The best frequent flyer programmes

Domestic

Jet Privilege
Jet Airways’s Frequent Flyer Programme (FFP), Jet Privilege, is India’s oldest and most comprehensive frequent flyer programme.

While some might complain that you have to fly a lot to earn free flights, Jet Airways does take care of its higher-tier Gold and Platinum members with expedited check-in counters, extra baggage allowances and more. Occasionally, the airline also sends higher-tier members upgrade vouchers to move from Economy to Business Class. On Full Fare Economy, you earn 709 miles on a one-way flight between Delhi and Mumbai and you need 15 one-way sectors on this route to earn a free flight. However, the amount of miles you earn depends on the type of fare you have booked on as well as on your membership level on the programme.

Jet Privilege also has a host of partner airlines where you can use your Jet Privilege membership to earn and redeem miles. These include JetLite (the erstwhile Air Sahara), Air France, Lufthansa and Thai Airways. You can also earn miles on your Jet Privilege membership on stays at certain hotel chains (like ITC-Welcomgroup and The Oberoi’s) and car rental companies (like Avis and Hertz).

Check out www.jetairways.com for further details.

International

Miles & More

This started as Lufthansa’s in-house FFP, but evolved into a multi-airline card. Lufthansa is among the largest European carriers out of India, so this FFP has over 300,000 members in this country.

You get huge benefits across the world (including the ability to swap miles for tickets to Bayern Munich football games and some holidays) and if you find yourself making it to the super-exclusive ‘HON’ Circle (600,000 status miles in two years), you even get a 24x7 concierge service. Because Lufthansa is a member of the Star Alliance, this card also entitles members to free flights on other Star Alliance (SAS, Singapore Airlines, Thai, United and US Airways, among them) airlines.

Check at www.miles-and-more.com for more details.