BMI AMEX v BA AMEX
Jul 17, 2009, 1:23 am
#1
Original Poster
Join Date: Mar 2003
Location: Dorchester, Dorset UK
Programs: BA Gold, BMI, ANA, HH Blue, SPG Gold
Posts: 2,063
BMI AMEX v BA AMEX
I have an ordinary BMI AMEX and a Premium BA AMEX. Up until now I have only used the BA card, in order to qualify for the 2-4-1 voucher.
Initially I used the BMI card to get the miles bonus.
Now that I am about to receive my voucher, which is the best card to use for onward miles collection?
Initially I used the BMI card to get the miles bonus.
Now that I am about to receive my voucher, which is the best card to use for onward miles collection?
Jul 17, 2009, 1:56 am
#2
Join Date: Jul 2007
Location: London
Programs: BA Gold, Hilton Gold
Posts: 1,357
Depends where you want to go, and what your account balances currently look like and how much you spend....
For example if you have 90k BA and want to fly the US in C, then keep collecting BA to hit 100k.
If you starting from scratch to get two C returns...
With BA = 100k + 2-4-1, will take a 66k spend
With bmi = 75k + Cash*, will take 37.5k spend + £420
Or bmi = 150k**, will take 75k spend
* Cash + miles
** Miles only
(All plus taxes/fees)
For example if you have 90k BA and want to fly the US in C, then keep collecting BA to hit 100k.
If you starting from scratch to get two C returns...
With BA = 100k + 2-4-1, will take a 66k spend
With bmi = 75k + Cash*, will take 37.5k spend + £420
Or bmi = 150k**, will take 75k spend
* Cash + miles
** Miles only
(All plus taxes/fees)
Jul 17, 2009, 2:49 am
#4
Original Poster
Join Date: Mar 2003
Location: Dorchester, Dorset UK
Programs: BA Gold, BMI, ANA, HH Blue, SPG Gold
Posts: 2,063
Depends where you want to go, and what your account balances currently look like and how much you spend....
For example if you have 90k BA and want to fly the US in C, then keep collecting BA to hit 100k.
If you starting from scratch to get two C returns...
With BA = 100k + 2-4-1, will take a 66k spend
With bmi = 75k + Cash*, will take 37.5k spend + £420
Or bmi = 150k**, will take 75k spend
* Cash + miles
** Miles only
(All plus taxes/fees)
For example if you have 90k BA and want to fly the US in C, then keep collecting BA to hit 100k.
If you starting from scratch to get two C returns...
With BA = 100k + 2-4-1, will take a 66k spend
With bmi = 75k + Cash*, will take 37.5k spend + £420
Or bmi = 150k**, will take 75k spend
* Cash + miles
** Miles only
(All plus taxes/fees)
It seems easier to collect miles with BMI, if not flying very often. I have almost the same number of miles (just over 110k) in each scheme, but I've not flown with BMI, but have flown once in Club World and once in Club Europe with BA.
Last edited by botham; Jul 17, 2009 at 2:52 am Reason: Addition
Jul 17, 2009, 3:09 am
#5
Join Date: Jul 2007
Location: London
Programs: BA Gold, Hilton Gold
Posts: 1,357
Thanks. I forgot to mention that I have enough miles for 2 x C returns. I like the BMI scheme as miles + cash seems quite attractive and gives far more options, though travelling to the Caribbean is probably easier with BA.
It seems easier to collect miles with BMI, if not flying very often. I have almost the same number of miles (just over 110k) in each scheme, but I've not flown with BMI, but have flown once in Club World and once in Club Europe with BA.
It seems easier to collect miles with BMI, if not flying very often. I have almost the same number of miles (just over 110k) in each scheme, but I've not flown with BMI, but have flown once in Club World and once in Club Europe with BA.
True - again - much easier to collect with bmi - with some great bonuses (such as the Economist offer - you'd never see that with BA)! But also have a lot more flexibility on where you want to go and can create some wonderful routings if you like that kind of thing..
Jul 17, 2009, 3:24 am
#6
FlyerTalk Evangelist
Join Date: Aug 2000
Location: London and Zurich
Programs: AA, BA, Mucci: Sir Roger des Directions Routières, PCR
Posts: 13,609
It comes down to personal preference, I think. Where do you think you will spend the miles?
BD potentially has a greater range of award destinations though BA has a better online booking function.
Status earning and retention is easier with BD than BA. Virtually every Star Alliance flight earns BD status miles while BA excludes the majority of oneworld economy fares from tier points as well as AA transatlantic flights from any kind of credit.
Be aware that the BD proposition may change to Miles-and-Less at an undetermined date. And the naysayers are suggesting BA Miles may not be for the long term.
Straightforward it isn't.
BD potentially has a greater range of award destinations though BA has a better online booking function.
Status earning and retention is easier with BD than BA. Virtually every Star Alliance flight earns BD status miles while BA excludes the majority of oneworld economy fares from tier points as well as AA transatlantic flights from any kind of credit.
Be aware that the BD proposition may change to Miles-and-Less at an undetermined date. And the naysayers are suggesting BA Miles may not be for the long term.
Straightforward it isn't.
Jul 17, 2009, 3:27 am
#7
Join Date: Nov 2008
Location: United Kingdom
Programs: BA, Marriott & SPG, Hilton, Avis
Posts: 264
For example if you have 90k BA and want to fly the US in C, then keep collecting BA to hit 100k.
If you starting from scratch to get two C returns...
With BA = 100k + 2-4-1, will take a 66k spend
With bmi = 75k + Cash*, will take 37.5k spend + £420
Or bmi = 150k**, will take 75k spend
(All plus taxes/fees)
If you starting from scratch to get two C returns...
With BA = 100k + 2-4-1, will take a 66k spend
With bmi = 75k + Cash*, will take 37.5k spend + £420
Or bmi = 150k**, will take 75k spend
(All plus taxes/fees)
Jul 17, 2009, 5:31 am
#9
FlyerTalk Evangelist
Join Date: Feb 2004
Location: London
Programs: BA, VS, HH, IHG, MB, MR
Posts: 26,871
Two other things to consider (and I am in the same boat, having just triggered my 241 and indeed with a 4,000 hotel bill to pay tomorrow!):
1. BMI miles will be worth less when the LH Miles & More conversion happens, both in terms of number of miles needed and the lack of flexibility (cannot do oneways without a massive premium, cannot mix classes without paying the highest rate for both legs etc). You need to decide if you will use the miles before the transfer or not.
2. Next year you will have another 241 to use and you will need at least 80k BA Miles (2 J to the Middle East) to get a decent redemption out of it
There is a Plan C. Get the Lufthansa Amex which is 3 miles per GBP 1 for the first 6 months. Your miles will get merged with your BMI balance when the transfer goes through, which it surely will within 18 months.
1. BMI miles will be worth less when the LH Miles & More conversion happens, both in terms of number of miles needed and the lack of flexibility (cannot do oneways without a massive premium, cannot mix classes without paying the highest rate for both legs etc). You need to decide if you will use the miles before the transfer or not.
2. Next year you will have another 241 to use and you will need at least 80k BA Miles (2 J to the Middle East) to get a decent redemption out of it
There is a Plan C. Get the Lufthansa Amex which is 3 miles per GBP 1 for the first 6 months. Your miles will get merged with your BMI balance when the transfer goes through, which it surely will within 18 months.
Jul 20, 2009, 5:47 pm
#13
Join Date: Jan 2003
Location: GLA
Posts: 613
I've been trying to book the family in biz with LH or SA to South Africa via my BD miles and haven't had any real availability for the last eighteen months or so. I got so naffed off with this that I went and started spending on my BA Amex and have racked up enough points to take me and Bond Girl to South Africa at about six weeks notice in F out and J rtn.
The BA website is very good for checking avail on redemption. Pity that BD don't have anything like that (apart from the JP back door route that isn't exactly user friendly).
What also narks me is that I can call the call centre several times in a day and get wildly different redemption avail. I don't mean a few seats coming and going but whole swathes of booking avail being "booked" and "released" over the course of a few hours. Unless anyone else out there knows better, I think that a "Carbon error" in the call centre is at fault!
Listen to me going off on one, sorry, hadn't meant this to be a rant but really to ask ...... (and not meaning to get at Roger) I've got hundreds of thousands of BD miles languishing at the moment. Any thoughts on what the best redemption routes might be?
Cheers!
Jul 21, 2009, 1:25 am
#14
FlyerTalk Evangelist
Join Date: Aug 2000
Location: London and Zurich
Programs: AA, BA, Mucci: Sir Roger des Directions Routières, PCR
Posts: 13,609
Jul 21, 2009, 2:21 am
#15
FlyerTalk Evangelist
Join Date: Feb 2004
Location: London
Programs: BA, VS, HH, IHG, MB, MR
Posts: 26,871
Asia, easily. BA is a complete bugger to get decent seats to Asia. *A gives you the options of Thai, SQ, Turkish, LH, Swiss etc etc.
*A is also a good choice if you need lots of seats. LH often makes 4 F seats available on its 747's for awards and 4 J are almost always available if you book far enough in advance.
Is South Africa really that tricky to get? A colleague of mine got a last minute invite to a Lions game recently and I was able to find him LH F seats very easily. Peak season may be trickier, admittedly.
*A is also a good choice if you need lots of seats. LH often makes 4 F seats available on its 747's for awards and 4 J are almost always available if you book far enough in advance.
Is South Africa really that tricky to get? A colleague of mine got a last minute invite to a Lions game recently and I was able to find him LH F seats very easily. Peak season may be trickier, admittedly.