bmi diamond club - Upgrade bmi amex to bmi amex plus - how?!

HI Guys

Anyone have any advice here....?

I already have the normal free bmi amex card but I want to upgrade it to the plus card, pay 60 quid annual fee and get 2x the number of points. This is a lot harder than it sounds. I've been passed around dept to dept at mbna and promised a call back, etc but no luck.

The applications dept doesn't seem to know what to do since it is not a new application. The regular customer service people don't know what to do since the query is not related to my existing card. It's a vicious circle.

I don't think doing a fresh application is the answer, especially applying my BD number to it and risk a penalty for potentially getting the joining bonus as I've already received it.

Anyone have this problem before? Ideas?

Thanks a lot, A

Welcome to FT gimme-gimme

Applying again isn't a problem, especially if you ask them to take your credit limit down for your existing card. They shouldn't pay you the sign-up bonus again, but if they do, then that is not your problem anyway - it is up to them to realise you have already had a bonus. Supplying your BD number should ensure that.

Either phone again and tell them you wish to apply and explain the circumstances, or just call and reduce your credit limit (thus making some available for the AMEX) and then apply for your new card.

I've just swapped an Alliance & Leicester MBNA card for a bmi plus by doing just what RAPC suggests, no problems at all.