The Freccia Alata Club is designed for members of the Alitalia MilleMiglia program who live outside of Italy (a requirement), and provides a great number of benefits.

Admission to the club is based upon a mileage threshold, and the good news is, the threshold has recently been reduced. Members can gain admittance to the club by earning 50,000 base miles on Alitalia or any other SkyTeam partners.

Your club membership lasts until December 31 of the following year. Once you’ve become a member all you have to do to keep up your membership is earn 50,000 eligible miles in the course of a year.

What’s more, by flying with SkyTeam partner airlines, you will become a SkyTeam Elite Plus Club member.

Benefits: Whenever you fly with Alitalia or the other SkyTeam Airlines as a member of the Freccia Alata Club, you earn a bonus of 50 percent more miles than you normally get (the bonus is calculated on the basis of miles in economy class).

Additional benefits include guaranteed booking up to 24 hours prior to departure for full-fare tickets (class Y) on long-haul flights; priority stand-by during booking and check-in; check-in at Business-class desks even if you hold an Economy-class ticket; excess baggage, free of charge preferred seat assignment and use of Alitalia lounges.

Remember, you cannot be a resident of Italy to be eligible.