BMI to leave * alliance in two weeks

[JohnK]

Sorry for turning it into a OW question but can I use BA Gold to say F QF lounge on QF code-shares (eg to Fiji on Air Pacific, Seoul on Asiana etc) when travelling on Y, or it has to be OW metal only? Also I assume that given JQ is not OW I cannot use BA Gold to get to F lounge when fly JQ/3K, and only QF Plat can access it?

With Oneworld Emerald access to the First Lounge is slightly different.

[SUP]#[/SUP] Next onward flight that day must be on a oneworld Airline Members operated and marketed flight.
Note: a oneworld marketed flight refers to a flight with a oneworld flight number, eg QF1 or AA222. A oneworld operated flight refers to the actual aircraft or 'metal' on which you fly, eg Finnair aircraft.

 

[Foreigner]

You will continue to earn membership status miles and earn and spend destinations miles on bmi and Star Alliance carriers (excluding Lufthansa Group airlines) until 31 May 2012

[/I]

As suggested on another thread, by bcworld, one may spend miles until 31 May 2012 for travel over the next 12 months.

 

[StevePER]

Someone on FT pointed out that you can buy Diamond Club Silver for 150 GBP, which will then be matched to BA Silver. Could be a nice cheap way to get oneworld lounge access if it works.

 

[Flashback]

Someone on FT pointed out that you can buy Diamond Club Silver for 150 GBP, which will then be matched to BA Silver. Could be a nice cheap way to get oneworld lounge access if it works.

Will be interesting to see if they still offer it / whether the transaction goes through.

 

[StevePER]

Will be interesting to see if they still offer it / whether the transaction goes through.

The only problem I can see is the restrictions on BAEC membership for Australia. I might need to find someone with a UK address that I can borrow.

 

[kamchatsky]

With Oneworld Emerald access to the First Lounge is slightly different.

Thanks for that. It clears things up now. I am looking forward to BA Gold given that it has soft landing as well. Lounge access for OW airlines for me for 2 years!

 

[jgm]

Just received the following:
Dear Mr jgm
Thank you for contacting us with your query.
British Airways is inviting all Diamond Club members to join the Executive Club and will be offering you a comparable level of tier status, plus the opportunity to convert your Destination Miles into Avios points.
For more information about the comparable level of tier status that British Airways is offering Diamond Club members, and for further information on how you can convert your Destination Miles into Avios points please visit www.ba.com/welcomebmi
However, as you are aware the Executive Club does not operate in the South West Pacific region, including Australia and I am sorry if this causes disappointment. You are still welcome to enrol but you will need to have a mailing address somewhere outside the South West Pacific region and have your mail sent to your new address from there so you will want to make sure it is reliable. You can also stay in touch with us, make bookings and check your account online at ba.com.
If you are able to enrol with a valid address then moving from the Diamond Club to the Executive Club is made easy. Please see the instructions below.
Please visit www.ba.com/welcomebmi to join the Executive Club, using this unique enrolment code: ECBMI1
Please note that you must enrol through the specific links provided to ensure that British Airways will be able to identify you as a Diamond Club member and offer you comparable status.
We look forward to welcoming you into the Club soon.
Best regards

Susan Ware
British Airways Executive Club

 

[markis10]

Still does not work We apologise, you cannot enrol in the British Airways Executive Club in your proposed country of residence. click here for details.

 

[Aussie_flyer]

Still does not work We apologise, you cannot enrol in the British Airways Executive Club in your proposed country of residence. click here for details.

did you read that last post? they acknowledge you cannot join in Australia and recommend choosing a mailing address outside the region. Or did you choose a mailing address somewhere else and it still rejected it?

 

[markis10]

did you read that last post? they acknowledge you cannot join in Australia and recommend choosing a mailing address outside the region. Or did you choose a mailing address somewhere else and it still rejected it?

Missed that part, I think its kind of funny how they insist on that!

 

[jgm]

FWIW you can still enrol with your Australian address, but change country of residence to Austria. As long as you don't have status with BA, it shouldn't be a problem. The only time you will need a snail mail address is when they send a card, & you don't really need one until you get to Silver to get lounge access (you may still be OK if the lounge lizards will look up your details).

 

[Aussie_flyer]

Missed that part, I think its kind of funny how they insist on that!

very bizarre that they would actually recommend this. Still I think I will do it, its worth it for oneworld emerald since my QF dropped to gold recently.

 

[Flashback]

FWIW you can still enrol with your Australian address, but change country of residence to Austria. As long as you don't have status with BA, it shouldn't be a problem. The only time you will need a snail mail address is when they send a card, & you don't really need one until you get to Silver to get lounge access (you may still be OK if the lounge lizards will look up your details).

But that's the whole point of it in this exercise, people have status with BMI and thus will get it with BA. I'm happy to help out where I can, please PM me.

 

[kamchatsky]

BA Status Match link is now live .......

Official Page:
http://www.britishairways.com/travel/bmi-diamond-club/public/en_au

British Airways - Moving from the Diamond Club to the Executive Club

Of course, whenever I try to enrol to BA using Aussie address I got the following:

https://www.britishairways.com/travel/ecswpclose/public/en_au

 

[Flashback]

Received the following:
Dear Flashware

As part of the transition of bmi into British Airways, from today (1 May 2012), British Airways is inviting you, as a Diamond Club member, to also join the Executive Club at your equivalent tier status level, which will be in addition to your Diamond Club membership.

All you need to do is complete the online tier match form by providing us with your Executive Club membership number and your Diamond Club membership number and tier. To complete the online tier match form please visit www.ba.com/diamondclub

Diamond Club Star Alliance benefits:

We would like to take the opportunity to remind you that your existing Diamond Club membership continues to offer you the following Star Alliance benefits associated with your membership tier level until 31 May 2012.
•You will continue to earn membership status miles and earn and spend destinations miles on bmi and Star Alliance carriers (excluding Lufthansa Group airlines) until 31 May 2012
•For all Star Alliance carriers you will also be able to take advantage of your bmi and Star Alliance status benefits, including lounge access, priority check-in and priority boarding until 31 May 2012
•From 1 June 2012 any benefits associated with your tier membership and the ability to earn status miles and earn and spend destinations miles on Star Alliance airlines will end
•Star Alliance award bookings made before 31 May 2012 will be honoured

For further information including changes to award bookings, retrospective claims and award flight bookings please visit flybmi.com
Business remains as usual for Diamond Club, therefore all other benefits remain unchanged. This includes any benefits associated with the bmi Credit Card Account from MBNA.
We look forward to welcoming you onboard again soon.

 

[drewbles]

Thanks for the link. Now, I have 3 oneworld tiers, in 3 airlines. Most necessary. #firstworlstatusproblems

 

[marksmiles]

Isn't this all just a bit of low cost publicity to spread the name?

 

[drewbles]

Isn't this all just a bit of low cost publicity to spread the name?

How could it be? BMI was sold from Lufthansa to BA, so BA are making it nice and clear to BD Diamond Club members what's going on.

I think this has been one of the smoother FF program migrations I've seen (to date) in that they're letting you have both accounts for the time being, and matching your BD status over to OW/BA until you decide to do (and will let you move BD points to Avois points 1:1).

 

[kamchatsky]

Here are some updates on BMI -> BA status match in case any BMI elites are interested:


Opened BA accounts in early May, waited until after 8 June (membership anniversary date) before applying status match. Logged in to BA.com and got Gold! My wife got Silver matched. Card expiry date is marked as 31 July 2014 (2 years)!!! So now I am OWE and my wife OWS. Unreal!



Also in the mean time, I have applied and received A3 *G as well, my wife A3 *S.


Now the question is: Can I get QFF Platinum as a result of BA Gold, if I claim to move house from UK to Australia as BA does not allow SWP addresses? The only reason I want QFF Platinum is for lounge access for JQ and QF code shares with FJ etc. Would they give 2 years of Platinum? Or I should just wait at start of 2014 to apply for it?


I have no idea whether to credit any future OW flights to BA or QF as I don't have any OW flights anytime soon. That's something I need to look at.

 

[samh004]

QF doesn’t match and most programs don’t poach from partners, but I’m not sure what agreement BA and QF have in regards to their different bases. Perhaps they will match if you move to SWP, but not heard of it being done before.