The reporter inquired about the rules of multiple airlines, and found that "Hu Bing's 500000 points have been cleared to zero" on the hot search staff | points | reporter
On June 18th, renowned artist Hu Bing made it to the hot search list for being cleared of 500000 points by China Eastern Airlines.
Hu Bing stated in the video that he was a platinum card member of China Eastern Airlines and had flown many times to accumulate 500000 points. However, China Eastern Airlines suddenly notified him via text message that due to the pandemic, all points had been lost. "I called them and then told me that we sent you a text message, and if there was a notification, your points would be gone. So I said, 'Is it easy to lose them like this? Why doesn't customer service contact customers and only text messages?' The other party said we don't need to contact them by phone, we only use text messages. Finally, the communication between both parties was unsuccessful," he said.
In the comment section, many netizens have expressed that resetting points to zero at once is not reasonable, and due to the impact of the epidemic, airlines should also extend the period; Some netizens also believe that the validity period should not be set for points, which is the airline's "king clause"; Some netizens also expressed that airlines have corresponding points rules, and airlines have fulfilled their obligation to inform, and they should also pay attention to it.
Regarding the incident of Hu Bing's points being reset to zero, according to media reports, customer service staff of China Eastern Airlines stated that the points are valid for three years and can be exchanged for tickets or goods. If the points are not used for three years, they will expire. However, on the afternoon of June 18th, the reporter repeatedly called the manual customer service of China Eastern Airlines but was unable to connect. After consulting with the intelligent customer service on the official website of China Eastern Airlines, it was learned that China Eastern Airlines will implement a new frequent flyer membership system starting from September 1, 2021.
It is reported that mileage points credited to member accounts before September 1, 2021 will follow the original mileage system point validity period rule, that is, the old point method: from the date of point entry to December 31 of the third calendar year after the year of entry. Points awarded for participating in point based marketing activities, and mileage points are valid according to the activity rules.
Starting from September 1, 2021, the new mileage points validity period will be implemented, namely the new distribution method: changes in effective mileage points can drive the validity period of account points from the date of mileage points change to the end of the 36th month in the future. If the mileage points have been dormant for more than 36 consecutive months, they will automatically become invalid.
The practice of airlines attracting consumers through points has a long history. Reporters have checked the official websites of multiple airlines and found that the points or mileage rules of each airline all display the set validity period, which will expire.
According to the intelligent customer service of Southern Airlines, the mileage is valid for 36 months. The validity period for flight mileage starts from the flight date, and the validity period for non flight mileage starts from the date of entry. Platinum, gold, and silver card members will not experience mileage expiration during their level period. If downgraded to a Pearl card, they will still have a 12 month mileage protection period.
Hainan Airlines intelligent customer service introduced that the validity period of consumption points at Jinpeng Club is calculated on a rolling basis. If a valid account activity occurs, the validity period of all consumption points in the account will be extended to 24 months after the date of the valid account activity. If there is no valid account activity record within 24 months, the remaining consumption points in the account will be reset to zero, but membership will continue to be retained.
The secretary of Air China stated that the mileage accumulated in the "Phoenix Zhiyin" member account is valid for 36 months from the flight date or non aviation consumption date. During the validity period, the mileage can be used to exchange for the required products or commodities. If the mileage is not used after the expiration date, it will be automatically invalidated.
Xiamen Airlines intelligent customer service replied that the validity period of the points is 3 years, and the validity period of the reward points is December 31st of the fourth consecutive calendar year from the date of self boarding or the date of consumption exchange at the partner. For example, taking a plane on May 6, 2016 is valid until December 31, 2019. Points that have not been redeemed during this period will expire and be reset to zero. Additional points awarded for promotional products are valid for one year and do not participate in classification/protection.
