ColdWalker

Arguably they are not equivalent. However siber=silver is the offer BA has made as part of the agglomeration of BD DC.

I can see your point about the lounges. However, this should only be an issue where BMI don't have their own lounges already (the opportunity extends the other way to BA EC members and the 'Great British' lounge is really jolly good IMHO). I would also imagine the number of BD DC silvers and Golds flying BA out of T5 who don't already have BA EC status would be quite limited TBH, and certainly a small % increase on the existing BA membership. I may be wrong, but I don't expect a major impact and status matching feels right to me to welcome our new membership.

IAN-UK

BA is being quite generous matching status colours. BD silver worth £150? I don't know, but BA silver is certainly worth it - if you are going to fly BA/OW at least two or three times a year.

BD had quite a clear step up in benefits between silver and gold, something BAEC doesn't appear to have, so that gold-gold across the programmes is more reasonable in terms of matching benefits. Though, of course, BA gold has always been much harder to achieve that BD gold.

Those of us who now become a double-gold within the BA programme expect fanfares and rose petals when we enter T5, and the ability to flick those pesky single-golds out of their seat-map choices with just a press of the Ctrl+Alt X buttons.

Ragman

I think it is worth it as long as you plan to fly in Y a few times. I also assume the £150 is for a flight so you get that as well

Littlegirl

It makes perfect sense for BA to make BMI customers feel welcome because if it causes them to transfer all their Star Alliance business to BA, it will be worth making them feel welcome surely.

SteveF

That wouldn't help if most of your flights started at LHR T5 though, where there are no PP lounges.

cmcbugg

My bmi silver expires on 3 May. I wonder how long I can get BA silver for (if I apply for the status match on 1 May). I also wonder how long bmi will continue to offer silver for £150 to those you haven't requalified.

IAN-UK

I'm sure it does make sense. But an awful lot of the Star Alliance business was generated solely to feed an addiction to Diamond Club redemptions. It really was a most generous programme, with a number of semi-tolerated loopholes allowing itineraries undreamed of by BAEC members. Quite a number of Diamond Club members seem never to have seen the inside (or outside!) of a BMI aircaft.

Whether these opportunistic members, and others, will be able to face the high cost of maintaining BA Gold/Silver membership remains to be seen. From looking over threads on the BMI page it seems quite a number are lining up with alliances within the Star fold offering easy thresholds.

What I'm getting at is that awful lot of migrated DC members will enjoy what's on offer from BA on occasional OW flights until they fall out of the programme, but they'll be cediting flights to lower-maintenance FFPs with other carriers.

In the meantime, be grateful the "open door" policy no longer applies: lounges could get very full!

funkyr

My vote is yes it's worth it.

On top of lounge access there's bonus avios, seat preference at the time of reservation, boarding priority and the silver BAEC phone number line (dont have to wait as long to get served)

mdj1

A steal at £150 if you are travelling two or three times in the next 12 months on WT or WT+ tickets, and remember you can guest someone into the lounge as well.

Q, Do OW Sapphires get the 100% bonus avios as well or just silvers?

David-A

In reality that is surely a non-question. [Unless I'm misunderstanding you.]

OW Sapphires earn a number of points in the currency of their own FFP - both number and currency according to the rules of their own FFP.

If you are talking about someone who is also a OW Sapphire from another scheme, but crediting to BAEC, etc. Then no, they earn as per their BAEC status if crediting the flight to BAEC, their status in other schemes is irrelevant.

TravellerFrequently

I would agree with many that GBP150 is a good deal for Silver, with the benefits that are received, especially for the relatively frequent Y traveller.

Please let us know what you decide to do.

jedikiah

I received one in the post yesterday but I dare say it would have been sent out a few days ago - my bmi silver status expired this month.

T8191

A simple +! ^

Camflyer

£150 for Silver is easily worth it. I'm not sure I'd value it at £1000 but I think I could be persuaded to pay up to £500.

rpjepson

I dropped back from silver to blue late last year, but have never received a buy-back offer. Is this something you can ask for? If so, what would be the best means of communicating such a request?