From an email just received:

Dear continentalclub

As a valued Company Rewards member we want to let you know about some important changes we’re making. From 1 September 2010 bmi will be joining the Star Alliance corporate loyalty programme, Star Alliance Company Plus.

Star Alliance Company Plus has been designed primarily for corporate travel and allows members to earn PlusPoints across a network of 12 carriers making it the industry's first corporate incentive scheme by the world’s largest airline alliance.

Your Company Rewards Membership

You'll earn points for your Company Rewards membership every time you fly with bmi until 31 August 2010. From 1 September 2010 our Company Rewards scheme will be closing, however as long as you join Star Alliance Company Plus before 31 August 2010 we will convert your points and transfer them into the Star Alliance Company Plus programme.

Joining Star Alliance Company Plus

Just like Company Rewards, with Star Alliance Company Plus there's no membership fee and no minimum travel spend to join. You can continue to manage the programme online or ask your travel agent to manage your account on your behalf.

To start earning across the other member airlines today and ensure your Company Rewards points automatically transfer join Star Alliance Company Plus, or if you are already a member of the scheme simply register your company below.

http://bit.ly/9jL1hc

For more information on Star Alliance Company Plus and the closure of Company Rewards please visit our website at:

http://bit.ly/9jL1hc

Kind regards

Jenna Rowley

Corporate Rewards Schemes Manager

Clicking through to the Company Plus landing page appears to suggest that there's a joining bonus of up to 1,500 CP points too.

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Just a bump of this one as you have just over ten days to redeem your company rewards.

I just liquidated mine today.

You need to highlight the individual for whom you plan to purchase the flight, and you receive an electronic "voucher" for use in their name via email.

This appears to be valid until June 2011 so no rush to redeem.

I have never redeemed one in the past but assume it cannot be used towards taxes (?) and also that you would not get change from a larger denominated voucher, so best to ensure you redeem multiple lower value vouchers rather than simply cashing in all in one voucher, but not absolutely certain of this.

Star Alliance Company Plus looks about as useful as a chocolate tea pot.

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VK - you can towards taxes as well. You are right no change is given. I redeemed to VIE a couple of months ago and it didnt cost me a penny! I flew out with BD and back with OS. I thought it had to be BD operated flights, but it allowed me to book the return on OS.

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VK - do you think I should redeem before the scheme closes? I had an email saying that any unused points will be transfered to the Star Alliance Company Plus. However, I have not looked at this scheme in any details, but from your comments I guess it is not great!

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I *think* your unused points will indeed transfer to Company Plus but *only* if you have pro-actively created a new account.

Not very knowledgeable about Company Plus, but it appears to be a points based scheme so you can't redeem for cash in the way you can with the present scheme, it is not clear which booking classes you can redeem into, and I am not so sure earning on Austrian would then allow you to redeem on Air India for instance.

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I am unaware of this and cannot find anything on the BMi website.

I currently have enough miles for about 12 returns BHD/LHR in Flexible Economy.

I cannot redeem these just now as our dates are not firmed up.

If it is true and the value of the new scheme is less than the old I will again be seriously annoyed with BMi.

Just wish BA would move back to BHD - BMi need a bit of a shake up !

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You need to either spend your points now, or create a Star Alliance Company Plus account and link the 2, then points will be transfered automatically (I think) when the BD scheme closes. I do not know much about the Star Alliance sheme so not sure if the value is less. Speak to BMI and see what you have to do - good luck as their call centre is the worst!

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Is there a difference between Company Rewards and Diamond Club Miles - which is what I have ?

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Company Rewards is completely different from Diamond Club Miles.

Actually you don't need to spend you points now - the voucher I received yesterday via email is valid until June 2011:

E-voucher details

Please find the details of your compensation e-voucher below. Dear VintageKrug, Thank you for redeeming your Company Rewards points as this e-voucher.

compensation e-voucher information

e-voucher value: GBP 438.00 e-voucher type: MCO your reference number is XXX To redeem this e-voucher please go to redeem a voucher and enter this reference number and your surname as shown above. this e-voucher is valid until 15 June 2011

Please note: This e-voucher can only be redeemed against a booking in the recipients name. Full or partial refunds are not permitted. compensation e-voucher recipient information

first name: Vintage last name: Krug

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No worries for me then !

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Well, Travellator, that said it is highly likely bmi Diamond Club will merge into Lufthansa's Miles & More within the next two years.

Diamond Club miles are amongst the easiest to earn and most valuable when spent (especially using their cash + miles option) and so my suggestion would be to look to redeem your miles in the coming years rather than hoard them.

Still plenty of time to use them, and still worth earning Diamond Club miles, just be aware that change is on the horizon.

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VK, you are quite correct about Diamond Club miles being the most valuable. My wife and I will be flying Orlando to Dublin (via Frankfurt) using about 36,000 miles and £200 cash. Thats for both of us, and in Business

I hope you're wrong, about Diamond Club merging with Miles and More. I have found Diamind Club a very good FFP and the people dealing with us mere mortals are generally quite helpful, with the exception of BMI's achilles heel............their call centre.

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PJ Jordan can you or anyone else confirm, when flying DUB-MCO is US immigration cleared in Dublin or Orlando (MCO).

(excuse the off topic question....)

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I'm afraid it's not really a question of IF Diamond Club will morph to Miles & Less, but WHEN.

Prock-Shauer has stated:

"Roadmap for integration [of] "Diamond Club“ in M&M agreed"

"Restructuring will show full effect in 2011 and 2012, examples… LH integration will be completed, e.g. sales, M&M…"

http://investor-relations.lufthansa.com/de/veranstaltungen/investoren-und-analystenkonferenzen/2010/2806-investor-day.html

So 2011/2012 it is, then.

The only upside I can see to this from a personal perspective is the increased longevity of M&M elite status; if my membership year is advantageously timed, my bmi Diamond Club Gold card should be grandfathered into top tier M&M and last for another 18 months.

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Good afternoon from Stockholm,

I don't know much about the bmi DIamond Club card, so a true comparison is hard for me to make. Let me give you a quick rundown on the good and bad about M&M:

GOOD:

* Qualification can be done one out of two years, and status is held for two years

* Companion awards for Senator (Gold) and HON - get 50% off second award ticket

* FlySmart awards in Europe (book between 2-14 days before) are only 15.000 miles in Y and 25.000 miles in C. (To put in perspective: ARN-LHR via HAM/FRA-MUC cost £400 return in C and I earn 10.000 miles so a "free" ticket anywhere in Europe in Y cost me £600 in revenue tickets)

* Always double miles in business, triple in first

* 25% bonus on FTL, SEN and HON card which also count towards status

* Call centres are typically very good - no India but AUS, US or South-Africa for English

* 2 upgrade vouchers for SEN and 6 for HON when qualifying or re-qualifying

* Simple calculation is that for UK residents you need 10 returns in business in Europe via FRA, MUC, ZUR, VIE to make Senator or about 3 intercontinental trips

* Pay taxes and fees with miles

* Use miles across Star Alliance for more choices

* Using LX Business Upgrade Fares I would calculate you would need about £3000-3500 spend annually to get the Senator card.

BAD

* The FTL (Silver) status is not as good as BA Silver

* The FTL/Business Class lounges in FRA specially are not very good

* Fees and taxes on award tickets very high

* Earn on hotels and hire cars low

* Limited distribution of credit card partners beyond core markets (even BA has credit card in Sweden).

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Hi Martyn,

I just checked with Dublin Airport and they tell me that Immigration is cleared in Dublin when flying DUB-MCO. Incidentally, Aer Lingus are doing great deals on Business on this route.

Hope this is of help, Martyn.

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A reminder that bmi's Company Rewards will close for ever on Tuesday 31 August, so don't dilly dally if you haven't already either liquidated you points into a voucher (s) or opened a Company Plus account.

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Martyn,

I spoke to a lady in the Aer Lingus Gold Circle Lounge this morning and she informed me that pax do NOT clear US immigration in Ireland on DUB - MCO.....I don't know what to believe now.Sorry to confuse the issue.

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Hi there, Believe that flight is scheduled (12:15pm) after US immigration closes at Dublin airport (11am I believe), which may explain the answer from Gold Circle. Have not used this route from here, but have been caught out before with later flights (to JFK) from Dub!

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