This program was reviewed and rated by our editors in September 2009. Changes in the program past this date are possible, especially program partner information. We recommend you subscribe to the #1 source of frequent flyer information, Inside Flyer Magazine, to get the most current information possible.

Aeronaves de Mexico -- One of the founding members of SkyTeam, AeroMexico has been around for 75 years. The airline began operations when it flew between Mexico City and Acapulco on Sept. 14, 1934 under the name Aeronaves de Mexico. AeroMexico continues to fly from its base in Mexico City and operates domestic and international flights to Asia, Canada, Europe, Central and South America and the U.S. More than 2.5 million members participate in AeroMexico's Club Premier and the program offers a solid option for travelers who regularly find themselves South of the Border.

As with most FFPs, you'll earn 100 percent of kilometers flown in coach class. In Clase Premier (business/first class), you can earn up to a 50 percent bonus on domestic flights and up to a 100 percent bonus on international flights.

Earning with SkyTeam partners and other affiliated airlines varies by airline--you can generally expect to earn 100 percent of kilometers flown in coach, 125 percent in business and 150 percent in first, with a few exceptions.

Club Premier offers both a 6,400 km enrollment bonus and a 1,000 km birthday bonus credited to your Club Premier account the month before your birthday, provided that you have flown at least once on AeroMexico in the past 12 months.

Members can also earn kilometers with hotel, car rental, credit card and dining partners, among others.

Within Mexico, a roundtrip will run 32,000 km in coach and 64,000 km in business class. Awards are also available for one-way trips, and are generally half the kilometers required for roundtrips.

Trips between Mexico and the U.S. run 96,000 km in business class and 48,000 km in coach; and between Mexico and Europe, 80,000 km in coach and 128,000 km in business class. Upgrades may be purchased up to six months in advance with kilometers on Y, B and M fares, but not on trips to or from Buenos Aires, Europe, Japan or China.

Club Premier members may take full advantage of AeroMexico's membership in SkyTeam, an advantage that effectively gives members global reach in terms of award availability. SkyTeam "Around the World" tickets are available for 224,000 km in coach and 352,000 km in business and include up to six stopovers.

Club Premier offers a cash and kilometers award option. Members can pay 50 percent of the cost of any published fare plus kilometers. For domestic flights, the mileage required for a half price ticket is 16,000 kilometers. Cash and kilometers is only available on AeroMexico and AM Connect flights in coach.

Club Premier members can redeem cash and kilometers for vacation packages including flights, accommodations and land transportation at any AeroMexico destination. Members can also bid on auction items, such as the opportunity to play golf with the world's top-ranked player, Tiger Woods, or a trip to the Antarctic. We would expect hotel and car rental awards to be offered from an airline that flies to a tourist destination like Mexico, but these options are not available.

As a member of the SkyTeam alliance, members of Club Premier can earn or redeem kilometers with Aeroflot, Air France, KLM, Alitalia, China Southern, CSA Czech, Continental (until Oct. 24, 2009), Northwest, Delta and Korean Air. In addition, AeroMexico is allied with LAN and El Al.

Car rental partners include Avis, Budget and Hertz where members can earn between 500 and 625 miles per rental. (The program uses kilometers for most credit, but for car rentals and hotels stays, the accrual is by miles.) Club Premier's hotel partner list is extensive, including Accor Hotels, Barcelo, Camino Real, Carlson, Grupo Posadas, Hilton, Hyatt, InterContinental Hotels Group, Marriott and Sol Melia, among others. In general, the earning rate is between 250 and 500 miles per stay or one to two miles per dollar spent. Starwood Preferred Guest members may notice and be disappointed by the notable absence of Starwood on the hotel partner list.

Members in Mexico have three options in terms of co-branded American Express cards: The AeroMexico Card, The Gold Card American Express AeroMexico and The Platinum Card American Express AeroMexico. All cardholders earn 1.6 km per dollar spent and 3.2 km per dollar spent on AeroMexico purchases except for Platinum cardholders who can earn three 4.8 km per dollar spent on AeroMexico purchases. AeroMexico and American Express also offer a Corporate Card and Gold Corporate Card to businesses.

AeroMexico partners with U.S. Bank to offer a co-branded Visa card to U.S. residents. Cardholders earn one mile per dollar spent and double miles plus a 10 percent discount on AeroMexico flight purchases. New cardholders receive 15,000 bonus miles after their first purchase and 2,000 bonus miles plus a $99 companion ticket every year.

Club Premier is allied with American Express Membership Rewards and members may transfer a minimum of 1,000 points into 1,000 km. Dining partners include Camino Real and InterContinental and members can earn one kilometer per dollar spent.

Club Premier's elite program is two-tiered: Oro (Gold) and Platino (Platinum). Elite status is earned entirely on the number of kilometers or miles flown--there is no elite qualification for segments.

Oro membership is available for flying 50,000 kilometers (just over 31,000 miles) on AeroMexico or SkyTeam carriers within a 12-month period. Class-of-service bonuses count toward elite status with AeroMexico, so big spenders can expect to move up the ranks faster.

Gold members earn a 25-percent bonus on all flights, preferred check-in, priority boarding and standby, the ability to book award tickets up to nine months prior to the departure date and complimentary upgrades for member and a companion from Tourist Class to Clase Premier at check-in (not including flights to or from Europe, Asia and South America).

Platino status, achieved after flying 80,000 kilometers or 50,000 miles, includes all the benefits of Gold, in addition to the option to book award tickets up to 11 months prior to departure, no fees for changing the flight or date on award tickets and complimentary upgrades for you and a companion 72 hours prior to your flight on public and private fares, including award tickets (excluding flights to or from Europe and Japan). Members can redeem kilometers for upgrades up to 11 months prior to departure on Y, B or M fares within South America and the U.S.; Y or B fares on flights to or from Europe and Y fares to or from Japan.

Club Premier Oro and Platino members are also entitled to the benefits of SkyTeam Elite and Elite Plus status, respectively. Benefits of those levels include priority check-in, preferred seating, priority boarding, priority waitlisting, priority standby, SkyTeam lounge access, guaranteed reservations and priority baggage handling on most SkyTeam partner flights.

Award flights can be transferred to anyone but members cannot transfer or combine kilometers between accounts, except through the family plan. Miles and kilometers may be purchased, in increments of 1,000 kilometers (625 miles) at a rate of US$15 plus taxes.

Club Premier also offers specialized programs. Club Premier Familiar is AeroMexico's program for families, where a designated beneficiary of the account can earn 20 percent bonus kilometers for each flight completed by a family member and kilometers can be transferred between members.

Corporate Club Premier allows a similar set up with companies, where employees earn kilometers individually and the company account is credited with kilometers flown by employees.

In addition, Club Premier offers a number of programs for customers under 26. Club Cometa is for children under 11 years old, and offers award redemptions at 50 percent; Skape is for adolescents from 12 to 16 and comes with a 75-percent redemption chart and Club Premier Universitario is for students (only in Mexico) from 17 to 25 with a 75-percent redemption chart.

Kilometers in Club Premier do not expire, as long as you fly a on a paid fare on AeroMexico at least once every two years. Missing credit can be claimed within six months of earning activity.

Because information was missing from the English-language Web site, we had to make numerous calls to Club Premier to verify basic program information. Our calls were answered promptly and the representatives were friendly and knowledgeable about the program.

AeroMexico is in the process of redesigning its Web site and the current site is definitely a work in progress. The updated Web site is intuitive to navigate and pages load quickly, but many links are missing or link to pages that are unavailable. There is currently no means for claiming awards online, although we were told this is due to the Web site redesign and online redemption will be available soon. Members cannot claim missing credit online. Online enrollment, however, is available.

While most programs have eliminated sign-up bonuses, new Club Premier members earn 6,400 km just for signing up. We applaud Club Premier's family plan that allows members to combine kilometers between family members. Kilometers earned with class-of-service bonuses qualify for elite status qualification and AeroMexico's participation in SkyTeam opens the door to worldwide earning and redemption opportunities.

AeroMexico's work-in-progress Web site lacks functionality and is missing links and information. Club Premier's partner list, while satisfactory, could use some additions. Outside of flights and upgrades, very few award choices exist.

Within Mexico:
Club Premier, Aerovias de Mexico
S.A. de C.V.
Paseo de la Reforma
No. 445-4th floor
Col. Cuauhtemoc
Mexico D.F., Mexico 06500
Phone: 52 (55) 5133 4020 (in Mexico City)
01 (800) 021 4020 (in every other city in Mexico)

In the U.S.:
Club Premier Service Center
13405 Northwest Freeway, Suite 111
Houston, TX 77040
Phone: 1 (800) 247 3737

Email: premier@aeromexico.com.mx