How does the BD program work?
 

British Midland's site is very low on detail in regards to the Diamond Club program.

What is the formula for miles/points accrual in regards to flights (eg. SQ, AN, BD)?

How many points would be required to redeem the lowest available flight (eg. domestic, or intra-Europe)?

Cheers,

Justin

Can you ask some specific questions? BDs program works thorugh accrual of points. Points are earned on all Star alliance flights. However, the number of points is not related to the distance flown but to the approximate route (geographical area to area) and to the class of service flown.

For example:
SQ Europe-SIN 170 (Y) 240 (C) 300 (F)
SQ Aus/NZ-SIN 120/150/170

AN Aus domestic 30 (Y)/40 (C)/No F
AN Aus-HKG 150/220

BD UK domestic 30 (Y)/30 (C)/ No F
BD UK-CDG/AMS/BRU/DUB/Germany/Nice 30/50
BD UK-Scandinavia/Italy/Spain 40/70
BD UK-USA 195 (discount eco)/210 (full eco)/240 (C)

As for redemption...
300 points: LHR-MAN/CDG/AMS/BRU
350 : UK-DUB
400: Other UK domestic, STN-Cologne
500: Other UK-Germany
600: UK-Scandinavia
700: UK-Milan/Barcelona/Madrid/Nice
800: UK-Rome/Palma/Malaga/Fargo

you can get a flight on NZ from NZ to Aus (except Perth) for 600 points (510 domestic NZ). On Ansett it will cost you 1200 points for domestic Aus.

If you want to know anything else specific, jusk ask.


[This message has been edited by james (edited 02-13-2001).]

FYI, the British Midland website has now been completely re-designed, and all this info is now on the site, although you do need to be a Diamond Club member to access this info.

I'm a gold card holder with both BD and BA, and from my experience their programme is one of the most competitive around, especially since they joined *A last year.

Could you give details of gold level in BD as per the format of the comparison chart below? Thanks in advance. We can always add another airline to the chart.

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BlondeBomber's Star Alliance Gold Comparison Chart 2001: http://members.home.net/deercroft/starall00.html

Dorian's Star Alliance RTW Price Chart: http://www.informationlab.com/rtw.htm
flyers'places - restaurant, bar & hotel recommendations: http://www.flyersplaces.com

Star - the information wasn't on BDs site in any detail last weekend, unless it was well hidden. What links do you need to follow?

BloneBomber - I will have a go.. hopefully others can add/correct, because BD's program is a long way from the usual model of FF programs.


British Midland Gold.
Service Bonuses:
No first class
For business class there is no set service bonus, but more points are awarded if business class is purchased. (points awarded therefore depend on the route flown and the class of service paid).

Lounge Access:
BD lounges
UA lounges
SAA lounges
VS lounge (T3 LHR)
LH senator lounges (in Germany or T2 LHR)
All with same day ticket on those carriers
(not sure about other Star carriers)

SA miles needed for status:
1200 points

% bonus for elite: 0
Special bonus miles: 0

Upgrades:
4, one class. Can be used Economy to business in UK/Europe. Economy to 'new economy' (premium economy) on transatlantic routes.
(I need somebody else to fill in more details here, e.g. fare availability, transferability, one-way/round-trip, other small print).

Minimum points: 10 (for discount economy fares); 30 for D/S class economy fares; 30 UK domestic business; 50 European business.

All fares eligble: All except T and X (UK/Europe); E,T,X,Z (transatlantic).

Reward compatibilty ?

Other bonuses:
late booking of reward flights (3 day advance instead of the usual 7).

guaranteed seat (48 hours notice, businmess class ticket)

priority on waitlist or standby (business class ticket)

priority check-in

monthly statments

check cashing service

gold member events

Avis upgrades/discounts

On reward tickets, you and a companion will be upgraded if space is available.


edited to correct an error concerning access to VS lounges


[This message has been edited by james (edited 02-18-2001).]

Thanks--I will add when I get back "home".

James,

If you login to your Diamond Club account from the homepage (with card number / PIN), on the popup window there are some links at the left hand side. Click on either "how to earn points" or "spending your points", this will give you the full details, for BD, all other *A members, and also the other partners.

Hope this helps,

star_world

To follow up on the information James provided on the Diamond Club programme above:

Lounge access - as well as those mentioned above, Gold membership gives you access to any lounge marked with the Star Gold logo, with the possible exception of the SQ lounge at Changi.

Upgrades - if making a "reward" booking (BD flights only), you and a partner will be automatically upgraded to business class (European flights) or new economy (transatlantic) when making the booking.

star_world

[This message has been edited by star_world (edited 02-16-2001).]

That is not an exception. * Gold gives you access to all Gold lounges of *. not to any * lounge and the Silver Kris in SIN is not a * gold lounge.

Btw. Silver Kris Gold members can use the lounge, similiar to United 1ks in the 1k rooms.

To reiterate, the upgrade on award tickets is space available, not guaranteed, although in practise there may be no difference.

Has been added to chart -- thanks James. If others could let me know about fare applicability of upgrades (ie any fare or not), let me know.

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BlondeBomber's Star Alliance Gold Comparison Chart 2001: http://members.home.net/deercroft/starall01.html

Dorian's Star Alliance RTW Price Chart: http://www.informationlab.com/rtw.htm
flyers'places - restaurant, bar & hotel recommendations: http://www.flyersplaces.com

[This message has been edited by BlondeBomber (edited 02-18-2001).]

Hold on,

BD Gold can get in to Virgin Clubhouses?

Are you sure? All of them or just specific ones, this privilege is reserved normally for Upper Class Travellers, Virgin FLying Club Gold and UK AMex Plat and Centurion cardholders.

I will be both surprised and disppointed if it is true that you get full access, as it seems easy to get to BD Gold than it is to get to VS Gold.

According to BD (i.e. I have no personal experience), BD Gold members can get in to the Virgin Clubhouse in T3 of LHR with a valid, same day ticket on VS. [Actually, that is a qualification of what I posted above - i.e, the access only seems to be at LHR, not to 'all clubhouses' as I implied in my earlier post]. However, I don't really understand your concern . Since VS give lounge access to UK Amex Plats, they can hardly claim to be concerned about exclusivity. Moreover, given that BD and VS don't actually compete on any routes, the decision may not be without commercial merit (in terms of attracting BD ff's to long haul VS flights).


[This message has been edited by james (edited 02-18-2001).]

Hi james,

Sorry if I appeared a little concerned, I thought the implication was that BD Golds could use any VS Lounge when flying BD. I stand corrected. You are right, this is a good incentive for BD Golds to use VS for long-haul. The LHR VS Clubhouse is worth it.

Thanks,
Richard

Some more specific questions:

1. Is the program open to US residents, or do they tell us to go use UA?

2. Are the points earned that James listed earlier for one-way or round-trip?

3. What is the # of points earned on UA/UX domestic?

4. How many points do you have to fly for BD/* Gold and what portion of that must be on BD metal?

5. Do you think they'll comp a OneWorld top tier to BD Gold when they enter MAN-ORD, or at least have some sort of challenge?

TIA.

1. I don't see why not, but you'd have to ask BD!

2. One way.

3. On UA, within US/Canada: 30(Y), 40 (C), 50 (F). Eligible fares: YBHKLMQRSTVWCDFAP.
(Doesn't say anything one way or the other about United Express - does UX have a UA flight number?).

4. 1200 and (as far as I can tell) 0.

5. No idea; they seem to match BA status in Europe, but I don't know how generous they will choose to be with others. I suppose it might depend how much ORD-UK business you can document on recent statments http://www.flyertalk.com/forum/wink.gif

[This message has been edited by james (edited 02-23-2001).]

All the United Express flights I've been on have had a UA flight number, and I received the usual UA domestic points with BD.

Hope this helps,

star_world.

[This message has been edited by star_world (edited 02-26-2001).]

Oh, I get it thanks to BlondBomber's charts - there are two levels of *G - BD's only comes out at the same level of Premier Executive on UA, but with no 100% bonus. I thought that UA's *G was only 1K, but PremEx is *G as well. I thought BDs top tier was the same as UA 1K! http://www.flyertalk.com/forum/confused.gif

If the 30 pts on UA is per segment, then you can make *G on 4 BD transatlantic segments and 14 UA/UX segments (only 4 RTs if you don't mind changing planes each way).

BD Gold is Star Gold, but BD only has two tiers (Gold and Silver). 4 BD Transatlantic segments in economy = 4x195 = 780 points. 14 UA/UX domestic segments in eco = 14x30 = 420, which does indeed equal BD and hence Star Gold. More to the point, 3 economy RT flights from MAN to IAD on BD leaves you only 30 points short of BD gold (egssentially one other BD/UA segment), but flying them LHR-IAD on UA, you wouldn't even be Premier.

By the way, for BD, the qualifying year is your personal membership year, not the calendar year.

[This message has been edited by james (edited 02-26-2001).]

Are points given for all airlines /routes or does BD enforce exclusions such as the 50% rewarded for LH's non american routes like UA and CA do?

And for anyone currently holding a BA Exec. silver or gold, BD will card match it, just send a copy of your most recent statement to them, on this comp. you will still receive the upgrade vouchers. All you need to do then is make the 1000 points in 1 year needed to keep the card. Anyone who does a couple of BD inter-europe can easilly make the 1000 point, I can say that it is very handy being OW gold AND * gold...

ScottC

My hero!

Just got comp'ed to Gold.

So I'm now Gold with *Alliance, Emerald with One World and working my way to Skyteam Elite Plus, soon I'll rule supreme in the world of complimentary lounge access he, he, he...

Nicely put!

He who rules the lounges rules the world?

Yes! http://www.flyertalk.com/forum/wink.gif

(lounge access made all the difference in the world this week-end when transiting through MAD on IB, think screaming kids with extended families lost in the terminals...)