Approaching the end: BMI Diamond Club *UPDATED*

With latest email from BMI, it seems anything useful with BMI Diamond Club is coming to the end.

During the past few months, we have been in contact with you regarding a number of changes that have been made to the Diamond Club, following the sale of bmi to IAG, the owner of British Airways.

Following a detailed review of the Diamond Club, we would like to announce a series of further changes.

From 27 October 2012, the following benefits will no longer be available:

•     Earning and spending your destinations miles on bmi operated flights with a bmi flight number
•     Earning and spending your destinations miles on airline partners British Airways, Jet Airways, Qatar Airways  and Transaero Airlines
•     Earning destinations miles on bmi hotel partners, WorldPoints, through American Express Membership
      Rewards or when you shop online
•     Buying destinations miles
•     Upgrading your flight with destinations miles
•     Earning status miles

However, Diamond Club customers will still be able to earn destinations miles by using the bmi Credit Card and can transfer these into Executive Club Avios at an attractive rate, using our transfer tool. Find out more about transferring your miles here.

Please review the new terms and conditions here.

From 28 October 2012 you will not be able to access your Diamond Club account on www.flybmi.com. However, we have created a new website for our UK and South West Pacific members called www.diamondclub.org, where you can access your destinations miles balance and full account information. The new website will be available from 27 October 2012.

Tier match with the Executive Club

If you are a Diamond Club Gold or Silver member, don’t forget you can still apply for matching tier status within the Executive Club until 31 December 2012 at ba.com/tiermatch.

Gold and Silver members can also continue to access the bmi and selected British Airways lounges at London Heathrow and London Gatwick until 31 December 2012.

British Airways is inviting all Diamond Club members, who are not already members of the Executive Club to enrol at ba.com/welcomebmi.

For more information on the changes please visit ba.com/diamondclub.

Source – Email From BMI

Lets look at this a bit deeper at what’s being cut – and the answer is… well… everything. From the 28th October

• No spending or earning on any flying partners (BA, Jet, Qatar or Transaero)
• All other earning is killed off through hotel partners, WorldPoints, and  American Express Membership
• Nothing to do with Buying miles, earning miles or upgrading miles.
• The only way you will be able to earn BMI miles is through the BMI MBNA Credit Card.

If you haven’t done your status match to BA, now is the time to do it as the deadline for this is 31st December 2012. Avios transfers remain to 1:1 at this time, however the facility to transfer miles will close for all non-UK customers after 31st December 2012.

For those BMI members in the South Pacific there is a problem as they can’t join BA Executive Club at this time. BA is reviewing the options at this time

The American Express membership is also worrying that’s the membership rewards gone as well.

We all knew this has been coming for some time – its just a bit disheartening to see it happen.

I’ve said it once, and I’ll say it again – unless you are desperate to make a redemption on Jet, Qatar or Transaero, I’d be converting your Destination Miles to Avios now. I’d also seriously consider stopping spending with BMI Credit Cards unless there is a good reason now.

Ladies and Gentlemen: The BMI games is heading to the final minutes….