singlemalt

I used the DL Amex only for always-double-miles spending and transferred everything to HH. I have a Starwood Amex for other Amex merchants, but most of my spending is on my Citi AA MC. The DL->HH transfer is going away 2/28, so now I'm looking at three alternatives:

1) Get a HH Amex. With 4 HH points/CC$ on the DL Amex vs. 3:1 on the HH Amex, this equates to a 25% loss of HH earning power.

2) Get an MR Amex and transfer everything to CO (or another airline that transfers 2:1 to HH). I posted this in another thread, but it got buried. I don't know a whole lot about MR, but I believe this card has the always-double-points feature (similar to the DL Amex) so this looks interesting.

3) Keep the DL Amex (with the double miles), use DL miles for award travel, and convert AA miles to HH as needed. In the last 12 months, I used 330K miles for family and business partners - they don't care what they fly or if they have a connection as long as the tickets are free.

When the end of the DL->HH tranfer was posted, I was totally PO'd and ready to dump the DL Amex - as a lot of Fter's seem to want to do.

I can't stomach alternative #1. #2 looks interesting but I'm new to MR. #3 would be the easiest, but I don't know how difficult it is to get DL awards vs. AA.

So what's everyone else doing?

[This message has been edited by singlemalt (edited 02-04-2003).]

Rut Dog

If you go with #2, you should know that CO --> HH is notoriously slow. Reviewing the charts for MR --> FF and FF --> HH, it looks like Hawaiian could be a better alternative. I haven't had any direct experience with HA (yet) and don't recall any being posted in the HH forum, but they'd be my first choice with the thought that they couldn't be worse than CO.

#2 aside, I've been very happy with #1, concnetrating all my purchases on HH Amex and Visa where Amex is not accepted. You can search in MilesBuzz and the Hilton forum on my name plus "cash back equivalent" to get more details on how I value my points return.

At some point there is a diminishing return for me from carrying too many cards and keeping track of where to use them. Plus, I like getting Platinum Amex benefits for no annual fee. The benefits have been worth it, specifically purchase protection, warranty extension, and next day card replacement.

paradocs

Singlemalt: Everything I have ever read or heard says that it is easier to redeem on AA. I have been told they allocate a greater percentage of free seats.

rox59

Not the most popular opinion on a miles buzz board, but I'm returning to cash back. I use to have the FBB 2%, but I went with the Delta and HH AMEXs for the last few months. Now I've had enough with the increase of points for HH redemptions as well as the Delta AMEX changing the rules re HH exchanges. I'm giving AMEX's 3 & 1.5% cash back card a shot and keeping my HH Visa until I top off what I need after the 2/28 deadline.

singlemalt

Thanks for all the feedback. paradocs: thanks for the info on DL's award availability. Makes option #2 look better.

Rut Dog: regarding the MR->CO->HH transfer, are we talking weeks or months? And do you know if people have had problems with the transfers going through? I'm OK with waiting a few weeks, but if transfers get lost in the process, maybe CO isn't the way to go. Personally, I'd still rather use my Starwood Amex for non-always-double-miles charges - I like having the option of a second hotel program.

clanson

The MR-CO-HH transfer will be attractive until March 15th. That is the last day that CO gives their 25% bonus on MR points transferred to CO (Minimum 10,000 points). After that you have all the time in the world to transfer from CO to HH. Of course you may need all the time in the world because CO is painfully slow in that regard.

pinniped

HH Amex isn't a bad option if your goal is simply to accrue HH points and use them for hotel stays.

The Amex Double-Miles/Double-Points features are usually only for "everyday purchases". In practice, the max I could ever get was maybe 20% of my purchases falling into the double-points category. (Although someone in the construction industry that does a lot of Home Depot volume could get quite a bit higher.)

HH Amex, on the other hand, is 3 pts/dollar all the time, with no annual fee. 5 pts/dollar at the hotels. It's a pretty decent no-fee product...

singlemalt

That would be me, although we only use Home Depot for last-minute stuff when one's near a job site (they're not very competitive for volume purchases). Our second-largest supplier (commercial roofing industry) codes as a home improvement store. I found this out by accident when the DL Amex was running a 2x miles for everything promo (I think it was 7/15-8/15) - I got the double miles immediately instead of having to wait 8-12 weeks (I found out when I called Amex for a breakdown of the miles). I've received 2x miles for them ever since.

Agreed, if you're not a Starwood Amex user also. But if you are, then you get into the whole how-many-HH-point-is-a-Starpoint-worth arguement (I think at a certain level the $30 annual fee can be ignored). Before Hilton and Starwood announced their award increases, I felt 4 HH points/CC$ was better than 1:1 for Starwood. Then Hilton announced their increases and I changed my valuation. Then Starwood announced their changes and now my brain hurts, but I'm back to believing that 4 HH points/CC$ is better than 1:1 for Starwood. Rut Dog's referenced thread

http://www.flyertalk.com/forum/Forum57/HTML/006145.html

got pretty heated regarding the whole HH vs. SPG valuation thing (that was a great thread, by the way). But at 3:1 (HH vs. SPG/CC$), I go with Starwood.

Edited for bad quotes - and a bad link.


[This message has been edited by singlemalt (edited 02-12-2003).]

singlemalt

Deleted - dupe

[This message has been edited by singlemalt (edited 02-06-2003).]

Rut Dog

My personal experience has been 4 to 8 weeks. But the reason I mentioned it above is because I've been told I've been very lucky with such short transfers. I don't know about transfers getting lost.

Here's a couple threads for starters. (The keyword "weeks" works well, along with "CO" or "continental".)

http://www.flyertalk.com/forum/Forum57/HTML/005958.html
http://www.flyertalk.com/forum/Forum57/HTML/006548.html

[This message has been edited by Rut Dog (edited 02-07-2003).]

Marathon Man

I know that DL ends our ability to turn miles into HH-able certs on Feb 28, but make sure that you have the certificates of transfer in hand ASAP because who knows if HH is going to accept it after that date!

Maybe we should transfer NOW... a few weeks early! (if you can transfer now, it certainly cannot hurt to be a bit skeptical here)

HH says their last date to accept the DL ones is the end of March but I have heard mumblings that this may be incorrect. I suggest we all re-confirm these things first with HH to be safe. What if you called DL on time and then got the DL certs say, March 4 in the mail. Now you mail these to HH and they tell you NO... They take 60+ days to credit you and this could get somehow lost in the cracks or maybe even seen as one done too late. If this were to occur for some reason, would DL take the miles back? I doubt it.

Anyway, from what I hear, most transfers from most airlines to HH can take up to 60+ days to finally hit HH.

CO is 90+ I have heard.

I plan to take what little DL miles my wife and I have and transfer them out. Am eagerly waiting to see that something recent posts to her accountso she can complete her transfer ASAP. Otherwise, we may have a problem. If we transfer what little she has now and leave the rest, it leaves her with so little miles, it will just sit there and do nothing. If we leave everything alone and do NOT transfer to HH, we find that this does nothing also since DL is so hard to redeem awards on!

However, with so many people doing this, maybe soon there will be less DL people trying!

We shall see. Just be watchful of the process when transfering so you do not lose any of your miles or points.

MM

------------------
If speed is not your thing, distance may as well be. Enjoy and embrace it all!

upgrader

From everything I read on FT, the Delta to HH transfer process is relatively short. Usually 2-3 weeks if you send the Delta certificates to HH as soon as you receive them from Delta. Of course, there may be a backup now with the impending deadline. The CO-HH transfer is another story. I read that it could take as long as 3 months and didn't believe it. Alas, next week will be the 3 month anniversary of me calling CO to get miles transferred to HH and they still have not shown up in my HH account. Ridiculous but true.

Marathon Man

...and yet, here we all are in this day of supposedly faster and more efficient computer systems that should have made ALL of these transfers happen in seconds...

neophyte

You can't wrong with converting DL Amex to HH Amex, collecting sign-up bonus and keeping HH card which is free.
Besides, unlike Starwood HH Amex does run some promotions (albeit targeted).
They had double points promo in August - October with a minimum monthly purchases, and another more complex one in January.

Again - it's free, nothing to lose, something to gain...

ddavis

I've been contemplating whether to convert 60K skymiles to HH and don't think it is definately a nothing to lose proposition. With the large HH redemption rate increases, if you don't need them for a current rate award the award nights could be pretty costly compared to the delta miles possible value (if you have enough for a significant DL award). With Delta currently being one of the stronger airlines financially, it could be beneficial to have skymiles but I'm not nearly as familiar with redeeming SM as AA awards. I don't know, we really have no desire or need to fly Delta but have used awards to help out other family members. My DL AMEX closes on 2/25 and I was hoping for that October triple mile to post an additional 40K then, which I'll probably never get anyways, but that would give me 100K DL. Not sure what I want to do with this.
I appreciate the HH vs. Starwood card valuation threads, I'd be interested in HH vs. DL values.
Any thoughts welcome.



[This message has been edited by ddavis (edited 02-07-2003).]