As an introductory offer the BMI American Express Credit Card from MBNA gives you 20,000 destination miles - enough for a return flight to Europe.
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bmi - American Express Credit Card from MBNA
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What's the deal?
Apply for a BMI American Express Credit Card from MBNA and spend £250 within 90 and you'll be credited with 20,000 destination miles.
That's enough to 'buy' you 2 return flights to bmi's 'zone 1' countries - which include the UK, Austria, Belgium, France, Germany, Luxembourg, Netherlands, the Republic of Ireland and Switzerland - or a return to bmi's 'zone 2' countries such as Italy, Portugal, Russia Sweden and Spain (including the Balearics). You also have the option to upgrade to a business class flight using your points too.
The card also offers 3 months' worth of interest free purchases and a 12 month 0% on balance transfers introductory offer along with automatic membership to the Diamond Club, bmi's award winning frequent flyer programme. As part of this destination miles partnership program between bmi and Star Alliance you can fly to over 855 destinations in more than 155 countries using points earned on your card.
What makes it great?
The most notable feature of this card is, of course, the free flights that it offers. While you will need to spend at least £250 on the card within the first 90 days of account opening, this isn't by any means an unreasonable amount and there is nothing to stop you clearing this balance either by your first statement date, or at the end of the 3 months interest free offer on purchases should you wish.
Aside from the obvious free-flights benefit for new customers, the BMI American Express Credit Card from MBNA can be a good option for ongoing spending too. Voted winner of the Best Card Benefits Programme of the Year at The Card Awards 2009, it certainly holds up well against the competition.
You'll earn 1.5 destination miles for every £1 you spend on the card and 3 destination miles for every £1 you spend at flybmi.com too.
Who would it suit?
The BMI American Express Credit Card from MBNA isn't an option that is going to be suitable for all as it's only available to individuals (preferably homeowners) over the age of 21 with a good credit history, a minimum income of over £20,000 and who haven't applied for an MBNA or Virgin credit card within the last 6 months.
That said, if you meet the eligibility criteria, like to travel and fancy getting a little something back from your credit card spending it's definitely an option worth considering.
What's the catch?
For spending on an ongoing basis, this card is likely to be most suited to individuals who pay off their balance in full each month. With a standard interest rate of 15.9% APR applied to purchases, it isn't likely to be the most economical choice for those who tend to carry balances on their credit card. This is because the interest accumulated is likely to outweigh the benefits of the destinations miles scheme.
Additionally, while the card does offer 12 months' worth of interest free balance transfers, if you plan to take advantage of the free flights offer - and therefore spend £250 on your card within the first 90 days - it's unlikely that using this facility is going to be beneficial. This is because of the negative order of payment hierarchy which affects the way your repayments are allocated on the card.
Finally, it's also worth mentioning that when you use your destination miles to book flights with bmi you will still be eligible for any taxes and charges applied so this is also something to bear in mind.
What's the alternative?
The British Airways American Express credit card from MBNA offers 1,000 destination miles when you sign up and spend £500 within 3 months of opening an account. For spending on an ongoing basis you'll earn 'virtually' 1 destination mile for every £1 you spend and 'virtually' 3 destination miles for every £1 you spend direct with British Airways and British Airways Holidays.
Alternatively, the Citi AAdvantage Visa Gold card credits you with 5,000 AAdvantage miles (redeemable on American Airways flights) when you apply for a card and 1 AAdvantage mile for every £1 you spend going forward.
There are a number of other air miles credit cards available at the moment and, depending on which airline you prefer to fly with and how you use your credit card, quite a number are worth considering as a means of rewarding yourself for everyday spending.
Alternatively, if you customarily pay your credit card balance off in full each month a cash back credit card may be worth considering.
We have done our very best to make sure that the information included in this Deal is accurate. However, sometimes offers can be withdrawn or changed at the last minute so please do check that you're able to redeem this Deal before parting with any money, or going out of your way to take advantage of the offer.
