How To Maximize Your Points With La Compagnie, The Executive Airlines

Your Complete Guide to Maximizing La Compagnie Points

Whether you’re an avid traveler or just getting started, earning and redeeming points with La Compagnie can significantly boost the value of your trips. However, the ins and outs of the program can seem complicated at first. In this article, I’ll break down everything you need to know to become a points-savvy La Compagnie member.

How Do You Earn Points?

1. Earn 1 point per $1 spent on La Compagnie fares.
2. Earn bonus points by purchasing higher fare classes like Flex or Max fares.
3. Earn points through co-branded credit cards that offer sign-up bonuses and points on purchases.

From my experience, the co-branded credit cards are one of the fastest ways to rack up points as a new member. The La Compagnie World Elite Mastercard offers a stellar sign-up bonus of 15,000 points after your first purchase. You’ll earn 2 points per $1 on eligible La Compagnie purchases and 1 point on other purchases – double the rate of just flying.

How Do Points Translate to Award Travel?

La Compagnie uses a tiered award chart so points requirements vary depending on destination and travel dates. As a general rule:

1. 20,000 points will get you a one-way domestic flight.
2. 30,000-40,000 points for flights within North America or Central America.
3. 50,000-60,000 points for flights to Europe or the Caribbean.
4. 70,000+ points for flights to other long-haul international destinations.

Keep in mind rates are higher on peak travel dates. I’ve found the best sweet spot is redeeming for midweek flights in the shoulder season when points costs are lower.

How to Stretch Your Points

Here are some strategies I’ve used successfully to make my La Compagnie points go further:

1. Book award “space available” flights at a reduced rate if seats are still open within a month of departure.
2. Redeem for partner airline awards through La Compagnie’s airline alliances. This opens up more routes at comparable award costs.
3. Consider positioning flights – using points for a shorter “positioning” flight to align with an international award trip on the same itinerary.
4. Look for sweet spots on low-demand routes with surprisingly low award levels, like flights within Canada.
5. Transfer points to airline partners at elevated bonuses, like 25% more value when transferring to Oneworld carriers.

The key is flexibility – being open to alternative flights, routes, and timing if it means stretching your points budget. And always search partner airline award charts too for potential savings.

Maximizing Points Through Strategic Spending

Aside from earning points on flights, you can juice your balance through everyday spending – if you’re savvy about it. Here are some ideas I’ve used:

1. Pay major expenses like utilities, cable, phone bills with a points credit card if they accept credit.
2. Buy discounted gift cards from retailers you regularly spend at anyways, then pay with points to “erase” those purchases.
3. Take advantage of category bonus periods by shifting non-essential spending to bonus categories like groceries or gas.
4. Refer friends to earn points from their purchases and sign-up bonuses through referral promotions.
5. Look for introductory 0% APR cards to “manufacture spending” – charging expenses you can immediately pay to meet minimum spend thresholds.

All these options take some planning but can supercharge your points balance without significant lifestyle changes. I’ve seen monthly gains of 5,000-10,000 points using these techniques thoughtfully.

Redeeming Awards – Tips and Tricks

Once you’ve amassed points, it’s showtime to use them for travel. Here are my best practices based on years of award redemption experience:

1. Book as far in advance as your schedule allows for best availability – 13 months for international is ideal.
2. Consider positioning your redemptions around seasonal award blackout dates to stretch points further.
3. Use the multi-city search tool for complex itineraries rather than stringing together one-ways.
4. Check multiple dates/routings as sweet spots open and close dynamically based on bookings.
5. Set flight alerts on Google Flights for your desired routes to nab award space as soon as it becomes available.
6. Be open-minded about alternate airports within a few hours of your destination if it cuts points costs tremendously.

With diligent search and flexibility, anyone can find great award trips on La Compagnie. The key is persistence in monitoring for redeposit or cancellation opportunities too.

In summary, maximizing La Compagnie points takes work but it’s totally worthwhile to travel more for less dough. Let me know if you have any other questions! I’d be happy to share more of my tips and tricks based on years of experience in the points and miles game.

Choosing the Best Companion Airline for Flying Blue Awards

Airline	Surcharge Fees	Award Availability	Redemption Flexibility
Delta	Sometimes as low as $75 each way	Good availability within North America	Can change/cancel awards for a fee up to 3 days before departure
Air France	Often as high as $150-400 each way	Best availability to Europe and Africa	Nonrefundable, nonchangeable once booked
KLM	$75-150 each way	Good availability within Europe	Refundable for a fee if booked in premium economy or business class
China Eastern	No surcharges on most routes	Very limited availability	Nonrefundable, nonchangeable once booked

FAQ

1. What is La Compagnie points Guy?

   La Compagnie points Guy is basically a loyalty program for Air France flights and other services. It lets frequent flyers earn and redeem miles for rewards.

   

2. How do I earn points?

   You earn points every time you fly with Air France or use other services like airport lounges. The longer the flight, the more points you receive. You also get points for booking through the La Compagnie website or app.

3. What can I redeem my points for?

   There are tons of cool prizes you can get with points like free flights, upgrades, airport transfers, hotel stays, and even merchandise. You can check out the reward catalog online to see what’s available. Flights seem to need the most points but the rewards are certainly worth it.

4. How long do points take to post to my account?

   Earned points from qualifying trips should appear in your La Compagnie account within a few days. It usually doesn’t take more than a week. However, occasionally there may be delays due to technical issues. If points are missing for longer than two weeks, you may want to contact customer support.

5. Can I pool points with family or friends?

   Unfortunately no, points can only be redeemed by the member who earned them. Each La Compagnie account is unique. Sharing brings up all sorts of privacy and verification issues. Hopefully in the future we’ll see more options for gifted rewards though!

   

6. How can I keep track of my points balance?

   The easiest way is to log into your La Compagnie account online or through the mobile app. You can see your current point total as well as a breakdown of recent activity. Statements are also sent by email each month with transaction details. Just be sure to check in regularly so no points go to waste!

7. What if I lose my points?

   If you somehow lose access to your La Compagnie account, don’t panic! As long as you can provide identifying details like your name, address and past flight details; customer service should be able to recover your lost points. You may have to jump through a few verification hoops, but with some patience points can be restored. It’s always a good idea to keep award redemption receipts too, just in case.

8. Is the program worth it?

   If you frequently fly Air France or use partner services, then joining La Compagnie is totally worth it in my opinion. I’ve managed to redeem points for free domestic flights a few times, which really adds up. As long as you pay attention and use points before they expire, the rewards easily outweigh any annual fees. But you have to decide if the benefits match your travel habits. What do you think – is it a keeper?