Positive changes to Ascent

[gibspmuh]

I just got the Ascent catalogue in the mail today, and there's a number of positive changes to the program (it's rare that it can be said of programs these days). The changes don't appear to be reflected on the Amex website yet, but hopefully will be soon.

Key changes:

KrisFlyer transfers now 1 to 1 instead of 2 to 1.
AsiaMiles now 4 to 3 instead of 2 to 1.
Royal Orchid Plus now 4 to 3 instead of 2 to 1.
Enrich now 4 to 3 instead of 2 to 1.

50% bonus on transfers to Velocity Rewards until 31st May (so 1 to 1.5)
50% bonus on transfers to Priority Club until 31st May (so 1000 to 900)

Addition of Jumeirah hotels as well as a partner, basically 1000 to 330 transfer.

Starwood Preferred Guest is also now listed as 1000 to 600 but I *think* that might be a typo (the same is listed for Hilton transfer as well).

Certainly encourages me to keep earning points on the Amex anyway.

 

[futaris]

I noticed on the website you can add redemption partner details now:

Cathay Pacific
Hilton
Jumeriah
Malaysian Airlines
Priority Club
Qantas Frequent Flyer
Royal Orchid Plus
Singapore Airlines
Starwood Preferred Guest
Velocity
Virgin Atlantic

 

[Mal]

I noticed on the website you can add redemption partner details now:

Yeah, a nice change. Was always a bit frustrating to call up and get them added.

 

[serfty]

Yes, when you enter the partner proigramme details the choice goes to a "pending" status when you select it.

2 or 5 days later it changes to "Active" and off you go.

Now as for transfer, I recently sent 60700 MR points off to SPG which earned 20031 SPG point. These now live as 25000 AAdvantage points (& 31 SPG).

A month ago HHonors transfer was 1:1 , 10:6 is a reduction. Then again, 10:6 SPG is a big improvement from 100:33.

It may all be moot going by this page:

American Express Australia - Membership Rewards Ascent

 

[kamchatsky]

Absolutely fantastic! Krisflyer 1:1 is a real plus ........ Go just about anywhere with Krisflyer is cheaper than Qantas with a lot less fuel fines, and more flexible than VS/DJ ...... So is CX (even though only 4:3) it is still much better than Qantas IMO.

I wonder with the new scheme, which is the best airline/hotel partner to transfer points .......

 

[ANstar]

I h avent got the catalogue yet. The website is still showing the old rates

 

[thomastse]

I have always liked the flexibility of being able to transfer Amex points to most airlines. With this new rate, it'd be great. I wonder whether anyone has done a chart listing difference in points required & costs of top up points between various popular ff programs. There appear to be some major ( unjustifiable ) difference in points & top up $ required between programs/airlines. For instance, it seems much easier to get seats in Virgin Atlantic AND for something like 300 % less points ? Singapore Air requires more points but their top up rate is cheap, etc. I guess now that the Amex points have changed in value, that'll change some of the point requirement discrepancy.

 

[simongr]

I got the catalogue last night and one of the inserts referred to TravelKey - 12,000 points for $100 of travel has become 10,000 points - but then I did those sums in my head - that means for a $10,000 return to the US In J you would need 1,000,000 points - that does not seem great value surely...

 

[dajop]

Absolutely fantastic! Krisflyer 1:1 is a real plus ........ Go just about anywhere with Krisflyer is cheaper than Qantas with a lot less fuel fines,

I wouldn't say Krisflyer has a lot less fuel fines, but it does have less. However the points at 1:1 is fantastic. An online booking J class to Europe (eg FRA, LHR, MAN, ATH) using the "old" SQ business class costs 127.5K points - the same fare as Y class on QF (although as they upgrade aircraft progressively these options will disappear completely, but even if they do, the "new" J class will be identical in points to QF J). On Y products, eg to Europe SQ is 80K for online booking is better than QF, and not dependent on aircraft type.

 

[kamchatsky]

I wouldn't say Krisflyer has a lot less fuel fines, but it does have less. However the points at 1:1 is fantastic. An online booking J class to Europe (eg FRA, LHR, MAN, ATH) using the "old" SQ business class costs 127.5K points - the same fare as Y class on QF (although as they upgrade aircraft progressively these options will disappear completely, but even if they do, the "new" J class will be identical in points to QF J). On Y products, eg to Europe SQ is 80K for online booking is better than QF, and not dependent on aircraft type.

All online bookings on SQ flights are 15% off which is a plus.

Also Australia to Pacific Islands (Tahiti, Tonga, Cook Islands, Fiji etc) return with free stopover at Auckland on AirNZ is 25K on Y, 35K on J, 45K on F ..... Which is so much better than Qantas.

And yes in my past experience, I do find SQ redemption tickets to have much cheaper fuel fines than Qantas redemption tickets ..... HKG-ICN, SYD-AKL-CHC for example .......

Of course the only bad thing about Krisflyer is 3 year expiry of points .... That's why it is better to leave the points in Amex and convert to KF miles in the last minute!

 

[futaris]

Got the brochure today. I can scan it if people are really want it now...

Priority Club and Starwood both look like great value.

1000 MR = 600 StarPoints
33333 MR = 20000 StarPoints = 25000 AA

If you earn at 1.5/$, then $22223 = 33333 MR = 25000 AA.

Shame that I can't justify the Platinum Card fee, even with the $100 APESMA discount...

 

[JohnK]

I have not received a brochure yet and the website has not been updated to reflect the new redemption rates.

It sounds like very positive changes to Amex MR program.

Now if it was just as easy to get the points out of PC. I have over 80,000 PC points and no suitable 5,000 point breaks available in Asia Pacific region.

 

[futaris]

Now if it was just as easy to get the points out of PC. I have over 80,000 PC points and no suitable 5,000 point breaks available in Asia Pacific region.

You can transfer the points to other members, or out to a frequent flyer program, or even a voucher.

Also, Point Breaks will be changing in the next few days, as the current ones have just expired.

 

[JohnK]

You can transfer the points to other members, or out to a frequent flyer program, or even a voucher.

I realise I can transfer points out to other members but what one person values PC points is not the same as another person. In order to transfer PC points you must be prepared to take a loss in your own perceived value of the PC points.

I hadn't thought about the voucher option. Must do some research. I think we have been spoilt with the Point Break stays for 5,000 PC points.

Also, Point Breaks will be changing in the next few days, as the current ones have just expired.

I will wait for the updated list.

 

[lovetravellingoz]

All online bookings on SQ flights are 15% off which is a plus.

Also Australia to Pacific Islands (Tahiti, Tonga, Cook Islands, Fiji etc) return with free stopover at Auckland on AirNZ is 25K on Y, 35K on J, 45K on F ..... Which is so much better than Qantas.

And yes in my past experience, I do find SQ redemption tickets to have much cheaper fuel fines than Qantas redemption tickets ..... HKG-ICN, SYD-AKL-CHC for example .......

Of course the only bad thing about Krisflyer is 3 year expiry of points .... That's why it is better to leave the points in Amex and convert to KF miles in the last minute!

Very very interesting. Thank you.

I love this site....without it I would most likely not have been aware of the points transfer change....or how Krisflyer has now rocketted up to becomea very likely redemption for me.

i have just returned froma QF redemption to Noumea for 36000 points.

but you have flagged that I can get tahit return witha stopover in NZ (and I assume or anywhere else in the soyh Pacific) for only 25,000 less 15%

The longhauls to Europe are also very attractive.

Boy am I also glad that I took out a maximiser late last year...and with the 10 bonus points Dec Electrical Stores promotion I already have 150,000 odd points....and so can already take my family of 5 to Tahiti..or aybe aftera bit more spend 2 tickets to europe,

Lets hope there is another such 10 point promotion in the future.

 

[beardoc]

I posted on this previously, but in the failure of the site and the database rollback, my post was eaten up - no worries.

Anyway, this is one of the biggest improvements in value in frequent flyer programs I've seen in a LONG time.

As there has been some confusion about whether the new Starwood Preferred Guest conversion deal is real and not a typographic error, I called Amex Gold Credit Card Services (I have an AMA cobranded fee-free Gold Amex with Ascent Rewards) and asked them that it appears to have changed and whether it was a typo. The guy on the other end of the phone understood what I was asking, but he checked his own records and confirmed that it is indeed 1000 MR points = 600 SPG points.

That means that if you have an Amex with a 1.5 MR point per Australian dollar spent, then if you flush through SPG, you will end up with 1.125 AAdvantage points per Australian dollar spent (as people have noted above). It's also 1.5 Krisflyer points per dollar if you prefer *A.

Just crunching the numbers, with *A/Krisflyer.

Australia to USA Economy for 80000 Krisflyer points = $53,334 spend on Amex.
Australia to LHR Economy for 100000 points = $66,667 spend on Amex.
Round the World *A with seven stops Business class for 240000 points = $160,000 spend on Amex.

And doing the numbers with AAdvantage:

OneWorld RTW 16 segments with up to 35,000 miles in Business Class is 190,000 AA miles = $168,889 spend on Amex.

I just applied and was accepted for a QANTAS Amex Ultimate, but as soon as I qualify for the 40000 QFF points, it looks like it is finally a reason to do a Platinum Challenge and then Looks like I've finally got a reason to do an AA Platinum Challenge and then start my move of my travel to AAdvantage. Finally, the earn/burn rates for credit card spend have to be in favour of Krisflyer and AA now. Thankfully I didn't transfer any MR points to QF in the past - I've just been accumulating them!

 

[kamchatsky]

Very very interesting. Thank you.

I love this site....without it I would most likely not have been aware of the points transfer change....or how Krisflyer has now rocketted up to becomea very likely redemption for me.

i have just returned froma QF redemption to Noumea for 36000 points.

but you have flagged that I can get tahit return witha stopover in NZ (and I assume or anywhere else in the soyh Pacific) for only 25,000 less 15%

The longhauls to Europe are also very attractive.

Boy am I also glad that I took out a maximiser late last year...and with the 10 bonus points Dec Electrical Stores promotion I already have 150,000 odd points....and so can already take my family of 5 to Tahiti..or aybe aftera bit more spend 2 tickets to europe,

Lets hope there is another such 10 point promotion in the future.

D'oh! I wish they had the 10 bonus points offer in Jan/Feb last year when I bought a lot of electricals. Well I think the only drawback for you is to find 5 redemption seats in each of the flights ....... And yes, Krisflyer taxes is also less than Qantas by miles .......

Also 15% online booking discount only applies to SQ flights only, not *A flights. However 25K for Y and 35K for J to South Pacific with free stopover at AKL is still a HUGE bonus ......

 

[dajop]

That means that if you have an Amex with a 1.5 MR point per Australian dollar spent, then if you flush through SPG, you will end up with 1.125 AAdvantage points per Australian dollar spent (as people have noted above).

So even at 1 MR point per AUD, earn rate is 0.75 AAdvantage points per AUD. A closer to home example MEL to BME via PER in both directions for $33,000 vs $50,000 if using QF FF - and I assume with lower +++'s.

Australia to LHR Economy for 100000 points = $66,667 spend on Amex.

Just using SQ alone, booked on line (to get 15% discount) can travel Aus to LHR for 80,750 points, or $53,830 spend. Very good.

 

[lovetravellingoz]

Well I will certainly be boning up on KrisFlyer now...



Though I note the comment on maybe not getting 5 award tickets......is this hard to do on *A and or SQ?

With QF I had been getting 5 awards at a time....and back when I was with Ansett (and hence *A) I obtained 5 Cairo return.

Admitedlly I normally book early...and in economy.



Though see the burn rate for Business Class with Krisflyer...might be time for two long haul business redemptions (though again how easy is it to get 2?)



However as mentioned by others...time to reassess AA as well.

 

[thomastse]

I just tried to book SYD-HK with reward points. QF requires 140,000 pts & SQ 90,000 & Virgin 80,000. QF points cannot be used to get ticket for someone else; has limit on transfer to another who has to be a paid member of QF AND they have no seats until July/August. QF is the only one that charges for membership too. Are we being conned or what ? With this new Amex ratio, I'll have to plan my credit cards / fflyer memberships again. Perhaps we should all take a good look at the value of QF's program. Does anyone know any way of ridding of QF points ? Can they be sold or something ?