Changes to the Avios earning rate on the seven (!) bmi credit card options

For those people lucky enough to still have the old bmi British Midland credit cards issued by MBNA, some unwelcome news dropped through the letterbox yesterday.

Not for everyone, just for some.

There are, unbelievably, SEVEN different bmi credit card packages out there.  Whilst everyone is losing the benefit of double miles for spending with British Airways, not everyone is having their miles cut.  The 10% discount on British Airways flights will also remain.

As far as I can tell, this is what is happening.  If you have a letter which contradicts anything below, please let me know and I will correct it:

Diamond Club American Express card (no annual fee)

Old rate:  2 miles per £1

New rate:  Unchanged (guess)

Diamond Club Plus American Express card (with annual fee)

Old rate:  2.5 miles per £1

New rate:  Unchanged (guess)

Diamond Club credit card (Amex & Visa combination, no annual fee)

Old rate:  2 miles per £1 on the Amex, 1 mile per £1 on the Visa

New rate:  Unchanged (fact)

Diamond Club Plus credit card (Amex & Visa combination, with annual fee)

Old rate:  2.5 miles per £1 on the Amex, 1.5 miles per £1 on the Visa

New rate:  Unchanged (guess)

Diamond Club Mastercard (with annual fee)

Old rate:  2.5 miles per £1

New rate:  Unchanged (fact)

Diamond Club Mastercard (no annual fee)

Old rate:  1.25 miles per £1

New rate:  Unchanged (guess)

Diamond Club Classic Mastercard (no annual fee)

Old rate:  2 miles per £1

New rate:  1.25 miles per £1

Should you switch?

Probably not, to be honest.

Only the Classic Mastercard is seeing a big cut in the earning rate.  The loss of double miles on BA transactions on the other cards is a very minor adjustment.

The best Mastercard or Visa option for earning Avios is currently the HSBC Premier Mastercard.  This is tricky to get, however.  It earns 1 mile per £1.  The second best option is the Tesco Mastercard which only earns 0.6 Avios per £1.  If you have the Classic Mastercard, 1.25 Avios per £1 is still a great deal.

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Want to earn more points from credit cards? – May 2025 update

If you are looking to apply for a new credit card, here are our top recommendations based on the current sign-up bonuses.

In 2022, Barclaycard launched two exciting new Barclaycard Avios Mastercard cards with a bonus of up to 25,000 Avios. You can apply here.

You qualify for the bonus on these cards even if you have a British Airways American Express card:

Barclaycard Avios Plus Mastercard

Get 25,000 Avios for signing up and an upgrade voucher at £10,000 Read our full review

Barclaycard Avios Mastercard

Get 5,000 Avios for signing up and an upgrade voucher at £20,000 Read our full review

You can see our full directory of all UK cards which earn airline or hotel points here. Here are the best of the other deals currently available.

SPECIAL OFFER: Until 27th May 2025, the sign-up bonus on the ‘free for a year’ American Express Preferred Rewards Gold card is increased from 20,000 Membership Rewards points to 30,000 points. Points convert 1:1 into Avios (30,000 Avios!) and many other programmes. Some people may see even higher personalised offers. Click here to apply.

SPECIAL OFFER: Until 27th May 2025, the sign-up bonus on American Express Platinum is increased from 50,000 Membership Rewards points to a huge 80,000 points. Points convert 1:1 into Avios (80,000 Avios!) and many other programmes. Some people may see even higher personalised offers. Click here to apply.

American Express Preferred Rewards Gold Credit Card

Your best beginner’s card – 30,000 points, FREE for a year & four airport lounge passes Read our full review

British Airways American Express Premium Plus Card

30,000 Avios and the famous annual Companion Voucher voucher Read our full review

The Platinum Card from American Express

80,000 bonus points and great travel benefits – for a large fee Read our full review

Virgin Atlantic Reward+ Mastercard

18,000 bonus points and 1.5 points for every £1 you spend Read our full review

Earning miles and points from small business cards

If you are a sole trader or run a small company, you may also want to check out these offers:

The American Express Business Platinum Card

50,000 points when you sign-up and an annual £200 Amex Travel credit Read our full review

The American Express Business Gold Card

20,000 points sign-up bonus and FREE for a year Read our full review

Capital on Tap Pro Visa

10,500 points (=10,500 Avios) plus good benefits Read our full review

Capital on Tap Visa

NO annual fee, NO FX fees and points worth 1 Avios per £1 Read our full review

British Airways American Express Accelerating Business Card

30,000 Avios sign-up bonus – plus annual bonuses of up to 30,000 Avios Read our full review