[Anonymous]

[VintageKrug]

Well worth taking a look at Raffles’ blog, where the recent improvements to the bmi credit card are set out:

http://www.headforpoints.com/2013/05/15/amazingly-the-old-bmi-credit-cards-just-got-better/

Not only are the long rumoured increased in mileage earning (2.5 avios/£) confirmed, but double avois on BA flights are also confirmed – a whopping 5 avios for £1.

But the best – and untrailered – announcement is 10% off the fare component of exUK British Airways flights when using the card, a benefit which matches the BA shareholder discount.

[Binman62]

This seems like muddled and confused marketing to me.

Whilst undoubtedly a superb offer for those who hold these cards
(I understand they are no longer available) what message does this send to loyal BA Amex fee payers? What also is the point of being a shareholder if anyone with a credit card can equal the deal (albeit only on expensive UK originating flights)

Good luck to you if you have one of these deals.

[JordanD]

As others have suggested elsewhere on the internet, there’s a feeling that this excellent deal is one of MBNA’s own making for two reasons – to stop leakage of customers to American Express and to burn out a chunk of Avios they they may well have bought and which is now sitting on their balance sheets. Conjecture of course, but it makes of an interesting point of view.

Only shame is of course that I couldn’t use this card to pay for the taxes on a BA Amex 2-for-1 booking (as per the T&Cs of that voucher).

[Raffles99]

You can use ANY Amex to pay the taxes on a BA Amex 241 voucher, ignore what the rules say.

It is also worth knowing that Amex does NOT do name verification. You can even use an Amex belonging to someone else and it will still go through, even when BA puts your name in the ‘Cardholder’ box and doesn’t let you change it.

You will find that this MBNA move – together with the 35,000 mile sign-up deal on the AA card – is part of a game to position themselves for the retender of the BA credit card contract.

(PS Thanks for the plug Krug)

[Binman62]

Raffles99
Thanks for the further update, something else I did not know…that the name makes no difference……will bare that in mind next time I try to book using the wifes 241….

[sparkyflier]

In my opinion MBNA’s customer service standards are ‘up there’ with Ryanair.

[JordanD]

Raffles – I suspected that that might the case (using another individual’s BA Amex), from reading between the lines elsewhere … that you could use the BMI MBNA Amex was news to me, and will be something I think about in the future, so thanks for the heads up.

Now just to find/remember my BMI MBNA Amex pin … and hope that some of those pay-wave readers actually read the card (which it appears many don’t)!

[Raffles99]

For clarity … the Amex ‘no name verification’ may not apply to MBNA and Lloyds-issued Amex cards. It does definitely apply to Amex-issued Amex cards.

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