Rant: Two big Diamond Club => Avios disappointments
#1
Original Poster
Join Date: May 2006
Location: BOS and ...
Programs: UA 2MM, AA 600k, DL 500k, Hyatt GP 1M, HH Gold, Rad. Gold, CP Gold, Miracle Fruit-su Club
Posts: 9,950
Two big Diamond Club => Avios disappointments
First, that it required deliberate initiative to make the transfer happen (and, in many cases, the associated inconveniences and failures described on this board).
Second, that the Avios expiry is based on the last Diamond Club activity.
To the first point, every other merger/sale has automatically resulted in a new account in the surviving programme, usually with the option/encouragement that the customer initiate a merge of accounts if the customer already had one in the "new" programme. Pan Am => Delta; TWA => American; Air West => USAir; Northwest => Delta; United/CO => UA.
To the second, pegging the expiry to the last Diamond club activity is unique, and challenging, with no general notice to this effect, and then the challenge, in many cases, of checking the last activity via one channel, phone, after concluding the transfer.
These policies clearly are designed to rely on attrition to save money. I know, there are arguments that an airline is in business to make a profit. But these lead at least to a bad taste, and often to failure on the part of programme members. Transferring the bmi miles should not be cast as a special privilege in the context of a merged loyalty programme. In all other cases above, members have been treated as nearly as equals as possible. (OK, maybe not at the upper reaches in Mileage Plus.)
Now that most of us have slogged through the first issue, this is a plea that BA change its policy from basing the Avios expiry on the last bmi activity to base it on the transfer date. This would be the good faith thing to do, given the lack of explanation of the finer - some deleterious - points, the confidence course that the transfer policies have created, and would restore good faith.
Second, that the Avios expiry is based on the last Diamond Club activity.
To the first point, every other merger/sale has automatically resulted in a new account in the surviving programme, usually with the option/encouragement that the customer initiate a merge of accounts if the customer already had one in the "new" programme. Pan Am => Delta; TWA => American; Air West => USAir; Northwest => Delta; United/CO => UA.
To the second, pegging the expiry to the last Diamond club activity is unique, and challenging, with no general notice to this effect, and then the challenge, in many cases, of checking the last activity via one channel, phone, after concluding the transfer.
These policies clearly are designed to rely on attrition to save money. I know, there are arguments that an airline is in business to make a profit. But these lead at least to a bad taste, and often to failure on the part of programme members. Transferring the bmi miles should not be cast as a special privilege in the context of a merged loyalty programme. In all other cases above, members have been treated as nearly as equals as possible. (OK, maybe not at the upper reaches in Mileage Plus.)
Now that most of us have slogged through the first issue, this is a plea that BA change its policy from basing the Avios expiry on the last bmi activity to base it on the transfer date. This would be the good faith thing to do, given the lack of explanation of the finer - some deleterious - points, the confidence course that the transfer policies have created, and would restore good faith.
#2
Join Date: Nov 2012
Location: Heathrow
Programs: A variety of Platinums, Golds, Silvers and other fancy metals.
Posts: 1,985
#3
Join Date: Jan 2009
Location: Northern Ireland
Programs: BA Silver, A3
Posts: 1,101
That sounds quite serious. If not the last cc activity - is it when the last booking was made or when the last journey was taken?
I flew at the end of September 2012. Hopefully it will be at least that as I have no planned flights (nor can see any that I want to take at the moment).
Oh - what's the timescale from this last 'activity' - one year, two years??
Can any mods help, or even Nicci?
I flew at the end of September 2012. Hopefully it will be at least that as I have no planned flights (nor can see any that I want to take at the moment).
Oh - what's the timescale from this last 'activity' - one year, two years??
Can any mods help, or even Nicci?
#4
Original Poster
Join Date: May 2006
Location: BOS and ...
Programs: UA 2MM, AA 600k, DL 500k, Hyatt GP 1M, HH Gold, Rad. Gold, CP Gold, Miracle Fruit-su Club
Posts: 9,950
The expiry is 36 months. I don't know what the two programmes consider to be activity, or if the policies are the same in that regard.
#6
Join Date: Nov 2007
Location: SW London
Programs: BAEC Silver; Hilton Diamond;a miscellany of other hotel non-statuses
Posts: 3,607
Where did you get that expiry rule from? It doesn't seem to day that here: http://www.britishairways.com/travel.../public/en_us#
#7
Original Poster
Join Date: May 2006
Location: BOS and ...
Programs: UA 2MM, AA 600k, DL 500k, Hyatt GP 1M, HH Gold, Rad. Gold, CP Gold, Miracle Fruit-su Club
Posts: 9,950
Where did you get that expiry rule from? It doesn't seem to day that here: http://www.britishairways.com/travel.../public/en_us#
Avios are the currency of the Executive Club. You collect them when you fly with British Airways and our partner airlines. The amount you collect depends on the distance you fly, the cabin you fly in, the type of ticket you hold and your Executive Club tier.
You can also collect Avios on hotel stays, holidays and car rental, and even when you're shopping, through deals with our wide range of partners.
Your Avios will expire if your account goes 36 months without activity.
You can also collect Avios on hotel stays, holidays and car rental, and even when you're shopping, through deals with our wide range of partners.
Your Avios will expire if your account goes 36 months without activity.
#8
Join Date: Sep 2005
Location: London
Posts: 670
Its really not hard to have some activity on your account in 36 months... I don't see what the fuss is about. If you dont plan on earning/spending anything in 36 months you have to almost wonder why you have them.
But if thats the case, just buy something cheap through the estore and that will reset the clock.
But if thats the case, just buy something cheap through the estore and that will reset the clock.
#9
Suspended
Join Date: Jul 2001
Location: Watchlisted by the prejudiced, en route to purgatory
Programs: Just Say No to Fleecing and Blacklisting
Posts: 102,095
Its really not hard to have some activity on your account in 36 months... I don't see what the fuss is about. If you dont plan on earning/spending anything in 36 months you have to almost wonder why you have them.
But if thats the case, just buy something cheap through the estore and that will reset the clock.
But if thats the case, just buy something cheap through the estore and that will reset the clock.
#10
Join Date: May 2006
Location: 5 miles from EMA
Programs: BD, BAEC Pleb, VS Pleb, Accor Pleb, HHonors Gold, Big White Season Pass
Posts: 5,902
Since that is the ONLY activity that is now allowed in DC it's a nonsense to suggest that the expiry would be based on anything else. I am pretty sure that Nicci has posted on this subject in a post where she announced the creation of the diamondclub.org website.
#11
Join Date: Nov 2007
Location: SW London
Programs: BAEC Silver; Hilton Diamond;a miscellany of other hotel non-statuses
Posts: 3,607
But that still says nothing about using DC activity to set expiry dates. Once the points are moved to EC you need activity every 36 months there to keep them, which makes them the same as other Avios.
#12
Original Poster
Join Date: May 2006
Location: BOS and ...
Programs: UA 2MM, AA 600k, DL 500k, Hyatt GP 1M, HH Gold, Rad. Gold, CP Gold, Miracle Fruit-su Club
Posts: 9,950
#13
Join Date: Nov 2007
Location: SW London
Programs: BAEC Silver; Hilton Diamond;a miscellany of other hotel non-statuses
Posts: 3,607
So actually no policy linking DC activity date with Avios expiry. Just cock-up, not conspiracy? Panic over?
#14
A FlyerTalk Posting Legend
Join Date: Aug 2006
Location: Argentina
Posts: 40,199
#15
Join Date: Nov 2012
Location: Heathrow
Programs: A variety of Platinums, Golds, Silvers and other fancy metals.
Posts: 1,985
I don't know about anyone else, but as soon as my CC bill comes in I noticed that my points are posted to my DC, so I log onto mine and Mrs S's account and transfer them over within the same weekend.