I've been a bmi *G card holder for a few years.

Typically I travel 50 return trips GLA - LHR, all in C class, each year, earning 150,000 miles.

Now, any membership miles over and above those I need to retain the *G are redundant and I've viewed a few posts which suggest that it would be worth considering joining another *A FF scheme. I've read elsewhere that renewal of LH Senator card is two yearly and that might be beneficial, assuming I don't lose out on the destination miles side of things.

That apart, and, as I virtually only fly bmi, I can't think of any reason to join another FF scheme....other than to obtain another nice, shiny Gold Card.

Question is - am I missing something here? Would it be worthwhile joining another *A FF scheme?

TIA

Alex

The only thing that I can see that you would lose would be the status bonuses for the flights you credit to the new frequent flyer program as long as you don't have status on that program. Also, if something like this unbelievable KLM promo ever came up again (where they matched the miles you had in ONE other frequent flyer account), you might be better off having more miles in one scheme - but I doubt that anyone will ever offer a promo like that again.

You would earn miles faster in M&M than in DC because the former has a 1000 mile minimum. However, I would stay with DC because I like the new half mileage plus a little money awards (which M&M has only for Y class).

I do about 40 MAN-LHR full economy trips a year, plus the odd long-haul, so I'm in a similar position.

I put enough miles in my BD account to keep gold; everything else goes in M&M because of the much better earn/burn ratio. I can send you a XL spreadsheet if you want to do comparisons.

I'm actually toying with binning the BD account and just using M&M.

Thanks all for your replies

small em....thanks for your kind offer, but I've just popped over to the LH website and got the figures. I would earn more miles with LH but their redemption levels are higher than BD (E.G. 30,000 miles for a return Western Europe ECONOMY flight compared to 12,000 miles with BD).

I think I'll stick with BD for the present.

Thanks again

Alex

gate4lounge

You might have seen me posting on the BD/LH boards as I have a similar dilemma

I agree with zvezda about points and cash which is great but small em is broadly right about the ratios

Your 30K LH / 12K BD comparison only applies if you want to redeem domestics / Western Europe and if you fly alone

For say , London - Rome for 2 LH would be :

1 x 30000 plus 1/2 points companion fare = 45000 miles ( less if you book online ) A BD C class domestic will earn you 5K miles in M&M ( once you are FTL or SEN and get the bonus ) so 9 of your BD C domestics will do.

In DC , this trip would be 2 x 20K = 40K
To earn 40K DC miles you would need just over 13 BD C domestics

Longhaul redemption is similarly good

Plus you get free u/g vouchers every 50K and other bits and pieces. I particularly like the 2 year rule.

There's no way I'm risking my BD *G but I'm going to dump this years excess in M&M and see how I go....

and if truth be told , I want another shiny card.........

I understand. I'm slightly tempted to do a bunch of back-to-back CMB-SFO runs in F and collect all 14 *G cards. It would be good for dealing with the RCC matrons. "I need to show a *G card? You name one, and I'll show you that one."

@ zvezda.

Thanks very much DClass4Me. Your comments prompted me to look at the topics you started on the LH & bmi boards....wow what a wealth of information.

If I understand things correctly the companion fare only applies for flights with LH & OS? It would be very unlikely that I would use either airline, so perhaps for me the companion fare is of little assistance.

Another problem might be the fact that our corporate travel agent books all my C class flights with BD direct. Might this preclude my joining another FF scheme? In other words if you travel BD but wish the miles credited to your LH account, do you need to book the BD flight as a LH codeshare or can you just book direct with BD and show your LH FF card? I'm just wondering if LH would have anyone as a FF member if they never flew with them or booked through them?

Alex

Edit...typo!

[This message has been edited by gate4lounge (edited 05-27-2003).]

Mate if you did that I'll come to whatever RCC you care to name just to see this (and the shiny cards!). I hear the SK one is the prettiest! (and if you want to pay for one or two of those F tickets for me I'd be quite happy to help get some *G cards )

------------------
RichardMEL, UA 1K
A Star Alliance Member.

gate4lounge

Re my other posts : sad isn't it ?? You should watch me trying to make my mind up when I'm buying electrical stuff( more research than a small university !)

You can use M&M number directly on BD. Today my biz travel agent booked me on a LHR-MAN flight and entered the LH number I got by registering online

The companion fare is indeed LH & OS only but I should explain that I'm saving for specific purpose :

I was a travel agent in a former existence , my girlfriend works for a major airline and I fly almost weekly for my current job. Despite all this I have never flown longhaul C/F and I am very very bitter about this.

LH F has been praised very highly on these boards so I'm going to go LH F to Chile/Oz/Japan/The Moon if it kills me !!

Also when you can buy BD domestics for �11.50 it seems a shame to waste points on little flights.

DClass4Me....thanks again

Having re-visited your London - Rome analogy and checked the earn/burn ratio for Transatlantic travel using M&M, I'm now thinking along the same lines as yourself and small em (sorry for doubting you, small em ). It's more likely that future freebies will be transatlantic - which could mean VS (I've just redeemed 45K miles for a relation's trip MAN - MCO, so it does work). Oh....decisions, decisions!

I certainly agree with you that redeeming miles for a low cost flight is silly, unless, being a *G, you are intend on travel in business class, which would be automatic with bmi.

I'll keep my fingers crossed for your getting that long haul C/F flights. If you would do the same for me getting the whole family upgraded from Economy to New Economy on our MAN - IAD and IAD - MAN flights in a few months time

Alex

I'll say a little prayer for you

BTW , speaking of transatlantic , I'm pretty sure M&M will let you redeeem points for C and F on UA ( not that it's that great by the sounds of it but it's less points than VS if you want direct flights )

Cheers

Right....decision made.

I've been on the UK LH web site and printed off my temporary FF card....flying bmi two returns next week so shall credit my LH account at least once.

Next question...timing. I can arrange to qualify for SEN virtually any time in the year I chose. If I understand the LH system correctly would I be best qualifying for SEN at the beginning of year? My thinking is...qualify mid Jan 2004 and get SEN till 02/07.

Is there anything wrong with my thinking on this one?

Alex

Edit....changed 02/06 to 02/07

[This message has been edited by gate4lounge (edited 06-05-2003).]

[This message has been edited by gate4lounge (edited 06-05-2003).]

Nothing wrong with your thinking, per se. However, the facts no longer support your thinking. LH changed the SEN qualification rules from a rolling year to the calendar year.

If you qualify this year, your SEN status will expire 02/2006. If you qualify next year, it will expire 02/2007.

------------------
"They that can give up essential liberty to obtain a little temporary safety
deserve neither liberty nor safety." -- Benjamin Franklin