factor to be kept in mind. The Platinum EuroDollar does include complimentary Priority Pass membership as well.

Remember: Always try getting the card via a referral!