Tag Archives: airberlin

All Airberlin topbonus status match offers to oneworld alliance

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Airberlin’s last day as a oneworld member airline will be October 27, 2017. But it doesn’t mean your topbonus status has to be wasted.  There’re several status match opportunities with several oneworld airlines.

Iberia Plus status match

iberia plus status match

iberia plus status match

Currently the best oneworld status match offer. You can match topbonus Silver (oneworld Ruby) status to Iberia Plus Silver.

In case you have topbonus Gold or Platinum (oneworld Sapphire and Emerald) you can get Iberia Plus Gold (oneworld Sapphire).

You need to fill in the status match request document, which is in German, but… Google translate would help! Send it to ibpcampaign@iberia.es or clasica@iberia.es, including photos or screenshots of your current topbonus status.

The best part of Iberia Plus status match is that it’s not asking to do any flight challenges, so you can just receive the status and start using it immediately.

Finnair Plus status match and challenge

finnair plus status match

finnair plus status match

Finnair will only match topbonus members to Finnair Plus Silver (oneworld Ruby), irrespectively of having higher tier.

Reaching Finnair Gold status will require a Gold Challenge, which requires 40,000 tier points or 23 flights within 6 months. All details are available on Finnair status match webpage.

I got my status matched within 2 weeks after sending the required information to Finnair.

British Airways Executive Club status match + bonus Avios

 

BA Executive Club Silver

BA Executive Club Silver

British Airways, same as Finnair, is only matching to BA Bronze (oneworld Ruby).

 

If you are an existing Executive Club Member,  you need send an email at ABtieroffer@ba.com with your Executive Club membership details and attach evidence of your airberlin topbonus tier status by the 30 November.

If you are not an existing member, you will need to join first. You will also be eligible for an additional 4,500 Avios when you join before the 30th of November.

if you take 4 flights with British Airways before the 31 December 2017, you will receive additional 9,000 bonus Avios.

Full details are available at BA status match page

Royal Jordanian Airlines Royal Plus top-tier status match

Royal Jordanian status match

Royal Jordanian status match

Quite “exotic” status match from Royal Jordanian airlines. The offer is valid only for top-tier statuses (Gold and Platinum). The status match requires a flight with RJ to “activate” the status and member must achieve 20,000 miles within the first 12 months to keep the matched status, otherwise, the card level will be demoted.

Full details are available on Royal Jordanian status match page, This status match is only making sense if you have travel plans with RJ, which has quite nice business class.

Personally, I have already matched to Finnair Plus and plan on matching to Iberia Plus. I don’t see myself using RJ anytime soon. And in good, old-fashioned traditions, British Airways are offering close to a useless status match.

Which program would you choose?

Airberlin topbonus status match to EuroBonus level

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It’s not a secret that airberlin topbonus program runs everlasting status match program, matching existing customers status to their Top Bonus Silver (oneWorld Ruby) or Gold (oneWorld Sapphire) card.

However, I was surprised how fast and smooth the status matching process is. I was forced to book a flight with Royal Jordanian airlines, as my beloved Aegean isn’t operating any flights to Amman on required date. With the only option left being Royal Jordanian, which is in the same oneWorld alliance as airberlin, I decided to status match my SAS EuroBonus Gold status to airberlin topbonus program.

How topbonus Status Match works

Email to statusmatch@topbonus.de and provide the following information:

  • Your topbonus number
  • A legible scan/photo/copy of your other valid frequent flyer card (I sent an iPhone screenshot of my SAS EuroBonus status)
  • Your application will be reviewed and processed by our Service-Team.

In addition, I was asked to provide a photo of passport, national ID or any other proof of my Swedish residency. All in all, my status was matched within one day, which is really impressive. When few years ago I tried status match SAS EuroBonus to Turkish Airlines Miles and More, followed by Alitalia MilleMiglia program, it took me 2 weeks at least.

With airberlin topbonus it took just 2 emails and less than 24 hours. Impressive German efficiency!

I received airberlin topbonus Gold status that is valid for 12 months, mostly for the sake of fast track and lounge access. Here are the full benefits:

  • 50 % more status and award miles on flights (Executive Bonus)
  • free seat and XL/preferred seat reservations
  • free access to more than 650 Business Class and Frequent Flyer Lounges at airberlin and oneworld® worlwide
  • free adjacent seat
  • priority boarding
  • security fast lane

In order to be able to use status match, you need to be a resident in one of the following countries: Germany, Austria, Switzerland, Sweden, Denmark, Finland or Norway. You can also match to airberlin topbonus Silver status, but the benefits are quite negligible if you travel on oneworld partners.

Update:

Airberlin topbonus gold card

My card has arrived within a week by priority mail and I bought lanyards for staff here. The package included one topbonus gold card valid until 08/2018 and two luggage tags.

And I completely agree with “Gold suits you perfectly!”… indeed it does!

Austrian airlines and Eurowings operated by Air Berlin-Aftermatch

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I previously wrote about very confusing flight reservation with flight codes OS (belonging to Austrian Airlines), but operated by Air Berlin for both Austrian Airlines and Eurowings.

Now the flight is in the past and here is how it works out in reality.

Austrian airlines and Eurowings operated by Air Berlin

Flights:

OS8868 – Madrid-Vienna on flight
Operated by: Air Berlin for Eurowings

OS307 – Vienna-Copenhagen on flight number
Operated by: Air Berlin for Austrian Airlines.

Air Berlin for Eurowings flight

It is flying from Terminal 1 Madrid Barajas airport. I did not notice any mentioning of OS flight, rather it was only marked as EW flight. With Star Alliance Gold you do not get any benefits. No Fast Track, no lounge access, no priority boarding.

And no points, however check-in girl was insisting to take our EuroBonus numbers and assuring we will get some points for the first leg. Nope, nothing. Simply treat any  Star Alliance flight operated by Eurowings as just taking EasyJet.

My overall impressing of the flight can be named with just one word…LEFTOVERS.

Airplane in Eurowings livery, Air Berlin crew, partually NIKI and partually Lufthansa trays and kitchenware. It really felt like the flight was just assembled from whatever was left from 4 different airlines.

It is quite sad feeling, but heads up to the crew, they were quite polite, smiling and professional.

Austrian airlines operated by Air Berlin

To my surprise, even aircraft’s livery had “operated by Air Berlin” on it. I was thinking it was just a temprorary thing, given Air Berlin condition. Apparently, it is much deeper cooperation.

The flight has proper OS number, airplane and everything else is Austrian with small addition of “operated by Air Berlin”.

The crew, including the captain, are from Air Berlin and in Air Berlin uniform.

Austrian operated by Air Berlin flight gives full Star Alliance benefits, including lounge access, priority boarding and miles (wobbling 150 EuroBonus miles in economy class). There is also tradition onboard service, including sweat or sour snack (crackers or peanuts), water, coffee/tea and even wine.

I was able to check-in my luggage all the from Madrid to Copenhagen, but as the first flight was Eurowing, I did not get the priority tag. And my friend’s luggage didn’t arrive at all, but got delivered the day after.

airberlin topbonus includes economy light fare miles

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Airberlin topbonus program

From 1 March 2017, flights in every airberlin fare, including previously excluded economy light, will count towards reaching and maintaining airberlin topbonus status.
Domestic flights with airberlin will earn 125 topbonus miles and others 250. In comparison, airberlin economy classic fare flight earns four times more miles.

It does not seem as much, but every mile counts! In some cases it might help to reach or maintain top tier Silver and Gold airberlin top bonus statuses.

Remember, the current situation with airberlin is quite shaky, and it’s not unlikely that airberlin can go bankruptcy. It’s highly recommended to use airberlin topbonus miles as soon as possible.