Unlike many of my friends I haven’t quite caught the British Midland “bug” that so many people have. While I have liked their program and loved their cash and miles as well as one way awards options, I never actually made the switch.
Ever since signing up for BMI Diamond Club during that 9,000 miles for basically nothing promo, I have become more and more intrigued. While I wont start crediting flight miles to them until the fall when I status match to their Gold status (which also gets me access to Star Alliance lounges even on domestic flights, saving me $300 a year from the RCC membership I would otherwise buy), I have started crediting everything else to them.
For example, I’m a Hilton Gold and one of the nice things about their program is the number of options they give you as far as earnings go. You can earn just points, points and variable miles (depending on spend), or points and fixed miles. While most airlines only offer 500 miles per stay, BMI offers 1,000 miles per night, up to three nights. So the next time I stay at a Hilton family property (I usually prefer Doubletree and Embassy Suites) on a $100/night rate, I’ll be sure to give up the few extra Honors points for 1,000 BMI miles. The only time this wouldn’t make sense is when staying at a high end property which is $400 or so a night, where the Honors points would outweigh the miles. Similarly you can earn 1,000 miles for car rentals with many brands, so miles can quickly add up.
While I still plan on remaining equally loyal to United, BMI isn’t too bad of a place to credit points, it seems!
I love BMI and flew almost exclusively with them until last month when they withdrew from our local airport INV.
Yes. Same here. I've only got my toe dipped (9k sign-up), want to know more, but I have to choose between UA and BD with this year's budget (unless MR forum "specials" pop up). E+ will win!
I was in the same boat until I tried to redeem miles for an intra-europe flight. The fuel surcharge and other taxes on award tickets (which UA does not seem to charge) added up to $200, which makes the miles less valuable. Of course the generosity of BMI on premium fares (F & C) is always very attractive. Keep us posted.