Hello there BD'ers...

After several years of flying KLM and getting fed up with it, I joined the masses and did a status swap to BD for BD gold.

Having only ever used BD for short haul on the AMS-LHR route, I have some queries for you.

One of my major gripes, apart from mileage earnings and stupid fare prices of KLM, I would like to know:

How are the upgrades like when flying on BD with a gold card? (KL on platinum delivers nothing)

If you fly other carriers in *A, do you see any benefits? (I flew OS last week and they rebooked me to an exit row seat which I thought was nice despite using OLCI for some others seats)

Lets say you fly on AC but on a BD flight number, in London I guess its BD who does the ground handling? Is it worth trying to hand over some of these upgrade vouchers at the gate and playing stupid?

I am also having trouble trying to find out actually where BD fly!! (Non partners) Does anyone have a site which is only BD??

I look forward to hearing from my new BD brothers and sisters and any advise, warnings and must do's you can advise would be most welcome.

Cheers.

the BD flight number on an AC flight is just a codeshare. Ground handling is done by AC. They will not accept BD upgrade vouchers, as those vouchers are specifically for BD operated flights

hello festis21

welcome to the world of bmi Gold Upgrade Vouchers.

How about this one ?

Welcome to the lovely world of bmi, festis21!

Re where BD flies, this is one of my biggest gripes with bmi and the website. You'd think their website would tell you, and you'd be right in thinking that the Where We Fly meant just that, but it doesn't. It just shows you a whole list of airports that you can fly to either on BD metal or other *A/codeshare partners, the majority of which being the latter. Why the website can't just list actual BD-metal destinations first and then *A/CS destinations next is beyond me.

The Route Map is no help either...

Thankfully, flyertalk comes to the rescue - see:
http://www.flyertalk.com/forum/bmi-d...e-lounges.html

One thing that's important to remember is that even if a flight carries a BD code it's the operating carrier that counts for mileage earning purposes.

It's therefore quite possible to book a flight with a BD code and then receive zero miles because the carrier is not a *A or diamond club partner. If you book under a BD code on a carrier that's not *A but is a partner (e.g. VS) you'll only get destinations miles.

With FB anything with an AF/KL code was eligible to earn status miles regardless of the operating carrier (including the AF and KL coded train routes), it was only on SkyTeam partner flights where the operating carrier mattered. On bmi it's always the case that the operating carrier is the one that matters.

This I think is one of the few bad things of diamond club, particularly considering the number of non-*A flights bookable under a BD code. The other bad thing about bmi is that their IT team make those at KLM look highly competent.

Also beware of bmibaby (WW), despite the similar name you'll not get status miles or lounge access when travelling with bmi's LCC. You'll get a small amount of destinations miles, that's it - although that's still more than you'd get off KLM if you booked on transavia.

Be aware that BD don't offer J on the LHR-AMS route so you can't use your upgrade vouchers here.

I was looking for something else on the bmi website and came across this, which does indeed list all the current BD-operated routes.

.....as does FAQ No.7 in this forum's Sticky

now you tell us.

This page must get more edits than Tony Blair's wiki entry.

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