barella

Can I just clarify something. To gain Gold status, do I need to fly 38,000 miles in addition to the 16,000 required for Silver (ie a total of 54,000 miles), or do I get *G status after flying just 38,000?

Secondly, do I only earn 100% status miles, or do I earn more for flying in F or C, as the bmi website isn't very clear?

Wingnut

Hi barella and welcome to FT.

You need to become silver before you can become gold, so yes, starting from scratch you need 54K miles.

Be aware of the "break point" - ie if you have 15,900 miles you only need 100 miles to make silver. However if your next flight gets you 5000 miles, you will make silver but your count will be reset to 0. Normally if you call them they'll recredit you.

As far as we can tell, you earn double status miles for business and triple for first (with some exceptions eg SQ), see the table here.

BlondeBomber

and to requalify (ie you are already gold), takes only 38K status miles? (ie you don't have to start all over again the next year and earn 54k again?)

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BlondeBomber's Star Lounge Guide
BlondeBomber's Star Alliance Gold Comparison Chart 2003
BlondeBomber's Hilton HHonors Rewards Hotel Levels
BlondeBomber's Starwood Hotel Levels

barella

The reason I ask is that I am planning a RTW trip next year in F or C, and am unsure whether I would get *G?

Wingnut

Well barella, that's going to depend on how many miles you fly, and how they're divided between which carriers. But it would easily be possible in F, and should be possible in C if you plan it properly!

BlondeBomber I am sure that it will just be 38K to requalify (as this is how the old system worked), although I can't recall having read this anywhere. In terms of the *G Comparison Chart, a full membership guide is due out in "mid May" (although things seem to be running a little behind at BD at the moment...).

BlondeBomber

Thanks wingnut--sounds reasonable. If there are any changes a la member guide, please let me know.

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BlondeBomber's Star Lounge Guide
BlondeBomber's Star Alliance Gold Comparison Chart 2003
BlondeBomber's Hilton HHonors Rewards Hotel Levels
BlondeBomber's Starwood Hotel Levels

Wingnut

Wow, BlondeBomber you're all updated already! If only the bmi site were so efficient...

Only obvious thing you're missing is that there is an elite bonues: Silver & Gold members get a 25% bonus on miles earned (does not apply to status miles).

BlondeBomber

Missed that in html version, was in the Word document.

Thanks!

barella

Thanks for clarifying that. So, for example if I do the 29,000 mile RTW in C for instance, I would earn approx 58,000 destination and status miles, making me supposedly *G, however this would mean midway through my journey I would become *S, so would I earn the 25% bonus for any miles earned above 16,000.

And as mentioned previously, with this 'break-point' could I end up loosing miles, eg using your example would the 100 miles needed be credited and the remaining 4900 start you on your gold, or do they "vanish".

Wingnut

Yes a 29K * RTW in C will theoretically get you 58K status miles and 68500 destinations miles (the latter by my maths, which may well be suspect...). Thus yes, your 25% bonus should kick in as soon as you're silver, but note that as far we can tell this bonus only applies to destinations miles, not status miles.

However, be aware that as per the table I linked to above, some carriers (as far as I can tell only SQ) don't award double miles for business (eq with SQ you get 1.5x miles flown in J - their equivalent of C). Also, you'll need to double check what booking class a RTW books into in business (because it won't be "C") - you should be able to find this by searching in the Star forum, if not just ask in there and someone will know.

Finally, unless they've got a new computer system (and at the moment anything is possible...) the 4900 would just vanish. However, they can usually be easily reinstated through a quick call to a lovely person at DC. But I think this is discretionary, and a strict reading of the rules allows them to "vanish", so in planning your trip try to make sure you're not putting too many miles at risk in this way just in case...

[This message has been edited by Wingnut (edited 05-05-2003).]

Bond Boy

I recall that the *S and *G status bonus applies to all miles earned in the month. This could mean that if you are made *S during a month, then when they come to post the bonus at the month end run, then you get the bonus on all miles.

Sure that isn't the intention but it looks like one of those facts that the IT guys could have overlooked or was too expensive to put a fix in for and so might just stay....watch out for the postings!

Smart Monkey

First post in bmi forum. Thinking of joining Diamond Club.

"Be aware of the "break point" - ie if you have 15,900 miles you only need 100 miles to make silver. However if your next flight gets you 5000 miles, you will make silver but your count will be reset to 0. Normally if you call them they'll recredit you."

Do you if this the procedure or is it on the whim of CS person? I would like to know because I will hit Silver on a flight between LHR-Auckland on NZ, and so if the count is set back to 0, I will a lose about 10000 status miles.

Wingnut

Hi Smart Monkey and welcome to FT!

As far as I'm aware it's consistent whim rather than policy. I have never heard on these boards of someone losing miles in this way. I personally have had points credited following a phone call.

If you're nervous about it (which with that number of miles involved is fair enough) then email DC in advance and get them to say what they will do. If they play hardball (which I very much doubt, particularly if you tell them you're thinking abou joining DC from BA for eg...) then consider a quick mileage run.

Smart Monkey

Thanks for that.

Do you have an email address for this type of query?

Is there a way, at present for DC member to refer a new member?

For your info at the moment Plat with AA made that on 8/4.
Would there consider comping me Silver and so avoiding the problem of "losing" the miles?

Thanks again
JAC

Wingnut

The only way to email them is by filling in a web form (ie no email address is published) on the members only side of the website. I did use this and get a reply with a real email address on it once, but I don't have access to this at the moment. Someone else here may be able to post (although it might be worth trying [email protected] and seeing what happens...)

They may well comp you to Silver from AA. Might even be worth asking for Gold (isn't the mileage for AA Plat 50K?).

There is a member referral bonus (doubt this applies if they comp you). 3000 miles each. There is a form here which I don't think is behind the password wall.