Auf Wiedersehen, bmi

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  • Anonymous
    Guest

    VintageKrug
    Participant

    Looks like bmi is being re-named British Midland International. What an inspired choice.

    25% capacity reduction, 800 jobs to go. A timely warning to BA Cabin Crew that jobs are not that secure in the UK aviation industry.

    http://business.timesonline.co.uk/tol/business/industry_sectors/transport/article7096710.ece

    Just 29 aircraft to be left in the fleet. A real shame.


    VintageKrug
    Participant

    And now when I log into my http://www.flybmi.com account I get the option to transfer and status match my bmi Gold card to LH’s Miles&Less:

    ———————

    Thank you for registering for the status match and miles transfer offer, from the Diamond Club frequent flyer programme to the Miles & More frequent flyer programme.

    Whilst the membership account transfer process is in progress, your Diamond Club account will be suspended and from 16 May 2010 you will not be able to earn or redeem miles against this account. When the miles transfer and status match is complete, your Diamond Club membership will cease to exist and you will no longer be able to access your old membership information via flybmi.com.

    Please ensure you now begin to use your Miles & More membership number against all future flight bookings and for all other miles earning and redemption activities.

    ——————–

    Could this be the (long heralded) end for Diamond Club?


    Potakas
    Participant

    What a source of ready trained cabin crew for BA when UNITE call the next strike.


    VintageKrug
    Participant

    Not really; BA is prohibited under UK Employment Law from hiring strike breakers from outside BA itself, hence the need to recruit internally for volunteer staff.

    It is certainly the case that in the medium/longer term this will provide a ready pool of recruits for new staff to be hired under new contracts/pay scales whihc will be known as “New Fleet”.


    Potakas
    Participant

    So BA can hire them but only as ”New Fleet”, not just as volunteers during the next strike. Although this is good for WW’s plans to reduce the payroll as the need for this jobs is very high.Also BA’s cabin crew maybe now they will realize how bad is the economy for the airlines.


    Travellator
    Participant

    Strange ! I logged in to both our accounts albeit Silver and no change to Miles and Less !

    Will be very annoyed if our 140000 accrued miles are diluted if there is a change – we use these to shuttle our journalist Daughter back and forth LHR/BHD/LHR.

    After the dilution to Flexible Economy which is still called C and their staff still call it business this would be a body blow.

    Actually the OLD British Midland was damned good !


    Senator
    Participant

    VK,

    I know you are a big BAEC fan, and I understand that many have appreciated the BD programme for many years.

    Miles & More is an excellent programme if you fly premium cabins. However, if you are on low fares in the back it is not a good scheme. To me M&M and BAEC is much the same; good for high yield passengers.

    I have been Senator (Gold) for ten years, and have seen some of the changes. Here is what I like:

    * 25% bonus miles (also for status) on list of airlines (all LH group plus CO, UA, and US)

    * 2x miles on all business fares

    * 3x miles on all first fares (a US East Coast to West Coast run on US/UA with upgraded fare with connections is a killer). You can easily accumulate 12-15,000 miles for around $1000-1200.

    * 10,000 miles (for status customer) on a €450 r/t fare from ARN-MAD via ZRH on LX is fantastic earn potential.

    * 15,000 miles redemption award anywhere in Europe (Fly Smart) or 25,000 in business. In essence, 2 ½ times ARN-MAD via ZRH will yield one free ticket on the same route.

    * Senator (and HON) Companion awards – 50% of the second award

    * You have two years to qualify for Frequent Traveller (Silver) or Senator (Gold). You keep the status for two years, and need only to qualify one of the two years.

    * HON is not out of reach; 10 long-haul flights a year in business via FRA/ZRH/MUC/VIE may do it.

    What I am not so happy with:

    * Only two upgrade vouchers for Senator when you re-qualify, used to be one per 50,000 miles (six for HON)

    * The Business class lounges (Silver) are not very good. And you don’t get access everywhere

    * Senator Lounges are getting over-crowded

    I am not sure what BD offered, but if you travel in premium cabins it is
    a good programme…


    VintageKrug
    Participant

    bmi have confirmed that the above was a targetted offer for customers based in territories to which they no longer fly (eg Netherlands, Israel).

    Panic over.


    MarcusUK
    Participant

    As mentioned some time ago on here, best to have redeemed, where they don’t tell you “No seats”, all your BMI DC miles.

    Like the Airline, they have passed their time sadly.
    Anyone leaving miles in their accounts, would be most foolish.


    wanula1
    Participant

    Found this interview with the BMI CEO, gives some insight into the BMI plans as well as the view that Lufthansa now holds

    http://www.flightglobal.com/articles/2010/04/24/340870/video-bmi-will-be-more-than-star-feeder-ceo.html


    VintageKrug
    Participant

    Despite all this, bmi’s Diamond Club remains one of the best – if not the best – Star Alliance affiliate for both earning and burning miles.

    The airline itself is not so good on shorthaul, as business cabins are rarer than an honest plan to repay the UK Deficit. Mid and Longhaul, they have a superb new lounge in Terminal 1, but tend to fly to places only needed if you are training to be a terrorist or in the oil industry.

    I have never had a problem redeeming miles, as long as you do a little research on your exact routing and award availability before calling the infamous bmi Call Centre.

    Award flights on routes actually operated by bmi are hard to come by but other Star airlines are readily available. The operatives are most helpful if you work with them to find a solution.

    Now that Lufthansa is so closely aligned to bmi, there is no danger of the airline leaving the alliance, and I continue to earn (although, crucially, I also burn!) miles in this programme, even if the airline itself is a shadow of what it once was.

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