BMI airmiles. Are they just a total waste of time?

moleyandratty

I have been diligently saving BMI airmiles with a credit card and now have 140,000.

I have never used an airmiles scheme before and am now coming up against obstacles and have really felt like crying.

Firstly, availability - you can get NO CLEAR answer on when seats are released or how many seats are released but having tried to book something fairly straightforward for one flight in September (London to Cancun) I cannot get a seat, even though if I try and 'buy' a seat it is no problem.

Secondly, the cost! It was going to cost £557 in taxes for a flight that I could buy for £600. This is just heartbreaking.

Are there any hints or tips anywhere about how to get the most out of your BMI airmiles?

I have now changed credit card to a straightforward cashback one as I feel I have been seriously duped by this one.

Anyone out there who can cheer me up?

blindman

moleyandratty wrote: »

I have been diligently saving BMI airmiles with a credit card and now have 140,000.

I have never used an airmiles scheme before and am now coming up against obstacles and have really felt like crying.

Firstly, availability - you can get NO CLEAR answer on when seats are released or how many seats are released but having tried to book something fairly straightforward for one flight in September (London to Cancun) I cannot get a seat, even though if I try and 'buy' a seat it is no problem.

Secondly, the cost! It was going to cost £557 in taxes for a flight that I could buy for £600. This is just heartbreaking.

Are there any hints or tips anywhere about how to get the most out of your BMI airmiles?

I have now changed credit card to a straightforward cashback one as I feel I have been seriously duped by this one.

Anyone out there who can cheer me up?

Read this thread on FlyerTalk

It's a black art to getting seats TBHO and business class is the best value. The Redemptions thread gives the low down as to how to go about getting seats

OH and as BMI have now been sold to BA I'd get a move on to spend those miles as they'll soon change to AVIOS and be less valuable

Caz3121

bmi are one of the best frequent flyer programs and many will be sad to see them go. The trick is knowing how to use the miles
my advice - never use for European flights - Avios are far better for that
never use for Economy - as you have found the majority of many economy fares are made up from taxes
Look at booking 2 one-ways if you want to have a stopover in each direction

I would suggest you have a look here first http://www.flyertalk.com/forum/bmi-diamond-club/927937-read-first-bmi-diamond-club-faqs-promos-contacts-planes-lounges.html

my advice is always to check the availability before you call the call centre (details on how to do this are in the link) All redemptions book into a different class than regular tickets and often there are very few seats available for redemption and all *A carrier frequent flyer programs have access to these same few seats and they are available from 11 months before.

use staralliance.com to look for different routings
consider miles and cash for business or first class for the best value

In the past 2 years I have been to Singapore and back from Hong Kong both in F
been to LAX with NZ twice in business (37,500 miles + £210 + taxes)
and yesterday I booked ZRH-BOM in F with LX which cost me 62,500 miles and £140 taxes for a ticket that I could purchase for £8,000 (I am using Avios to go to ZRH the day before to save a lot on UK APD)
My return flights are with Singapore Airlines in business and again were under £300 in taxes for flights that would cost over £5k

Taxes are the killer from the UK, many people suggest popping over to Dublin to start journey, even if that means the first leg is DUB-LHR you will still save a whack

If you do the legwork first yourself it will be a far less stressful experience. I have almost always got the flights I wanted (although would have preferred to do the ZRH-BOM the day before but no availability)

Lastly on your comparison with the £600 ticket, this will be totally non-changeable/refundable whereby the redemption ticket can be cancelled for £25 or changed for £20 (if I am forced to find an advantage for an economy redemption)

added
Also look to check and ask for separate flights rather than "I want to go to Cancun from London". You don't mention your dates but a random search of a couple of dates show Air Canada have business availability to Toronto on the 10th and then Toronto to Cancun on the 11th...you could then call and say "I want one seat LHR-YYZ on the 10th" and then after they confirm that ask for the next flight
I think Mexico may also be one of the places it is best not to book one-ways as they have high taxes for a single flight originating there
A return in business will cost you 67,500 miles plus the taxes but if you look at the cost to buy that business flight you will see the value

Tojo_Ralph

....
I share the OP's frustration with regards to BMI Air Mile as I currently have 170,000 miles and everytime I think to look into using them I lose the will to live for another three months until the thought occurs again!! ..... Although the BA/Avios point raised by blindman might be the impetus I need to burn the miles.

As noted above, Business Class is the best use of such points as tax does not increase (as far as I am aware) along with Economy flights with inflated fares at short notice.

As I have commented before, what the world REALLY needs is a website aimed at assisting folk to use air miles/loyalty /points. You register, detail the loyalty programs you are a member of, status, miles/points, departure points, destinations to consider, etc, etc and it returns suggested travel, both flights and hotels. The system would be such that it not only allowed you to use air miles/points but also takes advantage of promo fares or pointsavers. You could also get email alerts with travel ideas as and when such availability became available.

What's more, I'd be only too happy to pay a monthly subscription for such a service.

Edit: The post by Caz3121 highlights the point I make with regards to a web based system with the capacity for trip building, maximising point usage, linking the likes of flights utilising BMI points with Skyteam miles flights, stopovers with SPG/Marriott/Hilton,etc points and building a vacation based on air miles and hotel points.

blindman

Tojo_Ralph wrote: »

....

As I have commented before, what the world REALLY needs is a website aimed at assisting folk to use air miles/loyalty /points. You register, detail the loyalty programs you are a member of, status, miles/points, departure points, destinations to consider, etc, etc and it returns suggested travel, both flights and hotels. The system would be such that it not only allowed you to use air miles/points but also takes advantage of promo fares or pointsavers. You could also get email alerts with travel ideas as and when such availability became available.

What's more, I'd be only too happy to pay a monthly subscription for such a service.

There are various paid for services out there that do this

This article lists two and there is Award nexus that is a help in looking for awards

Tojo_Ralph

blindman wrote: »

There are various paid for services out there that do this

This article lists two and there is Award nexus that is a help in looking for awards

I was thinking along the lines of a far broader scope of service a system that proposed travel based on the data stored provided, kind of like a Travelzoo come Amadeus system.

From initial review of the two apparently US based services, it looks like $250 a couple per trip to locate/build/book an itinerery if you have a reasonable idea of departure dates and destinations..... Could be money well spent burning points long haul business/first, especially if $250 got you a good deal and hopefully point/tax savings on a multi leg trip.

I'll certainly be having a look at the Award Nexus flight tonight.

I don't suppose there is a Skyteam equivalent of the above site?

blindman

[QUOTE=Tojo Ralph;50779245


I don't suppose there is a Skyteam equivalent of the above site?[/QUOTE]

There was a post on FT a while back that discussed the merits of paying for a service that looked for award availabilty for you-but I can't find it.


There's expertflyer of course and th KVS tool on FT.

moleyandratty

Thank you so much for your in depth answers and the link which I have been perusing like mad! I am sure with all that help I will find *something* I can do, afterall I am very flexible, just looking for somewhere interesting and warm for a September trip...

Will still be ditching in favour of cash back in future though!

blindman

Tojo_Ralph wrote: »

I don't suppose there is a Skyteam equivalent of the above site?

This may fit the bill ($200 for one, $250 for two)

Awardsbooker.com