[Anonymous]

[Potakas]

BMI is offering perks to executive travellers switching to its flights from strike-hit British Airways.
Travellers displaying BA silver or gold cards will be offered the BMI equivalents.These offer benefits such as free upgrades and access to exclusive airport lounges.
Regular travellers hoping to earn a BMI gold card have to fly the equivalent of 38,000 miles – about one-and-a-half times the circumference of the earth – in order to qualify.
A BMI spokesman confirmed this was a direct response to the strikes at BA, “We don’t have the profile or brand recognition that BA has, so this is an opportunity for us to show regular BA flyers what we can offer as an alternative,” he said.
BMI crew have been instructed to offer a special onboard welcome to customers who normally fly on BA, asking them to make themselves known to cabin staff if they have a BA frequent flyer card. They are then offered the BMI equivalent for a year.

Nice offer but still BMI is far away from BA as the BMI spokesman said.

[PatJordan]

BMI’s matching BA’s silver and gold cards. It’s a good marketing tool.

Now what if BA offered the same to other FFP Elite card holders? That would be a masterstroke. Can’t see it happening though.

[MarcusUK]

Its not the first time BMI have had match for match, but they simply don’t offer the same as all the other Star Alliance carriers.
they have gone low cost, withdrawing many routes & even medium Haul aircraft, as well as routes to Europe.

The Gold Star Alliance card (unless you aim to drain one mileage scheme for another), offers less with BMI…try calling India to redeem yr miles, & no on line booking to redeem or check.

even though i choose not to fly BA I cannot see cardholders swapping their loyalty for a short haul low cost Airline as BMI has become. the Scheme will at some stage be absorbed by LH anyhow.

[NTarrant]

There is little incentive to, as Mark correctly says, drain one system for another. BD don’t have the route network for me, they nor LH operate where I want to go directly if at all, with the exception of LHR-MAN/EDI. But when you compare, the lounges and the onboard offering BA win everytime.

[Author]

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