Does BMI still status match?
May 7, 2007, 3:53 am
#1
Suspended
Original Poster
Join Date: Feb 2006
Posts: 1,992
Does BMI still status match?
Hi all,
Sorry if this has been covered already.
Im currently a Gold with UA, having got a status match with them as I was a Gold for a couple of years with US Airways. Ive also got Blue + or something like that with BMI when I signed up last year.
This year however, Im doing more routes to DUB and Paris as well as a couple of trips to Vegas, and was just thinking it would be better for me to fly to DUB and Paris with BMI.
So, would BMI match my UA gold status?
Thanks for your help.
Sorry if this has been covered already.
Im currently a Gold with UA, having got a status match with them as I was a Gold for a couple of years with US Airways. Ive also got Blue + or something like that with BMI when I signed up last year.
This year however, Im doing more routes to DUB and Paris as well as a couple of trips to Vegas, and was just thinking it would be better for me to fly to DUB and Paris with BMI.
So, would BMI match my UA gold status?
Thanks for your help.
May 7, 2007, 3:58 am
#3
FlyerTalk Evangelist
Join Date: Feb 2000
Location: London, UK and Southern France
Posts: 18,364
In principle, BD will not match from within *A. Since you are UA Gold, you will have all the *G benefits and, as blue plus, you will also get the front of the plane+free catering. So, all you are not getting by not being matched is the 35% elite bonus, so it is not the end of the world, imo. Just build up your status by crediting to BD, using your UA*G card for lounge access for now. That will enable you to partake in the complaining of how awful the DUB lounge is. 
BTW, you can no longer fly to Paris with BD.
BTW, you can no longer fly to Paris with BD.
May 7, 2007, 8:33 am
#4
Join Date: Jul 2005
Location: NJ/NYC
Programs: AA EXP/LT Plat, SPG Plat/LT Plat, HHonors Gold, Hyatt Plat, IHG Plat, MR Silver
Posts: 2,786
Will BMI match from Delta and/or American? If so, what levels would they match to from DL Gold and AA Plat and what documentation do they look for?
Thanks!
T
Thanks!
T
May 7, 2007, 8:41 am
#5
Join Date: Dec 2001
Posts: 3,046
bmi
I'm guessing BMI might match Delta or AA, but what you'll need are the following:
* Copy of your current Tier membership card with the relevant carrier
* Copy of your historic flight history to get status on that airline, particularly strong if it's on a BMI route
* Flights booked with BMI upcoming - good reason for them to bump you up a tier status - ie they're going to get plenty of extra revenue if you're going to jump ship from BA to them.... particularly if it's in biz class.
* Copy of your current Tier membership card with the relevant carrier
* Copy of your historic flight history to get status on that airline, particularly strong if it's on a BMI route
* Flights booked with BMI upcoming - good reason for them to bump you up a tier status - ie they're going to get plenty of extra revenue if you're going to jump ship from BA to them.... particularly if it's in biz class.
May 7, 2007, 8:48 am
#6
FlyerTalk Evangelist
Join Date: May 2000
Location: Little dot in Asia
Programs: AA-EP, TK-*G, HL-DM, HY-GLO, MR-LTP
Posts: 25,932
And to start with - you would need a UK address.
BD would prefer to status match you if they can pull you away from BA - that is their main competitor.
You may change your address back to the US after a year of maintaining your status match.
I've known people who tried to status match when they're outside UK and BD says no. Or they have a UK address for a few weeks and after they got BD Gold, changed their address back to whatever it is, only to receive an email from BD to say that their Gold status is being revoked.
That's my opinion.
BD would prefer to status match you if they can pull you away from BA - that is their main competitor.
You may change your address back to the US after a year of maintaining your status match.
I've known people who tried to status match when they're outside UK and BD says no. Or they have a UK address for a few weeks and after they got BD Gold, changed their address back to whatever it is, only to receive an email from BD to say that their Gold status is being revoked.
That's my opinion.
May 7, 2007, 9:27 am
#7
Join Date: Aug 2001
Location: London. Edinburgh, Cornwall
Programs: BA GGL, British Midland Lifetime* Loser
Posts: 7,947
May 7, 2007, 12:39 pm
#8
Join Date: Jul 2005
Location: NJ/NYC
Programs: AA EXP/LT Plat, SPG Plat/LT Plat, HHonors Gold, Hyatt Plat, IHG Plat, MR Silver
Posts: 2,786
Really??
That's too bad, I had no idea you needed a UK address. Guess my idea to credit my LAX-AKL mistake fare to a BMI account isn't going to work. Oh well.
Thanks for the help.
T
That's too bad, I had no idea you needed a UK address. Guess my idea to credit my LAX-AKL mistake fare to a BMI account isn't going to work. Oh well.
Thanks for the help.
T
May 8, 2007, 2:12 am
#10
Company Representative - British Airways
Join Date: Oct 2005
Programs: bmi Diamond Club - Retired Official Lurker
Posts: 438
I don't agree with this either, once you've earned/been issued gold you will keep gold for 12 months. It doesn't matter where you live. You can also join dc without a UK address, you just need to pick the Rest of the World option on the application form.
May 8, 2007, 6:27 am
#11
Join Date: Aug 2004
Location: Europe
Posts: 2,341
A friend of mine got BD Gold via status matching, and he used his Canada address.(Always trust diamond club's response, BTW.)
May 8, 2007, 9:58 am
#12
Join Date: Jul 2005
Location: NJ/NYC
Programs: AA EXP/LT Plat, SPG Plat/LT Plat, HHonors Gold, Hyatt Plat, IHG Plat, MR Silver
Posts: 2,786
Yea, I was just able to join BMI using a US address, or at least it appears that I have joined.
As far as matching status (hopefully to Gold), what will that give me exactly, other than the 25% bonus? I assume I will still have to earn the 36,000 miles before the extra miles turn to destination miles, right? The reason I am considering this is I have no *A status and got in on the LAX/SFO-AKL C deal. My calculations show that this should earn me a little over 35,000 destination and elite miles if I credit to BMI with no status. What extra benefit would I get from matching to Gold prior to this trip? Can I use the *A lounges on a domestic USA itinerary if I am BMI Gold?
Thanks for all your help.
Troy
As far as matching status (hopefully to Gold), what will that give me exactly, other than the 25% bonus? I assume I will still have to earn the 36,000 miles before the extra miles turn to destination miles, right? The reason I am considering this is I have no *A status and got in on the LAX/SFO-AKL C deal. My calculations show that this should earn me a little over 35,000 destination and elite miles if I credit to BMI with no status. What extra benefit would I get from matching to Gold prior to this trip? Can I use the *A lounges on a domestic USA itinerary if I am BMI Gold?
Thanks for all your help.
Troy
May 8, 2007, 9:59 am
#13
Join Date: Jul 2005
Location: NJ/NYC
Programs: AA EXP/LT Plat, SPG Plat/LT Plat, HHonors Gold, Hyatt Plat, IHG Plat, MR Silver
Posts: 2,786
May 8, 2007, 10:36 am
#14
Join Date: Mar 2003
Programs: BA GGL; AA LT Gold; AS 100K; DL MM GM; Hyatt G*list, Hilton Diamond; SQ silver
Posts: 3,806
May 8, 2007, 11:55 am
#15
Join Date: Aug 2004
Location: Europe
Posts: 2,341
Last edited by jjpb3; May 8, 2007 at 12:55 pm Reason: clarification