Millemiglia Alitalia a guide for newbies, here's everything you need to know

The Alitalia Millemiglia program to date has more than 5 million members. Enrollment is free and often a small welcome bonus is also available.

There are 3 levels called "exclusive clubs", to level up you need to earn qualifying miles and with each one you enjoy different bonuses. Let's see them in detail.

Millemiglia card

This is the basic level that you get as soon as you join the program. It allows you to earn miles both by flying and through partnerships with hotels, stores, e-commerce, car rental and many other services.

Before going on to explain the benefits, some brief explanations of the various terminologies.

Qualifying flights are all those legs that are made by a passenger, excluding those with special fares, such as group fares. If 10 qualifying flights must be completed to obtain an offer, it means, unless otherwise stated, 10 individual legs, or 5 round-trip tickets. In addition, if my trip includes a connection, I will get an additional qualifying flight. Let's take an example: our trip Genoa - New York includes a connection in Rome Fiumicino, at the end of my trip I will have completed 6 qualifying flights.

Qualifying miles are earned by flying or using amex/alitalia cards to buy Alitalia tickets. The value of miles earned per flight varies depending on the class of travel and fare paid, e.g., super economy fares do not qualify for mileage accrual.

Alitalia Club Ulysses

It is obtained if within a calendar year the following are achieved. 30 flights or 20,000 miles qualifiers.

The main benefits are the ability to check in at business class counters, check one extra bag on each flight, priority boarding on board, and a 25% bonus of miles earned per flight.

There is also a way that allows direct access to the Ulysses club, without the achievement of 30 flights or 20k annual miles. This is what we might call an American Express Alitalia-branded elevator, a card that provides for all holders of the Gold version, both personal and business, Ulysses status for the first year and a halving of the miles required for renewals starting in the second year.

Alitalia Winged Arrow Club

It is obtained if within a calendar year the following are reached 50 flights or 50,000 miles qualifiers.

If to become Ulysses, it takes "very little" to access CFA, however, you have to fly a lot. Without at least one intercontinental in premium class, it is very difficult to achieve.

Added to the benefits of the lower tier are access to AZ lounges every time you fly, access to preferential airport gates effectively skipping the lines at checkpoints, and a richer 50% bonus of miles flown.

To give an example flying with Alitalia from Rome Fiumicino to Los Angeles in premium economy class, one can easily earn 20 thousand qualifying miles with just one flight.

Again, there is a direct way to receive the Winged Arrow card, which is to sign up for the most prestige of american express alitalia: platinum. This card guarantees status for the first year and then reduces the level required for renewal to 30k MMQ per year.

Winged Arrow Plus Club

If reaching the Winged Arrow level is "possible," for the Plus level you have to be a commuter of the skies, because either you fly at least 4 intercontinental flights a year in premium class or you have to make 60 flights or 80 thousand miles qualifying over a 12-month period.

No chance for facilitation, this level is achieved only by flying or almost flying. 

The benefits are: a generous bonus of 100% of the miles flown, a CFA card to give to whomever you want, and the opportunity, by maintaining this level continuously for 10 years, to become a Winged Arrow for Life.

N.B. All tiers include the possibility of taking advantage of upgrades, which could be a nice perk, too bad that in reality you have to have bought the full fare ticket in order to take advantage of them, not discounted. Often a full economy class ticket (Y) costs more than a business class ticket on offer, which is why these upgrades are difficult to obtain.

Easier, on the other hand, for CFAs to get in-flight upgrades by paying with miles, in which case all you have to do is be on an intercontinental flight and if seats are available you can, paying with miles, request them from the staff on the plane.

Standard and qualifying miles, what they are and how they are earned

There are two types of miles in the Alitalia loyalty program.

Qualifying miles are those that determine membership status; they are earned by flying with both Alitalia and partner airlines. The value of the miles you earn depends on the route flown, fare and class of travel.

Qualifying miles expire at the end of each year.

Standard miles are the sum of qualifying miles and all bonus miles earned during each flight, including those from any promotions and special offers. This type of miles is also earned through partners (credit cards, hotels, car rentals, and all other partners in the AZ catalog).

These are the miles that can be turned into airline tickets, class upgrades, discounts through cash and miles and purchases on the millemiglia gallery portal.

How to get qualifying miles without flying?

Qualifying miles are the most valuable and difficult to obtain; they can only be earned by flying or, if you are a credit card holder branded Alitalia can also be earned by buying Alitalia tickets, obviously only on the AZ site or the Amex travel site.

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