Reduced AMEX earn rates from April 2019

[Saltywings]

Just tried to pull a @JohnK and opened up a chat with Amex - to no avail. They made it pretty clear that 'the offer is not available anywhere on your account' (verbatim).

I don't have a very long history with Amex, nor a PC/Cent; maybe they didn't want to double my ~2m MR balance as that would be quite the liability for them.

 

[Must...Fly!]

What exactly is the point of accruing millions of points/miles over the years and never using them for anything??? There are always the chance with all these card and programs of devaluations?? Not even chance, its a dead set certainty.... Sounds odd and maybe a lesson worth learning... And 29 posts in 10 years?? That's another decent effort....

To be fair, I can't remember the last time I used miles but then again in between AMEX statement credit, free return flight from ANZ and trying to earn/retain VA WP and having very limited leave times and dates, it makes it hard to actually use points to be honest.

Though my thinking has evolved and I am now seriously considering puting everything in to KF. Maybe a credit card sign up bonus will come along that will let me put further in to KF. I guess there is always that chance. And my partner and I have wanted to go to Tahiti - potential good use of 25,000 KF miles there if we can get NZ seats.

Just comparing the award charts. Sometimes Velocity comes out ahead (acknowledging the availability issues). Sometimes KF.

The spontaneous escapes sales are tipping me to KF though - does anyone know if these come out often? I can't really find much useful info on google and haven't paid attention to the in the past.

 

[Saltywings]

The spontaneous escapes sales are tipping me to KF though - does anyone know if these come out often? I can't really find much useful info on google and haven't paid attention to the in the past.

They are now a permanent part of the KF program which was announced alongside other (not so good) changes.

 

[WeeWillyWonka]

I can't remember the last time I used miles ….., it makes it hard to actually use points to be honest.

I am happy to help you with that problem.

No wonder Mrs WWW married me for my altruistic nature.

 

[SOPOOR]

Its sort of the problem i had too, i only used it once to try to buy a flight from Sydney to brisbane but everytime i moved points across to virgin, and went to buy then the cost of the points required increased and i had to go back and move more points across. And then i wasnt sure i was getting a good deal and i noticed on here people mention all these abbrevs as J class or Y class tickets or something and i get all confused about it . But now i am thinking instead of waiting for a honeymoon, and wasting half the points on a would be wife.. i might as well spend all the points on myself .

general rule for me is that the easier it is to redeem or the points requirements is lower the worse the ratio is, Im sure its deliberately done by the airlines,

hence why I try to aim for J or F long haul to get the best value, off the top of my head for F I think I can get 4c per point, while for something like a gift card or toaster its like 0.6 per point
Happy to forgo the gift card and toaster and to blow it on something extravagant, if you do RTW you can get even better value

p.s I also ignore all the points plus pay or partial points redemption systems too

 

[Must...Fly!]

They are now a permanent part of the KF program which was announced alongside other (not so good) changes.

Thank you for that link. I think that tips the balance a little further toward KF.

 

[lilkid28]

Well, I took advantage of the recent KF Spontaneous Escapes promo, two return J tickets for only 112k Krisflyer miles + taxes.

So Krisflyer is definitely some extra value in light of the other devaluations recently.

 

[Steve Lim]

Just tried to pull a @JohnK and opened up a chat with Amex - to no avail. They made it pretty clear that 'the offer is not available anywhere on your account' (verbatim).

I don't have a very long history with Amex, nor a PC/Cent; maybe they didn't want to double my ~2m MR balance as that would be quite the liability for them.

Similar situation (2 years with Amex and 2.5m Mr bal) but opened a Platinum charge in Jan just to try my luck and they agreeed to double my points. Have to say I was quite lucky

 

[Saltywings]

Similar situation (2 years with Amex and 2.5m Mr bal) but opened a Platinum charge in Jan just to try my luck and they agreeed to double my points. Have to say I was quite lucky

Niceeeee. I should have done that earlier but don't think I'm going to risk it now given not long to go.

 

[pauly7]

Anyone moving points to Asia Miles?

I’m tossing up between KrisFlyer and Asia Miles...

Have too many points stranded in Velocity already, too hard to use due to lack of avails (J / international) and search tool makes MS Dos look advanced

 

[Happy Dude]

Anyone moving points to Asia Miles?

I’m tossing up between KrisFlyer and Asia Miles...

Have too many points stranded in Velocity already, too hard to use due to lack of avails (J / international) and search tool makes MS Dos look advanced

My research indicates that poor availability and high taxes are big detractors for Asia Miles.

And yep the Velocity site is awful, so when combined with VA award co-payment, KF it is for me.

 

[kkl]

Similar situation (2 years with Amex and 2.5m Mr bal) but opened a Platinum charge in Jan just to try my luck and they agreeed to double my points. Have to say I was quite lucky

What process did u take to ask for double points? I also opened a plat charge in jan but they have not agreed in writing for doubling

 

[Matt_01]

Anyone moving points to Asia Miles?

I’m tossing up between KrisFlyer and Asia Miles...

Have too many points stranded in Velocity already, too hard to use due to lack of avails (J / international) and search tool makes MS Dos look advanced

Are you getting your points doubled if so leave them in AMEX. If not and it was me I would move to SQ and work on using these within 3 years and leave the VA points in the warehouse, they devalued the VA TX rate in Dec so it is just speculation when the next devaluation round will be but VA points are easy to earn.

I was one of the lucky ones that got the points double so in the end moved all VA to SQ on 30 Dec and now working on burning through them. AMEX can wait.

 

[casanovawa]

I thought that's why people joined this site, to learn how to earn and burn points... While not knowing anything really about the points game before i found the this site in 2010/11 i think I have been pretty savvy points wise since, but then I have actually joined in the conversations and contributed and read stuff... If having found this site and signed up i knew as little now as i did 8-9 years ago I'd be banging my head against the wall at all the missed opportunities... But there you go, everyone is different...

The people that come on the site, take all the knowledge and contribute nothing don't impress me, but i guess there are people who sign up and genuinely don't learn anything.. Never to late to change that either i suppose...

 

[iishin]

Ultimately I think that you should have a plan for what destination you want.
If it's HKG, 120k Velocity will get you a return in Business, and availability is good. It's on par w/ QFF at 60k, but taxes are a bit cheaper I think. It's supposedly 80k r/t on A. miles, but availability could be pretty bad.
If it's Japan, 85k will get you a return flight on JAL via Emirates.
If it's Europe, I would go with Krisflyer, as you can still top up with velocity if you are short some miles, or fly there using QFF and fly back using KF (Hint: if you fly out of IST, you only need 78k using TK airlines)

You can use www.awardhacker.com to determine some other transfer partners as well, although it doesn't really show everything.

Don't ask "which is the best program?", ask "where do I want to go?".

 

[lonewolf]

Ultimately I think that you should have a plan for what destination you want.
If it's HKG, 120k Velocity will get you a return in Business, and availability is good. It's on par w/ QFF at 60k, but taxes are a bit cheaper I think. It's supposedly 80k r/t on A. miles, but availability could be pretty bad.
If it's Japan, 85k will get you a return flight on JAL via Emirates.
If it's Europe, I would go with Krisflyer, as you can still top up with velocity if you are short some miles, or fly there using QFF and fly back using KF (Hint: if you fly out of IST, you only need 78k using TK airlines)

You can use www.awardhacker.com to determine some other transfer partners as well, although it doesn't really show everything.

Don't ask "which is the best program?", ask "where do I want to go?".

I mainly go to Thailand and the neighbouring countries like Malaysia etc. So i guess South East Asia, I am thinking for me KF is probably the most convenient, is that right?

 

[Bell21]

That would be my view (ie kf)

 

[Steve Lim]

What process did u take to ask for double points? I also opened a plat charge in jan but they have not agreed in writing for doubling

What have u told u verbally? My average spend has been around $100k a month in the last few months which would have helped

 

[JohnK]

I mainly go to Thailand and the neighbouring countries like Malaysia etc. So i guess South East Asia, I am thinking for me KF is probably the most convenient, is that right?

KrisFlyer would be quite ok.

 

[Draco]

With the devaluation of points, do people have any suggestions on how to use 250,000 points or should I just continue to accumulate them?