ITA Airways ships new Executive for Always cards, they are made of metal
We had scouted the first information about the existence of two new Volare program tiles in the past few months. Since then, however, no [...]
ITA Airways
SkyTeam
We had dug up the first information about the existence of two new Volare program cards in recent months. Since then, however, no confirmation or denial about these new levels in ITA Airways' frequent flyer.
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Today, photos of some users who received one of the two cards in question at home began popping up online: the Executive Forever.
Executive forever
It is clear that ITA Airways is recognizing old Winged Arrow Plus "Forever" customers at the same level, viz. lifetime status, without needing to worry about points, flights and qualifying miles anymore even with the new carrier.
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This status is an "award" that many programs recognize to the most loyal passengers, those who have managed to maintain the highest level in frequent flyer status for a minimum of 10 years.
The card is made of metal
The package that comes home Is similar in everything to what comes for regular executive clients, this in fact is the only physical card that is issued by ITA, while the lower levels only have the digital version.
The design in the card is exactly what has been on the SkyTeam website for months.
Even today (Aug. 9) there is still no mention of this card on the ITA Airways website except by looking in the fine print regulations governing lounge access to the Italian flag carrier.
The real novelty is the material from which it is made: not the classic plastic card, but a much heavier metal one, as is the case with the most exclusive credit cards. It would be nice if it turned out that the metal used came from some dismantled aircraft from the old AZ fleet, as done in the U.S. by American Express for its latest credit card in partnership with Delta.
The discontinuity desired by the EU
It is fair to mention that ITA Airways could not buy the old Millemiglia program, which today is still alive and well and always looking for a buyer. The new flag carrier has thus launched status match campaigns to convince old Alitalia members and others to take up the Volare card.
In the regulations of the various Status Match campaigns. this level has never been mentioned, and I believe that in history no company has ever given lifetime status to a customer via status match.
A still immature program
To date, when we are 10 months into the company's existence., the program Flying is still lame in so many functions. The first and fundamental recognition by other Skyteam companies and the possibility of having cross-accumulations of points and qualifying miles, let alone booking a real award ticket.
As we wait to see what will happen to the company, whether it will be sold by the Draghi government or whether the ball will be passed to the future government, all we can do is wait and see.
Now we wait for the Limitless card
Definitely more mysterious is the Limitless card., in design it is completely black with gray lettering. Notice the lack of the tricolor along the bottom edge, a tricolor that is instead present on all ITA Airways cards both digital and physical.
It could be ITA's version of the Ultimate level found in Air France and KLM's loyalty program, but this is my speculation since when I had a chance to talk to people working with ITA they did not tell me anything about it.
In conclusion
ITA's move is definitely "smart." I personally think it is yet another Italian stunt in the style of "made the law, found the deception." The EU commission had said that Millemiglia and users should remain outside the perimeter of the new state-owned company. In doing so, ITA took the good stuff, members and travelers' data, without taking the "debit," that is, the miles that all members had in their accounts and remained in the belly of MyMiglia.
