British Midland sent out the following email to Diamond Club members this morning:
During the past few months, we have been in contact with you regarding a number of changes that have been made to the Diamond Club, following the sale of bmi to IAG, the owner of British Airways.
Following a detailed review of the Diamond Club, we would like to announce a series of further changes.
From 27 October 2012, the following benefits will no longer be available:
• Earning and spending your destinations miles on bmi operated flights with a bmi flight number
• Earning and spending your destinations miles on airline partners British Airways, Jet Airways, Qatar Airways
and Transaero Airlines
• Earning destinations miles on bmi hotel partners, WorldPoints, through American Express Membership
Rewards or when you shop online
• Buying destinations miles
• Upgrading your flight with destinations miles
• Earning status milesHowever, Diamond Club customers will still be able to earn destinations miles by using the bmi Credit Card and can transfer these into Executive Club Avios at an attractive rate, using our transfer tool. Find out more about transferring your miles here.
Please review the new terms and conditions here.
From 28 October 2012 you will not be able to access your Diamond Club account on www.flybmi.com. However, we have created a new website for our UK and South West Pacific members called www.diamondclub.org, where you can access your destinations miles balance and full account information. The new website will be available from 27 October 2012.
Tier match with the Executive Club
If you are a Diamond Club Gold or Silver member, don’t forget you can still apply for matching tier status within the Executive Club until 31 December 2012 at ba.com/tiermatch.
Gold and Silver members can also continue to access the bmi and selected British Airways lounges at London Heathrow and London Gatwick until 31 December 2012.
British Airways is inviting all Diamond Club members, who are not already members of the Executive Club to enrol at ba.com/welcomebmi.
For more information on the changes please visit ba.com/diamondclub.
Hugs and/or kisses,
Peter Simpson
Managing Director
Of course this hardly comes as a surprise given the takeover by British Airways, though now we finally have an official date when the program will end, which is October 28.
In May British Airways started matching British Midland elite status and in July they started allowing miles to be transferred from Diamond Club to Executive Club. Ever since they’ve slowly been eliminating Diamond Club benefits and airline partnerships, including with Virgin Atlantic on August 31. Their few remaining partnerships, including the one with Qatar Airways, will be terminated as of October 28, at which point Diamond Club accounts can no longer be accessed.
I’ve already transferred all my Diamond Club miles to Executive Club Avios, so the only significance of October 28 for me is that I’ll be removing my family’s British Midland accounts from Award Wallet.
RIP, Diamond Club, you were good to us.
(Tip of the hat to Miles from Blighty)
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September 28th, 2012 at 2:34 pm
troy said,
Its been a little unclear to me – is HHonors still a BMI partner? When must we stop crediting HHonors double dips to BMI?
I’m guessing the safest/easiest thing to do is just start using another partner immediately.
September 28th, 2012 at 2:34 pm
Gene said,
Very good to us!
September 28th, 2012 at 3:37 pm
Zz said,
@troy , just credited my two stays at Hilton this week to BMI. I’m switching now.
September 28th, 2012 at 3:40 pm
gregorygrady said,
Very very good to us.
September 28th, 2012 at 4:36 pm
Jon said,
Can’t find a working link to transfer from BMI to Avios. Please help. Thanks
September 28th, 2012 at 5:35 pm
mohamed b said,
We will miss diamond club,their value & customer service far better than incompetent executive club.
September 28th, 2012 at 6:11 pm
Nate said,
Does anyone else think it’s unusual that the letter was signed with hugs and/or kisses?
Wonder if that’s a British thing because I can’t remember the last time I received an official email from a US airline closed with XOXO.
September 28th, 2012 at 7:17 pm
Kevincm said,
It’s a tradition from the BMI Diamond Club forum where one of the members added Hugs and Kisses onto the end of every BMI email
It’s a fun little tradition for a very odd little airline.
(saying that, the loyalty staff at Donnington Hall were a true bunch of Diamonds).
September 28th, 2012 at 7:42 pm
FBKSan said,
If we still have a BA household account, is the only way to transfer miles to delink that household account, does anyone know?
September 28th, 2012 at 8:09 pm
lucky said,
@ troy — Yes, as of now it is, though that will end when the program does.
@ Jon — Here are transfer instructions:
http://boardingarea.com/blogs/onemileatatime/2012/07/02/british-midland-diamond-club-miles-now-transferable-to-british-airways-avios/
@ FBKSan — I believe so unfortunately.
September 29th, 2012 at 4:20 am
janyyc said,
LOL at the hugs and/or kisses
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