Skyteam announces ITA entry and that Millemiglia points can continue to be used for award flights
Yesterday was the day of the official announcement of ITA Airways' entry into the SkyTeam alliance. It is unclear, however, whether this [...]
ITA Airways
Alitalia
SkyTeam
Yesterday was the day of the official announcement of ITA Airways' entry into theSkyTeam alliance. It is not clear, however, whether this is a fixed-term membership by the new Italian flag carrier or whether it is the final choice.
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In previous statements, it seemed that the company led by Altavilla had opted for a bridging solution, the most practical since Alitalia had always been a member of this alliance, ahead of the final decision.
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Yesterday's announcement, complete with handshakes, photo ops, press releases and all, suggest instead that the choice is final.
There is also a passage in the press release that talks about the old program and Alitalia Loyalty, which is the manager of the Millemiglia program since the company ceased operations.
 Alitalia ceased operations on October 14 and left the SkyTeam global airline alliance on the same date. SkyTeam has agreed with Alitalia Loyalty to continue the partnership that will enable the six million members of the MilleMiglia frequent flyer program to earn and redeem miles on selected SkyTeam members' flights, offering a wealth of opportunities and exclusive services.
The original press release reads. Translated into Italian, it appears that Alitalia Loyalty also remains in the SkyTeam alliance, although it is no longer an airline. The most interesting passage, however, is one that anticipates that the old Millemiglia points may continue to be used On the alliance carriers, so ITA as well.
This could thus be the buffer solution identified by the new company in order not to abandon former Alitalia frequent flyers. First he proposed the status match And now, while no longer running the program Millemiglia, will still give the 6 million members a chance to use their accumulated points To reserve award tickets.
Now to get confirmation we just have to wait for the announcement from Alitalia Loyalty. What is certain is that at the moment the existing statuses will be honored by all the alliance companies and thus the associated benefits.
In conclusion
ITA's choice to remain in SkyTeam is, in my opinion, the easiest choice but also the worst. The easiest because ITA will have to invest little or nothing since it will continue to be in the old AZ alliance; the worst because Delta and the AF/KLM duo are unlikely to leave more room than they did with the old Alitalia.