MSE News: BMI frequent flyers must transfer points to BA

Former_MSE_Helen

"Thousands of BMI frequent flyer collectors will have to transfer points to British Airways or they'll be worthless ..."

Read the full story:

BMI frequent flyers must transfer points to BA

Roger1

From the MSE report:

The BMI credit card (which comes with both an American Express and Mastercard) ...

Just a detail, but the current offer is for an AmEx plus Visa card, as it has been for some time.

The stand-alone bmi MasterCard is no longer available to new applicants. Pity. As an existing cardholder, I get 1.5 DC Miles -> Avios per £. Those who pay an annual fee earn 2 miles per £.

Doc_N

A very useful warning.

This, in case anyone hasn't received it, is the email that went out very recently - and as one of those who not so long ago opened a BMI credit card account for the 'free' 20,000 Avios points, I was trying to work out exactly what I needed to do to get the BMI points moved across to my Avios account. They do seem to be complicating this process somewhat, perhaps in order to increase the number of points that will just 'disappear' if action isn't taken in time.

"During the past few months, we have been in contact with you regarding a number of changes that have been made to the Diamond Club, following the sale of bmi to IAG, the owner of British Airways.


Following a detailed review of the Diamond Club, we would like to announce a series of further changes.

From 27 October 2012, the following benefits will no longer be available:

• Earning and spending your destinations miles on bmi operated flights with a bmi flight number
• Earning and spending your destinations miles on airline partners British Airways, Jet Airways, Qatar Airways
and Transaero Airlines
• Earning destinations miles on bmi hotel partners, WorldPoints, through American Express Membership
Rewards or when you shop online
• Buying destinations miles
• Upgrading your flight with destinations miles
• Earning status miles

However, Diamond Club customers will still be able to earn destinations miles by using the bmi Credit Card and can transfer these into Executive Club Avios at an attractive rate, using our transfer tool. Find out more about transferring your miles here.

Please review the new terms and conditions here.

From 28 October 2012 you will not be able to access your Diamond Club account on www.flybmi.com. However, we have created a new website for our UK and South West Pacific members called www.diamondclub.org where you can access your destinations miles balance and full account information. The new website will be available from 27 October 2012.

Tier match with the Executive Club

If you are a Diamond Club Gold or Silver member, don’t forget you can still apply for matching tier status within the Executive Club until 31 December 2012 at www.ba.com/tiermatch.

Gold and Silver members can also continue to access the bmi and selected British Airways lounges at London Heathrow and London Gatwick until 31 December 2012.

British Airways is inviting all Diamond Club members, who are not already members of the Executive Club to enrol at www.ba.com/welcomebmi.

For more information on the changes please visit www.ba.com/diamondclub."

regprentice

I transferred my points from bmi to ba about a month ago as it seemed the only way to avoid losing the points having let the credit card go dormant.

It was an easy process and I recall it didn't take more than ten mins. The points transfer was instantaneous once completed.

Shame avios isn't up to much as a scheme.

marks7389

Note that the price for 1,000 BMI miles is £27 including the £15 fee, not £12 as stated in the article.

So still cheaper but not by as much as it suggests.

The maximum 24,000 miles is £303 through BMI instead of £399 directly with BA.

woodentom

I transferred all points earlier in the year but with the BMI credit cards I transfer the points every month.

I was wondering what was going to happen to these cards. I have got a BA company credit card aswell but find the mbna/bmi setup far easier.

I hope the bmi credit cards stay for a long time

chattychappy

FlyerTalk has a good sticky on the subject here:

http://www.flyertalk.com/forum/bmi-diamond-club/1392250-diamond-club-wound-up-28-oct-except-mbna-diamondclub-org-created-discussion.html

Other useful threads too.

katykitten

i have been trying to contact BMI by email for months now in an attempt to 1)find out whats happened to the points from my latest flight and 2) find out why they are not responding to my emails - does anyone have a contact email that they have been able to get a response from?

Caz3121

email address changed to : [EMAIL="diamondclub@flybmi-email.com"]diamondclub@flybmi-email.com[/EMAIL]
which airline was the flight with - there were a lot of changes at the end of May which meant many airlines no longer qualified

ckui

Just got the bmi amex/visa credit card, will I still be able to redeem the bonus points for eurostar? or just flights now?

Roger1

If you hurry, you should just be able to use Diamond Club miles for a Eurostar redemption.

Otherwise, convert them to BA Avios and then convert those to avios.com (former Airmiles). If you don't already have an avios.com account, it would mean opening one in addition to your BAEC account. Avios are interchangeable between the two schemes.

Eurostar is a partner of avios.com but not BA Executive Club, hence this rather complicated procedure.