[Anonymous]

[FrequentTraveller]

I have just noticed an excellent free flight offer from British Midland (BMI).

Apply to join their frequent flyer scheme, called Diamond Club, and three days later they say they will give you 9,000 miles. Which is enough for a free return flight on a Star Alliance carrier in the UK or to near Europe, just pay the taxes and charges. What is extremely unusual about this promotion is that you don’t have to first fly on a paid ticket to get the bonus miles and the free flight does not even have to be on bmi !

The terms and conditions state this is only available for a limited time. No closing date is given, so if you are interested then it’s probably advisable to enrol as soon as you can.

After joining, there is an additional separate offer which has already been running for a long time. If you should also apply for the bmi AMEX credit card and spend £250 within the first three months they will give you another 20,000 miles. Combined with the first 9,000 miles that will be enough for three free return flights in the UK or to near Europe. Or enough for two free return flights to a further away European destination! Miles can be used on other carriers too, such as bmibaby, but redemption rates do not appear to be so favourable.

Enroll now before they realise their mistake.

[starflyer]

That offer has existed for some time. Bmi are agressively marketing Diamond Club at the moment, other offers include immediate enrolement in blue plus (means free catering on LHR European flights etc.). Diamond Club is good for achieving status quickly but the customer service (especially at gold level) is dreadful with an Indian call centre and frequent mileage credit problems. There is no dedicated gold customer service team.

[viking01]

It’s strange that bmi are being so aggressive with its Diamond Club, isn’t it? Especially when chances are they will be sold by the end of the year. Or is that the reason?

[FrequentTraveller]

Indeed there was offer available earlier this year for a free flight. But it was only one way, which is not too useful as you then have to buy a one-way back. This latest offer is for a return flight.

[FrequentTraveller]

It’s already too late. It looks as if they have now realised how generous this offer was. At some point this afternoon some additional criteria has been inserted into the terms and conditions.
“To qualify for a free flight one return bmi flight (or two one way flights) must be taken before 31 July 2008.”

i.e. You need to enrol, buy a flight then they will give you a free flight.

[terrymcmanus]

Actually did it…but trying to transfer to my ROC account …got the 20000 miles but need to maintain my GOLD status and now that THAI have moved the goal posts…..again….only full fare registers for miles.

[AussieM]

Sounds like a decent offer.

I obtained a “match offer” with BMI for a gold card a few yrs ago, if i had such status in another alliance. I had my KLM Gold so got the gold card with BMI. Renewing it with flights on the SA network within the year, as i travel to Australia a few times a year was good & yes the accrual of miles was & is good.

However, their Call Centre in India is atrocious, unlike the ability to speak to someone in the E. mids as when i joined.
I had been e-ticketed for a journey in the Far East down to Australia, when it should have been paper, & spent 1.5 hrs rushing between LHR terminals to get BMI to ticket it properly.
The staff DONT know the airlines well, where they fly how n when when i was looking them up myself live…
To obtain a reward is almost impossible now with S.A partners, & if anything goes wrong they just dont respond..
U may well find yr Customer relations letter being scanned in n sent to india also!

So, poor service, poor redemption & BMI operates like a low cost airline with food charges etc now, & their routes are awkward ones, & not useful to me.
I switched my allegiance to Etihad, where i have just benfitted from 3 months double earning miles & 3 months half price to spend miles.

I had a wonderful FreePearl Class return from AUH-Sydney, a 15 hrs flight with the A345 out & A346 back. They also sent a Chauffeur car from Dubai to AUH & in Sydney each time, even though it was a miles redemption, as i was a Silver card holder! How amny Airlines do that on a reward ticket???
My loyalty has paid me back well, & my FF perks with Etihad remain good.
As a result, with their Unique approach & excellence in the air, they have my loyalty& business.
Farwell BMI!

[terrymcmanus]

Almost 3 Months later and BMI are still trying to figure out where my 20,000 miles have been registered to/with…

One must be patient I suppose…

[jammydodger0905]

It’s all very well promoting the Diamond club, but did you know that they only allocate 6 reward seats on international flights? I can’t book a flight using my miles for love nor money!!!

[tipster]

I agree, as per my earlier post in respone to you asking for advice on redeeming miles.

I won’t go over the details again but I would just like to agree with the comments on the call centre staff at Diamond Club who are very unhelpful.

They offered me no options, I had to keep looking and calling them back.

[terrymcmanus]

Success at last.
After almost 6 months of the ” find the miles for fun” competition my BMI / Amex Offer of 20k finally turned up in a new account that they had so kindly opened on my behalf but didnt inform me of the whereabouts.

Now I have a total in my Diamond Club Card of 50K which I would like to join up with another 50K that I have in my Thai ROC a/c but nobody seems to know if it can be done…still all good fun I suppose.

[jetsetasianboi]

Hi,

Does anyone know about the bmi Round-the-World ticket? I am thinking of getting an RTW for my trip, and the website says for a J class it requies 150K miles + USD 2,040 + applicable taxes … I have about 200K now in my account, and compared to other airlines RTW I think it’s not too shabby, and not to mention if you want to buy and pay CASH for an RTW for a J it would be probably cost a lot more money!

What do you think? Anyone has experience in this?

Oh another thing … If you pay cash + miles, do you still get the mileage credit on the flights? I know if you only pay JUST miles, you don’t get credit because it’s a free ticket, but how about CASH + MILES?

Thanks much!

[malagina]

i agree not had much look with bookings putting my 60.000points on e-bay

[TerryMcManus24]

What are BMI up to……they are doing it AGAIN.

Got my wife to sign up for their BMI CC with Amex and as we all know on first use (over a certain amount ) the holder gets 20,000 air miles into their club ….sounds good…but they appear to have lost them…again…..

I spoke to their Diamond people who apppear to live somewhere in deepest India and seem to be trained to annoy customers rather than assist them….very defensive…

quote:I am so sorry sir it must be the banks fault …(had already discussed /agreed with the bank ..of course ) but we cant discuss with you (your wifes a/c)……

wait one moment please…then hung up…..

BMI………I am ANNOYED with you.

[Author]

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