bmi diamond club - Just to clarify some things before I start collecting miles...

As I mentioned in a previous post I am thinking to make a switch...The sticky is really helpful but there are still a few things I need to be sure about before I start actually collecting miles.

Here is my booked routing and the approximate calculated miles:

Jan 2007 MEL-LAX (UA, C class)
7983 miles + 100% bonus for C class = 15876 status miles
connecting to
LAX-FRA (LH, F class)
5786 miles + 200% bonus for F class = 17358 status miles

Since I will need > 16000 miles for Silver I should reach that in Jan 2007 a few hunderde miles after leaving LAX.

I understand that once one passes a threshold the status miles are set back to zero. In this case would I loose 17234 (17358-125) status miles from that LH sector??? That would be a lot of status miles to loose!
So by Jan 2007 I will be silver and then I would have until Jan 2008 to either requalify for silver or, as I am planning to do, collect 38000 status miles and get Gold.

In december 2007 I have booked FRA-BKK (LH, F class) and BKK-MEL (TG, C class) which will bring me over the additional 38000 status miles required IF I get those 17234 miles from that LH flight in Jan credited.

If then I get Gold by December 2007 I have until end of December 2008 to requalify with 38000 miles...is that correct?

Could someone also explain the difference in status and destination miles, the status miles are reset to zero once one reaches a thershold but in my bookings here which miles do I get to keep and use?
Is the class of service bonus only for status?
i.e How many usable miles would I approximately have in my account for this booked trip?

Many thanks,

fm747

Status miles are for elite status, destination miles are for spending.

Ok, base miles work out like this:
Destination Miles:
MEL-LAX: 7935 miles + 100% for Business classes (C, D) = 15870 miles
LAX-FRA: 6079 miles + 200% for First classes (F, A, P) = 18237 miles

Status Miles:
MEL-LAX: 7935 miles + 100% for Business classes (C, D) = 15870 miles
LAX-FRA: 6079 miles + 200% for First classes (F, A, P) = 18237 miles

Status Miles are awarded the same as Destination Miles for Class of Service i.e. fare code.

So your first flight won't quite get you to Silver. The second, as you have stated, will.

Although your status miles reset to naught, they carry over the excess and re-apply it to your account within a day or so.
So when you get to FRA you should be Silver and have 18107 status miles.
You'll have 12 months from that point to make your status miles reach a balance of 16,000 miles for Silver Requalification, or 38,000 miles to reach Gold.

On reaching Gold you'll have status miles reset and the exccess carried over.
From that moment you'll have 12 months to earn another 38,000 miles to requalify for Gold (aka. your membership year is reset). BUT note, when your 12 months are up and your status miles reset to naught, excess miles will NOT be re-applied/carried over.

Other bonuses such as the 55,000 miles club can make it viable for members to continue collecting however.

Destination miles are not affected by year end resets.
So at the end of these two flights you will have:
34107 Destination Miles
18107 Status Miles (Along with Silver Membership)

The rest of the program intricacies are in the sticky at the top and other threads in the forum.

Welcome to DC.

sheesh, didnt notice that it was such a huge bonus on destination AND status miles for flying in business class.

Flying UA business and crediting to Mileage Plus i'd only get 125% status miles (ie 25% bonus) and normal destination miles.

Damn, might have to change my plans again!!!

^ Great information thanks!
One other thing that I didn"t quite understand was the 25% bonus once you get silver and gold status.
Does that mean you get 25% extra destination miles on every flight one takes as silver or gold member??

Also, in my specific case I will make silver during my second flight in Jan. Will I already get the 25% bonus for that flight?
PS. What is that 55000 miles club??

The 25% bonus for Silver members is on all Star Alliance/bmi flights and is based on the minimum mileage, so it does not include any cabin bonuses....

Once you are Gold you will still get that 25% bonus on Star Alliance flights, however you would then earn a 35% bonus on BD flights!

Hasn't really applied to me, but my parents had a long trip on NZ, and started off as blue members... most of their travel was during one particular month, but only triggered silver after a couple of sectors (towards the end of the month). They got the 25% bonus for ALL the flights in that month, even though they were only blue at the beginning of it.

A small but useful addition to the mileage balance!! :D

sheesh, didnt notice that it was such a huge bonus on destination AND status miles for flying in business class.

Flying UA business and crediting to Mileage Plus i'd only get 125% status miles (ie 25% bonus) and normal destination miles.

Damn, might have to change my plans again!!!

LH works the same as BD.

Do remember however that cheap UA business class fares only credit 100%, so watch your fare class when you book.