Credit card for AA in Aus

[SeaWolf]

When you funnel points from AMEX rewards to AA do they go across at a 1:1 rate? I know that they do from StarWood to AA, (unless you move more than 20,000 and get the bonus), but do they go from AMEX to Starwood at a 1:1 rate as well? I've seen some other threads to seem to suggest there's some loss in the conversion.

 

[Dave Noble]

When you funnel points from AMEX rewards to AA do they go across at a 1:1 rate? I know that they do from StarWood to AA, (unless you move more than 20,000 and get the bonus), but do they go from AMEX to Starwood at a 1:1 rate as well? I've seen some other threads to seem to suggest there's some loss in the conversion.

No. They go over at a rate of 1 -> 0,33 points. If you transfer 20k SPG points to AA, then you get a 25% bonus giving 25k points. Using that level of transfer , then 1 AMEX point gives 0.4125 AA points

Dave

 

[baswitzer]

Sorry, excuse my ignorance, but if they go across as 0.4 then how could it said to be more beneficial to put the points into AA (via SPG) when you are losing 0.6 points.

 

[Soundguy]

If there is another way to transfer AMEX reward points to AA please let us know.

0.4125 is a fairly pathetic rate. It is frustrating that AMEX Australia don't give the option of a direct transfer. I asked them some time back but they didn't bother to respond.

 

[serfty]

IIRC, Up until a year or so ago one could transfer directly AX to AA at a 1:1 rate. However that was canned and SPG is the most efficiant way available to Oz residents.

It's the same for those in the US.

Here's a conversion calculator from InsideFlyer: InsideFlyer.com: Mileage Converter

 

[serfty]

If there is another way to transfer AMEX reward points to AA please let us know.

0.4125 is a fairly pathetic rate. It is frustrating that AMEX Australia don't give the option of a direct transfer. I asked them some time back but they didn't bother to respond.

If you have an AMEX rewards maximiser you can get up to almost .62 AAdvantage points per AUD spend.

 

[Dave Noble]

If there is another way to transfer AMEX reward points to AA please let us know.

0.4125 is a fairly pathetic rate. It is frustrating that AMEX Australia don't give the option of a direct transfer. I asked them some time back but they didn't bother to respond.

Given that AMEX can give 1.5 points per AUD that works out to 0.61875 per AUD . Comparing it to US cards that credit direct to AA.

0.61875 equates to 0.804 per USD whilst US cards give a 1:1 (typically) so approx 20% less , so not that dismal compared to most US cards

Dave

 

[NM]

Sorry, excuse my ignorance, but if they go across as 0.4 then how could it said to be more beneficial to put the points into AA (via SPG) when you are losing 0.6 points.

Because on many cases the AA awards cost 40% or less than the same QF awards.

My last award redemption cost 105,000 AA miles. The same redemption would have cost 300.000 QF point. And then there is the $600 I saved in fuel surcharges.

This is not always the case, and if you are earning the majority of points from credit card spending then AA may not be the best program. But if AA is an attractive program for earning from flights, then laundering Amex points via SPG to AA provides a means of complementing the AA account from credit card spending.

 

[Kiwi Flyer]

But if AA is an attractive program for earning from flights, then laundering Amex points via SPG to AA provides a means of complementing the AA account from credit card spending.

Remember that SPG has in the past shut down or reduced transfer rates to some airline programs. There are no guarantees the current arrangements will apply indefinitely.

 

[Dave Noble]

Remember that SPG has in the past shut down or reduced transfer rates to some airline programs. There are no guarantees the current arrangements will apply indefinitely.

The same applies to any transfers to any scheme, so not a specific consideration imo for the AA filter. QF might improve its scheme to not allow earning from credit cards any more and return to being a FF scheme rather than , what it seems to want to be with the 1.5 + rates per AUD, a frequent debtor scheme

Dave

 

[Kiwi Flyer]

Fair enough. Just pointing out SPG has already enhanced UA (not possible) and CO (halved value) transfers, so some might think it more likely they will enhance transfers to other FFPs also.