You know Loyalty Programs are going mad when...

[cowombat]

[/quote] Amex transfer to SPG at a rate of 330 SPG points per 1000 MR points.

SPG transfer to AA at a rate of 25,000 AA miles for 20,000 SPG points (less than 20,000 transferred are at 1:1).

So that means a rate of 0.61875 AA miles per A$ spent on Amex Rewards Maximiser or Platinum CC.[/quote]

OK, so A$1 generates 1.5 AmEx points in my Platinum card account. Being a Platinum member in both Qantas and AAdvantage, to my way of thinking, it then makes more sense to transfer the AmEx points to Qantas. Even though QF offers the most miserly rewards, I'm still a bit ahead with 1.5 Qantas points rather than 0.62 AA points for most redemption opportunities. Does anyone have a way of moving points from AmEx through to AAdvantage that generates a better return?

 

[Kiwi Flyer]

Maybe we need to seek assistance from EBay to have all the auctions for FF kits pulled so that the bad people can't use this theory to avoid the screening :roll: .

In my experience, tags on bags (or lack of tags) are not a significant in the decision used to select people for specific screening. The availability of the person undertaking the testing process has a higher influence in the selection process.

Yup. Filling the screener's quota is the most important selection criteria in my experience.

 

[QF WP]

I'm still a bit ahead with 1.5 Qantas points rather than 0.62 AA points for most redemption opportunities.

Well, each to their own. With the AA 20K return award anywhere in Aust/NZ/SW Pacific; I'd say that trumps QF's award mileage for similar flights anyday.

If you fly in USA on AA metal, upgrades to F anywhere in continental USA for 15K maximum. Compare with QF - you have to buy an F award seat as you can't upgrade AA metal with your QF points.

I agree with Dave Noble that the earning and burning on AA, although it appears slightly less on the earn, it is much much better on the burn (therefore, you can uplift the value of the earn rate to, IMHO, 2 QF points = 1 AA points).

 

[serfty]

I have one problem with AAdvantage; the majority of my flights (90%) are booked in red e-deal class. N does not earn on AA, O at ¼ rate.

Programs gone mad? Typically O class is cheaper than N class when booking domestic flights.

 

[NM]

OK, so A$1 generates 1.5 AmEx points in my Platinum card account. Being a Platinum member in both Qantas and AAdvantage, to my way of thinking, it then makes more sense to transfer the AmEx points to Qantas. Even though QF offers the most miserly rewards, I'm still a bit ahead with 1.5 Qantas points rather than 0.62 AA points for most redemption opportunities. Does anyone have a way of moving points from AmEx through to AAdvantage that generates a better return?

It all depends on what you want to use the points for.

For example, for an award flight that I booked last year for Mrs NM and minis #2 and 4 to travel BNE-PER-BNE, the cost is 75,000 QF FF points for 3 x economy class seats BNE-SYD-PER, and a further 75,000 QF FF points for 3 x economy seats PER-SYD-BNE (there was no availability on the non-stop daytime flights, and the red-eye return was not viable for the travelling with a 1 year old). Plus I have to pay 12 x domestic Fuel Fines, being $391.20 in addition to my 150,000 FF points. Those 150,000 FF points would have required $100,000 spend on Amex.

If the same trip had been "purchased" with AA miles, it would have cost 60,000 AA miles for 3 x economy class return award tickets. The Amex spend to earn those AA miles would have been $96,969. And I would still have had the $391.20 fuel fine fee in my pocket since AA does not charge fuel fines on award tickets. And if you consider the Amex points required for say $350 credit on your card is 45,500, that makes the AA option very attractive.

Another example is an upgrade. Lets look at upgrades that I would be likely to "purchase" on something like a DONE4 fare that I often use. To upgrade a 7,000 miles trans-Pacific segment will cost me 45,000 QF FF points, which would require an Amex spend of $30,000.

An upgrade on AA's longest flights, say DFW-FRA, LAX-LHR or JFK-NRT would cost 25,000 AA miles, requiring an Amex spend of $40,404. So in this example, QF is better.

But if this upgrade happened to be from a B class economy fare into Business Class, the tables turn the other way as QF requires 72,000 points ($48,000 Amex spend), while AA costs 10,000 miles ($16,161 Amex spend). Of this is an extreme example and only valid for a upgrade from a B fare (which happens to be very common for my company to use).

So, as I said above, it all depends on what you plan to use you points for.

 

[Dave Noble]

OK, so A$1 generates 1.5 AmEx points in my Platinum card account. Being a Platinum member in both Qantas and AAdvantage, to my way of thinking, it then makes more sense to transfer the AmEx points to Qantas. Even though QF offers the most miserly rewards, I'm still a bit ahead with 1.5 Qantas points rather than 0.62 AA points for most redemption opportunities. Does anyone have a way of moving points from AmEx through to AAdvantage that generates a better return?

I disagree. If you are using the points from credit card earning only, then there isn't much in it. If you are also doing reasonable amounts of travel and are using it as a top off, then it makes a big difference

Consider as an example:

If you have Platinum AA and Gold QF for example and travel 50000 miles on lowly mileage earning discount economy fares

On QF, would earn 75,000 miles ( at 50% bonus )
On AA, would earn 50,000 miles ( 50% earning with 100% bonus)

and it is desired to top off to get a business award to London

This costs 120,000 AA miles or 256,000 QF points

This would leave a residual requirement of 55,000 AA miles for an AA award or 181,000 QF miles

To get 55,000 points from AMEX

45,000 SPG points are needed
to get 45,000 SPG points, 136,364 Mileage reward points are needed

To get the 181,000 QF miles, 181,000 Mileage reward points are needed; 44,636 less points are needed for the same award ( or $29,757 less AMEX spending )

Seems to be a better use to credit flights to AA and use AMEX for topping up

Dave

 

[markis10]

Given that you have to have earned 7000 status credits to achieve lifetime Silver, then the letter relects the fact that you probably spent around $70000 achieveing this if you take an average of 10 SC's per $100 of airfare, hmm, expensive letter.

 

[Dave Noble]

Given that you have to have earned 7000 status credits to achieve lifetime Silver, then the letter relects the fact that you probably spent around $70000 achieveing this if you take an average of 10 SC's per $100 of airfare, hmm, expensive letter.

Please don't point these sorts of things out; I am going to get LT Silver next month and I dont need it suggesting that I spent that much since 2000

 

[cowombat]

AAdvantage v QFF

Thanks for all the good feedback folks! This forum is very valuable..... Seems it best to keep my AmEx points in that account, and wait until I have clarity with regard what the next 'spending' of points is to be. Then transfer as needed via Starwood or whatever.

Last week I got on the web and phone to book an economy MEL-LHR-MEL flight for junior #1 for November. Both AA and QF had good availability, but I chose to burn the QF points (120K) vs the 90K for AA. The AA points are more valuable for my next business class award.

Jeez I wish I had known of the AAdvantage benefits years ago. Sob to think how much wasted on QF - eg the 240K points I used for the Mrs last month for us to go to Paris could have been enough for both of us on AA. Instead I bought a cheap economy ticket for me and used upgrade credits one way and a 'free upgrade letter (apology for previous screw up)" the other way. Very frustrating not to know until the day of departure if I had a comfy seat... touch and go both ways, but scraped in.

PS interesting to note that the lady on the other side of me LHR-MEL was on a cheap economy ticket, but had hurt her leg in a fall. As an AmEx platinum card holder she was using their 'free' insurance offer. AmEx arranged for her upgrade to business and a car service at both ends. She was very happy. And reminded me why it's good to have that AmEx card - great item.

 

[madmat777]

you can "launder" AMEX points through SPG and onto AA.

Please excuse my ignorance, but what is SPG? Can you also send citibank points through it?

 

[Damien]

you can "launder" AMEX points through SPG and onto AA.

Please excuse my ignorance, but what is SPG?

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