Aegean’s Miles + Bonus program is not like the one that everyone fell in love with years ago. Back then, you could earn Aegean Gold (which was Star Alliance Gold) very easily and the status basically did not expire. Of course, that was not sustainable so a couple of years ago, they rolled out the new Miles + Bonus program.
New More Miles for Aegean Status? You Can Buy Miles!
Link: Buy Aegean Elite Miles
While it is not as easy to get as it was before, it is absolutely worth keeping once you have it. Not only do you get things like Star Alliance lounge access anytime you fly on Star Alliance carriers (including when flying United Airlines domestically – something even United status does not give you), but it is also a great program to earn miles in thanks to their friendly redemptions (see: 4 Reasons Aegean Deserves Your Attention For Premium Awards).
If you are just a little away from re-qualifying for status or for earning it for the first time, Aegean will actually let you buy some miles to help get you closer. You only have until November 23 (1 week from today) to qualify so the time to do this is now – that is, if you had status when the new Miles + Bonus program had transitioned. Otherwise, you have 12 months from when you earned that status (check your Aegean account to see the date).
How Much Do Aegean Miles Cost?
Before, Aegean only let current Silver or Gold members buy miles but now they will let anyone buy miles. That means if you are close to earning Silver, you can buy miles to help you get there. The cost of these Tier Miles is not that bad at all – €50 per 500. The amount of miles you can buy is based on your current elite status:
- Blue members up to 1,000 tier miles
- Silver members up to 2,000 tier miles
- Gold members up to 3,000 tier miles
Blue members are those without status. Yes, the amount of miles is limiting, but you do not need that many miles for things like re-qualifying. For example, if you were able to fly 2 Aegean or Olympic flights since last November 24, you would only need 8,000 qualifying elite miles from Star Alliance airlines. Being able to buy 25% of that is not bad!
If you are a Gold member, it would only take 4 Aegean or Olympic flights and 12,000 qualifying elite miles – again, being able to buy 25% of the necessary miles is great! But, if you have not hit the 4 Aegean flights, you will need 24,000 qualifying elite miles to re-qualify.
Need Aegean Award Miles?
Aegean will also sell you award miles, up to 50,000 in a year. The cost is €25 per 1,000 miles. Remember, business class between the US and Europe only costs 45,000 miles so keep the purchase option in mind if you are near the necessary amount! Buying that many miles outright for such a business class flight would cost €1,125 (or $1,305 at today’s conversation rate).
