How My Airline Elite Status Saved 20% at a Restaurant – When Airline Benefits Extend to the Ground

While some loyalty programs are devaluing their potential and offering to most members, there are other airline elite programs that actually still reward their most loyal members. It just so happens that one of those airlines is my preferred airline loyalty program – Aegean’s Miles+Bonus program.

My Airline Elite Status Saved 20% at a Restaurant

When Airline Benefits Extend to the Ground

I love the Aegean program for a number of reasons but also really like the airline. Between their 45K mile awards for business class between the US and Europe and their easy-to-retain Gold status, there is quite a lot for elite members to like! Plus, you can pool miles in a Together Account and even pay a minimal fee to transfer thousands of miles from other people’s accounts to your own!

Beyond all of that, Aegean offers some pretty great elite status benefits for when you are on the ground in Greece. These benefits extend to hotels and to restaurants, which is pretty great if you are taking advantage of some of those things on a visit to Greece (which is a great time to knock out your 4 Aegean/Olympic flights to cut your elite retention amount in half).

My Aegean Gold Status Saved Us €60 on Our Restaurant Bill!

One of those benefits that I have taken advantage of before just saved us €60 the other night at a restaurant! I was with a group of friends in Athens and we had eaten a ton of Greek food up to that point! So, I offered them some other options and they decided to go for Italian that night. That led us to La Pasteria, a favorite restaurant of mine. It is some really good Italian food at some great prices.

Another thing I love about them is that they are partners with Aegean’s Miles+Bonus program so that Gold members get 20% discount and Silver members get a 15% discount. But, you have to show them your member card before placing your order! I did that and told him I wasn’t sure if it would work on a group as large as ours or just ours. (I used my digital card from the app).

In the end, he told me it applied to the whole bill which meant that we saved €60 off our €300 bill for dinner! That is a nice, sizable savings – especially when you consider the tax that is on everything in Greece!

What About Your Airline, Hotel, Credit Card?

I am not aware of another elite program that has the breadth of benefits that Aegean offers their members. This would be especially true when looking at US airlines! But, are you aware of all the cost saving benefits you may have? I remember when United used to offer Global Entry status complimentary to their 1K members – many 1K members I met didn’t even know about it!

United also as a relationship with Mercedes Benz that offers their members 25,000 – 50,000 miles and preferred pricing (not sure how good it is since I never pursued it). Of course, not everyone is going to be buying a new Benz but if you are planning on it, it may be worth checking that out. Also, United members get discounts and benefits at select golf courses in the TPC Network, if you are a golf fan.

We also have the new partnership with American Airlines and Hyatt that gives more point earning opportunities as well as status matches!

It is also worth checking your credit card. For example, being a Visa card holder can get you discounts for things like Grand Canyon bus tours, GO Card City discounts in some cities (like NYC), and 10% off all Gray Line city tours. While I am sure that some of you know about these benefits and discounts, others may not. It is worth checking them out so that you max out the benefits of the different elite levels and credit cards that you hold!

Summary

It is a really nice thing when you can take advantage of your airline elite status benefits on the ground or at other businesses! If you are an Aegean Gold member, make sure you check out this post before your next trip to Greece to ensure you are getting the most out of your membership!