GoldCircle

Last updated: 17th November, 2009

The most frequently over-asked questions are here in this post.

How do I contact Diamond Club / Joanna ?

by Flyertalk PM to diamond club
by e-mail to diamond DOT club AT flybmi DOT com
by fax to +44 1623 724099 (if the machine is working....)
by mail to the mailing address

To protect the addressee from SPAM, please do not post actual e-mail addresses on FlyerTalk.com
bmi's HQ (but not Diamond Club) to +44 (0)1332 854000 including Pre-Travel Support

Will bmi Diamond Club become part of Lufthansa's Miles & More programme?
After a considerable period of silence, Diamond Club, bmi's official lurker confirmed that DC will not be migrated to M&M in 2011. Uncertainty remains thereafter. A few countries were forced over already (and the process was up to the usual bmi IT service standard ); on Monday June 28th 2010, bmi's CEO mentioned in passing at an LH Group Investors Day that the roadmap for integration to M&M has been agreed. Further, on bmi's Facebook feed on June 5th 2010, bmi hoisted a discussion looking for feedback on their loyalty programme "Diamond Club/Miles & More" where the entire universe essentially rejected M&M. The general feeling, nonetheless, is that transfer to M&M is inevitable, but that the time-frame may be longer than anticipated - perhaps migration in 2012 for 2013?

Do they comp?
They won’t comp you from a *A member as a rule - YMMV. They do particularly like members of BA’s Executive Club. Aer Lingus Gold Circle and KL/AF Flying Blues members fare well also. In recent years, pretty much anyone with metalic plastic was able to receive a comp, even Americans! However, now that the airline (bmi British Midland for those who have never set foot...) has been sold to Lufthansa, comping is being offered on a more restrictive basis - you need to show a boarding pass for a bmi operated segement, or provide a PNR for a non-refundable booking. In June 2010, we've heard reports that people have been refused, as they now only comp against the BAEC programme. It never hurts to ask, does it? But remember - it's a onetime only thing.

So, get your most recent frequent flyer statement, a photocopy/scan of a current status card along with proof of a bmi operated flight and sent it to the Diamond Club admin office by fax or by email to the diamond club address.

How long does it take? Well that depends on how busy they are, but experiences suggest 1-2 weeks, it happens quietly, and most people only know they've been comped by logging in to their DC a/c. Your pack should arrive by post a few weeks (3-6?) later.


Can I trasnfer miles to or from Diamond Club?
No. Diamond Club does not offer any miles transfer opportunities to or from any other Frequent Flyer program.


What exactly are destination miles and status miles?
For the yanks: RDMs and EQMs
For the newbie: miles you get to spend on free stuff and other miles you get towards a silver or gold card status


I took a flight 5 minutes ago and it hasn't posted yet...
Most bmi flights post overnight. Sometimes it takes a day or two more. If it hasn't posted, ask yourself the 4 basic questions:
1) Did I put the number in at the time of booking?
2) Did I check again at check-in/OLCI?
3) Did I make absolutely sure it was printed on my BP?
4) Is the name on the ticket absolutely exactly the same as the name on my Diamond Club account?

No to any of these? bmi flights not appeared within a week? Just send in the BPs and be done with it.
With the introduction of bmi’s new membership database in the early summer of 2009, new and sensitive security features were introduced. As a result, with any slight discrepancy of any sort, miles are kept as pending – and this has lead to many people reporting that miles have not posted. Now would be a good time to ensure that all account names – for example with Hotel partners, or names stored on corporate TA systems - are identical in every way.

Partner flights? YMMV. Many *A airlines tend to appear in 2-3 days. Generally speaking, *A flights do post if you follow the 4 step procedure - with step 4 being particularly important in this scenario.


How long do I have to retro-credit missing miles? How do I do this?
For new members joining, you have one month from the 1st flights to get your application in. For everyone else, there is a six month time-limit to send in details of missing flights/hotel nights/car rentals etc.


Where to send details?
Well, you can scan the ticket/e-confirmation (incl. ticket no./PNR) and BPs to the diamond club e-mail address or send them by registered post (after having made a photocopy/scan of everything) to the Diamond Club mail address.


How long does it take? I've sent my details in 25 times and nothing has appeared yet...
The Diamond Club admin team is very small, so it often takes as long as two weeks for her to just get to your query. Even longer if they have to weed out a shed load of duplicate enquiries. Be patient - they are nice people who work hard. If you send your stuff to the correct address, they will get to it. Less than 2 weeks seems to be the average. If your missing bmi segments haven't appeared within 4 weeks, then, perhaps you could send an email to enquire. *A segments need to be sent to the partner airline for verification, so that can take longer. Again, most partners can be quite quick, with a few exceptions - notably SA & SQ.


Where are my Hilton miles?
They should be in your account by the 5th of the month - the longstanding issue seems to have been successfully resolved.

Do I need to know anything about the Indian Call Centre (the 'ICC') ?
For normal revenue bookings, for normal passengers, it seems to do its job. However, we're not normal, now, are we? There are persistent rumours that they might move the premium bookings and status passengers' calls to a location in the UK. They even announced a move to the USA last year, but that didn't happen. It will likely not last much longer, as LH's strategy is to centralise all sales operations in each market they work in - and hopefully they won't put up with the nonsense perpitrated by the ICC.

Whatever your opinion, for now the following advice is worth remembering:

• Beware of calling just before 20:00 GMT, as there is ample evidence on the bmi board of the operators hanging up on you at the stroke of 8, using the old chestnut: "Can I put you on hold for one moment sir?" Click.
• They are generally very efficient at actually answering calls, so if you have been on hold for more than 10 minutes, you've probably been lost in orbit. Hang up and call again. Really. I'm serious. (Want to test this out? Then use a second line to call again and I'll bet it's picked up sooner than the original "lost" call.)
• Always note the name of the operator you speak to, ask them to spell if necessary. Also, takes notes of what happens in the conversation - if there are problems later, you'll be glad of them.
• Ask for any successful seats found to be ticketed instantly, ESPECIALLY Singapore and Shanghai Airlines. Lufthansa, Swiss and Austrian have short window for ticketing - less than a week.
• Keep checking until they have been, as, again, there is occasional evidence of things being screwed up very badly and people losing valuable rewards.
• You will probably be asked to call back so they can calculate the taxes, if you book something exotic or complicated. When you do, ask for a detailed breakdown of the charges, as they can often be wrong - the operator will insist that the sytem just presents them with a figure, but in fact this figure can be broken down if they know how. Be sure to pre-check the expected taxes in ITA and when ticketed, use Amadeus ITR to check again. If you fail to receive a receipt by email, this link is also useful.
• Most experienced bmi FTers agree that it is best to deal with the female agent in the call centre and to call on Sundays.

Why don't my bookings appear in the MyFlyBMI profile
This is one of the great mysteries of life. You need to be logged in at the time of booking for them to (maybe) appear. Sometimes they appear later, sometimes never and sometimes 3 or 4 times. Oh, and they disappear just as easily. Also, there are reports that if you have a change of schedule, then your flights disappear also.


Can I upgrade using miles from another *A partner?
No. BD does not currently participate in the *A system wide upgrade scheme. You can not upgrade any ticket using, for example, UA MP miles. Unless of course, you have booked under a UA codeshare, then UA might be able to help - no point asking BD, though. Of course, you can use bmi miles to upgrade bmi flights.


Will my miles expire ?
They do not expire as such, except that if you have no activities for 24 months (earning or burning), your account may be terminated and your miles would then be forfeited. See clause 11.3 of the DC T&Cs. Of course, if the programme expires... so the current thinking is universal - USE YOUR MILES NOW.


Now read the next few posts and let's not have any more numpty questions on the bmi board!