Summary
- Egyptair Plus is valued at $81 million, up 28.5% from 2020.
- South African Airways’ Voyager is worth about $74 million, offering plenty of ways to earn miles.
- Royal Air Maroc’s Safar Flyer is valued at $49 million and allows passengers to earn miles with their oneworld partner.
Many African airlines operate independent frequent flyer programs to reward their customers through their own flights and those operated by partners. However, other carriers offer rewards through larger global airlines and alliance partners.
Rewards programs have gained more recognition during the pandemic, with many becoming more valuable from 2020. Millions of passengers continue to sign up to earn miles and redeem them for award flights and many other perks. In 2023, About believing in the point ranked the 100 most valuable airline loyalty programs in the world. Its research included 170 of the world’s largest passenger carriers and more than 50 key variables for each program. Let’s look at the most valuable reward programs among African airlines.
Egyptair – Egyptair Plus frequent flyer program
Although ranked 69th globally, Egyptair Plus is the most valuable frequent flyer program in Africa. It is valued at 81 million dollars from 2023, an increase of 28.5% from its value in 2020. The program allows members to earn miles on flights operated by Egyptair or its Star Alliance partners. These can be redeemed for airline tickets, upgrades and additional travel.
Photo: Boeing
The amount of miles you can earn depends on the distance traveled on domestic and international flights as well as the class of travel. Passengers can also earn tier miles to move up tiers, which offer different benefits. Egyptair Plus has four tiers – Blue, Silver, Gold, Elite and Platinum.
South African Airways – Voyager
South African Airways’ Voyager is the second most valuable loyalty program in Africa, but the 71st in the world. It is valued at 74 million dollars, a 45% increase from 2020. While celebrating its 90th anniversary, SAA is also celebrating 30 years of Voyager by offering passengers exclusive offers and special gifts. Since its inception in February 1994, the program has over 1 million members.
Like Egyptair and other Star Alliance partners, the program allows you to collect miles through flights and various non-flights. Upon signup, members are rewarded with 2,500 signup bonus miles after their first activity. On flights operated by SAA, passengers can earn one mile for each $0.08 (R1.60) are spent on the basic fare and charges imposed by the carrier.
You can also earn miles by flying with SAA partner airlines or by using the services of our hotel and accommodation, car rental, finance, lifestyle and retail partners. Passengers can also earn tier miles to upgrade their status and unlock more benefits. These are earned per calendar year. The SAA also has five levels, with the following requirements:
- Blue: 3 mile base transactions
- Silver: 20,000 tier miles
- Gold: 45,000 tier miles
- Platinum: 95,000 tier miles
- Lifetime Platinum: Six consecutive years of Platinum or 720,000 SAA tier miles over a period of four to six years.
Royal Air Maroc – Safar Flyer
It is valued at 49 million dollars, Royal Air Maroc’s Safar Flyer is the 80th most valuable loyalty program worldwide and third in Africa. Over the past four years, it has increased its value by $2 million. Similarly, Safar Flyer members can earn miles with Royal Air Maroc and its oneworld partners. The Moroccan carrier has been a member of oneworld since April 2020.
Photo: Mike Fuchslocher | Shutterstock
The Safar Flyer card is recognized across the oneworld network, including American Airlines, British Airways, Cathay Pacific, Qatar Airways, Qantas and eight other international carriers. Higher level members have access to nearly 620 premium airport lounges worldwide. Miles can be used for award tickets, travel class upgrades, excess baggage awards, free date changes and unaccompanied minor support.
Members can also earn status miles, allowing them to maintain their Safar Flyer status or upgrade to a higher status depending on how far they travel in a calendar year. Safar Flyer levels have the following oneworld equivalence:
RAM level |
equivalence of a world |
Requirements |
---|---|---|
Blue |
Sign up |
|
Silver |
Ruby |
20,000 status miles/15 status flights |
Gold |
Sapphire |
35,000 status miles/30 status flights |
Platinum |
emerald |
75,000 status miles/75 status flights |
A complete guide to Elite status in the Oneworld Alliance
Ruby, Emerald and Sapphires are the tiers to try.
TAAG Angola Airlines – Umbi Umbi
Angola’s national carrier, TAAG Angola Airlines, has the 87th most valuable frequent flyer program, according to On Point Loyalty’s report. Worth 15 million dollars, down 16.6% from its value in 2020. The program launched in August 2020 and also uses miles to reward loyal customers. However, since TAAG is not part of any major alliance, there are not many details about earning with partners.
Photo: Thiago B Trevisan | Shutterstock.
Miles are calculated according to the distance traveled and the fare purchased. Passengers can also earn status miles to upgrade or renew their status. In addition, TAAG will award you bonus miles depending on your level. It offers three tiers – classic, silver and gold. Members of the highest tier (Gold) can earn up to 50% more bonus miles.
Tunisair and Air Mauritius loyalty programs
Tunisair – Fidelys
Tunisair’s Fidelys is valued 12 million dollars, making it the fifth most valuable in Africa and 90th globally. It has also declined in value since 2020, when it was worth around $16 million. The program began in 1995, some 47 years after Tunisair was founded.
Photo: Marques | Shutterstock
With Fidelys, passengers also earn award miles, which can be redeemed for flights and travel benefits, and status miles, which help rank up. Although not part of any major alliance, Tunisair has non-airline partners that allow customers to earn and spend miles, including hotels and accommodations, car rental, technology, home decor and retail companies.
Flyer Air Mauritius – Kestrel
The last African program in the global top 100 is Air Mauritius’ Kestrelflyer. It ranks sixth in Africa and 97th worldwide, worth $3 million. However, his value for 2020 is unknown. Kestrel Flyer allows customers to earn miles on Air Mauritius flights and progress to Red, Silver and Gold tiers.
Other African faith programs
Although not ranked in the On Point Loyalty top 100, Ethiopian Airlines has one of the most extensive loyalty programs in Africa – ShebaMiles. It was released in February 1999 and it was over 3 million members through 2019. With Ethiopian Airlines’ extensive network and Star Alliance membership, ShebaMiles customers can earn and spend rewards on flights to more than 1,200 destinations worldwide.
The different ways to earn Kenya Airways Asante Rewards points
Asante Rewards members can earn points on Kenya Airways and SkyTeam partner flights.
Last year, Kenya Airways launched Asante Rewards, an independent frequent flyer program. It previously rewards customers through Air France-KLM’s Flying Blue, worth 6.9 billion. Asante Rewards members can earn and spend miles on flights operated by Kenya Airways and SkyTeam partners. Last year, Airlink also launched its own program – Skybucks. This month, the carrier celebrated 100,000 members.
What are your thoughts on Africa’s most valuable loyalty programs? Please let us know in the comments!