End of the year time for budgets and future plans
As per tradition at the end of the year, it is time to take some stock and put down on paper the projects [...]
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As per tradition at the end of the year, it is time to take some stock and put down on paper the plans for the coming year. The year 2022 was definitely not the year I envisioned, was definitely much better.
Since I launched this new publishing project, which to be precise is not the first since IVG.it and Genova24.it are celebrating 17 and 13 years respectively this year, this was the year with the most flights, hotel stays, nights in the air and miles flown in my life.
All this flying can be found on these pages and on the brand new youtube channel. Speaking of loyalty programs This year was truly a Top Tier year.
Badges lost in 2022
Like so many frequent flyers around the world. I will also lose some cards this year obtained through promotions or status match. The first one I say goodbye to will be Emirates, Skywards gold level obtained through status match (still active) will expire in a few hours, and unfortunately I was unable to take advantage of it since the flights I had scheduled were cancelled. Farewell also to the level in Virgin Atlantic's Flying Club, but this is a painless loss since as of tomorrow morning Virgin Atlantic will be a full Skyteam member, this card was also the result of a status match.
My tiles in 2023
Starting the year with a situation beyond the most optimistic expectations, both on the airline side and on the side of hotel chains.
With ITA Airways, waiting to see if the sale will lead to Skyteam's farewell and entry into Star Alliance I became Executive. I've flown enough with the new flag carrier, but credit for the jump from Premium to Executive is only because of the points given to all participants in the first status match campaign.
Staying in Skyteam, thanks to a couple of milesrun I had unexpectedly managed to get to the level AF/KLM's Platinum Flying Blue, then the surprise of the Club 2000 card raised the bar even higher, I am currently quiet until mid-2024, certain is that if ITA leaves Skyteam I will do everything to keep this card.
I'm also Emerald in Oneworld thanks to the British Airways Gold card.. This card expires for me in September 23, but if I have done the math right. With the flights I have scheduled I should renew it for another 12 months, but of the three alliances, it is definitely the one I am willing to sacrifice in case of a choice.
Last but not least thanks to the ex officio renewal last January I not only renewed my Gold Krisflyer status, so Star Alliance, for 12 months, But thanks to the rollover of qualifying miles. I am quiet in fact until September 2024 and here it will all depend on ITA Airways and the marriage with Lufthansa and Miles&More.
I maximized my stays in Hilton and Marriott hotels so that I aimed for the maximum, with minimum effort and a pair of mattress run have done the rest. One of the best features of the Honors loyalty program Are rollover nights. Last year I brought 40 to 2022 and this year thanks to the offer of the qualifying double nights I got to 90, translated in 2023 I will only need to do 12 nights to have Diamond status until March 2025.
This year for the first time I aimed to scale the Marriott Bonvoy loyalty program, I usually settled for the free gold status with American Express Platinum, again I took advantage of the qualifying double nights and so I end the year almost at 90 nights, too bad those extra ones are lost and there is no way to bring them back in the new year, patience. I will definitely aim for Platinum, I don't think I can make it for the titanium renewal.
Goals 2023
The first goal is known: Flying on as many A380s as possible, And since now even Etihad has announced the return of its sky giant A new ticket has been added to the wish list. I currently have British Airways, Emirates and Qatar.
If in 2022 the craziest ticket was around the world in six days (in economy), in 2023 Will be the week in first class with Emirates, a ticket taken in 2020 at an unbelievable rate and which I was able to reschedule for June, changing the itinerary and also including the "gamechanger" or the very rare first class aboard EK's 777.
Otherwise, this year I will focus on new companies and new cabins. ITA Airways will introduce new business class on board A330/900neo aircraft and especially when the new A321LRs arrive, I am curious to see what layout the Italian airline will choose for business class on the single aisle. A lot of other new cabins will be coming, however: Air France's new business class (and the new Premiere), Lufthansa's new biz, and perhaps there will come Jetblue's announcement in Italy.
TFC's 2023
The coming year will be very important for our project. First of all, we will have to grow the YT channel (are you already one of our subscribers?), the hope is to be able to publish one video per week (Sunday morning). In addition to this we want to continue to grow in the production of original content, topics that in the Italian scene are not covered by other sites.
Certainly the sale of ITA Airways and its developments for Italian travelers will be the hot topic, and as always our point of view will be different from all other media.
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