There are fairly just a few airways providing invitation-only elite standing, like American Concierge Key, Delta 360, and United International Companies. Nonetheless, do you know that Star Alliance has — or at the least had — a recognition program for its prime 1,000 frequent flyers?
Neither did I, till a reader left a remark about this, and now I’ve fallen down a rabbit gap. I’m curious what number of OMAAT readers belong to this unique membership (even when there are nearly no advantages).
Star Alliance has 1,000 prime frequent flyers
The Star Alliance is the world’s largest international airline alliance, and at the least traditionally the alliance has reportedly supplied a program generally known as High 1000. This appears to be an annual program that’s supplied to acknowledge the “prime 1,000 vacationers” of Star Alliance applications.
For instance, right here’s a FlyerTalk put up the place you’ll be able to see what the welcome package appears like. Right here’s how the welcome letter to members reads:
You would possibly journey for enterprise or leisure — all the best way from the US to Asia, Europe to Central America or Australasia to Africa. Your flights have taken you throughout many nations and continents prior to now yr, no-doubt offering many reminiscences alongside the best way.
We want to thanks for the loyalty proven to your international Star Alliance community!
It’s our pleasure to tell you that you’re one of many prime 1,000 vacationers amongst our 250 Million Star Alliance Frequent Flyer members in XXXX.
As a token of appreciation to your continued belief and help, please settle for our restricted version key ring, handcrafted in Germany completely for Star Alliance.
Thanks once more to your distinctive loyalty to the Star Alliance community. We want you secure and nice travels forward, wherever your subsequent flight might take you.
For what it’s value, I’m seeing some references to this program pre-pandemic, although not a lot prior to now couple of years. I’m unsure if this system has been suspended since then, or individuals simply aren’t speaking about it as a lot.
The qualification necessities for Star Alliance High 1000 aren’t identified, although it appears to be based mostly totally on what number of Star Alliance carriers you’ve flown. It’s not identified to what extent the frequency of journey or fare courses play into this, or for that matter how precisely that is tracked. Is it based mostly on crediting flights on probably the most Star Alliance airways to a single program in a yr?
It looks like this isn’t merely for the individuals most loyal to every Star Alliance airline, however slightly these most loyal to the alliance on the entire, by some unknown metric. I’ve seen point out of needing to fly a minimal of six Star Alliance airways in a yr in an effort to qualify for this.
Sadly don’t anticipate a lot by way of advantages
So, what are the advantages of being one of many 1,000 “greatest” Star Alliance clients, out of 250 million members? Properly, not an entire lot, because it seems. It could seem that the first profit is a key ring. On the one hand, I believe many individuals will admire the sentiment behind recognizing prime flyers. Alternatively, a key ring looks like an affordable technique to acknowledge your prime 0.000004% of consumers, no? 😉
There are not any perks right here when really flying with alliance airways, and Star Alliance Gold continues to be the highest standing tier for the alliance.
Primarily based on the reviews I’ve seen on-line, it will seem that that is really primarily used as a suggestions program, so Star Alliance reaches out to those individuals when it’s trying to do market analysis. So it appears to be extra about serving to Star Alliance slightly than Star Alliance serving to its greatest clients.
On the whole I like the concept of an alliance rewarding clients for attempting totally different airways. It’s form of like World of Hyatt’s Model Explorer promotion, the place you may get a free night time award for each 5 distinctive manufacturers you keep at.
As a lot as I’d like to see the same idea from an alliance that rewards the frequency with which you attempt totally different airways, I wouldn’t rely on it. On the finish of the day, particular person alliance members don’t care an entire lot whether or not you occur to fly one other Star Alliance airline. In the meantime I can’t think about the alliance as such could be trying to spend money on such an idea. But it surely certain could be cool.
Backside line
I used to be right this moment years outdated after I discovered that Star Alliance has (or at the least had) a program that acknowledges its prime 1,000 flyers. It’s not clear how one earns this recognition. For that matter, there don’t really appear to be many perks to this past a key ring. However nonetheless, it’s a enjoyable idea. I can’t imagine I hadn’t heard about this earlier than, so I figured I needed to share…
What do you make of Star Alliance High 1000? Are any OMAAT readers “members” of this membership?
