LETTERBOY

While we'll never know for certain, I think that saying this is a Chase decision would be a safe bet. Chase & BA just renewed their co-branded credit card agreement, and Chase doesn't like it when it's partners are involved with other programs. CO left MR when they merged with UA, IHG left, WN left. IMO this is Chase trying to maintain exclusivity.

aza72

That's really interesting. Looks like they announced the partnership renewal on May 18th, so the timing is right. The only remaining partners common to both UR and MR are Singapore (no US cobranded card), and Virgin Atlantic (BoA cobranded card).

Makes me wonder about the transfer bonus last year. Was this some sort of brinksmanship on the part of BA? Where they courting American Express?

Looks like the loser for this is going to be AmEx as the MR deferred liability hits when as people transfer the points out prior to the change. But let's be honest, it's going to go unnoticed by 99% of customers until months later when they go to transfer the points and realize the transfer ratio isn't what it used to be.

username

What I wonder now is whether to transfer before 1 October at 1:1 or wait for some kind of bonus when it goes to 1:0.8. If you think about it, all it takes is a 25% bonus to break even and the bonuses have been > 25%.

Thanks.

joscofra

I got into the points game this year basically for Avios since I do a <650 mile RT in the US at least once a month. The Chase BA was obviously my 1st card, but then got the PRG since the bonus was 50K for $1k spend and it transfers.

Well that was just the beginning and I then branched out to UR points which also transfer, plus AA miles since they are easy to get.

I wanted to give a data point for the very interesting comment that this might be a Chase decision to maintain the value of their BA card. My latest couple of apps was for the CSP and Freedom, just before this latest development of Chase denials. Both apps were pending, up to 30 days to hear by mail, but the CSP was approved with a recon call the next day. The Freedom on the other hand had to be fought for. Initial phone denial, but final approval on the 2nd recon call but ONLY IF I agreed to close the BA account that I had just opened with them in late Jan!! Now I can't imagine why they would want to cancel that card so quickly in order to give me a nice bonus on another card. But go figure. I would have cancelled that card after a year anyway so it worked out well for me.

joeypore

Just adding me $.02.

But yeah... Amex is really forcing some negative changes lately. Not good in the long term.

About to cancel my Platinum card, which is something I never thought I'd do for a while... but Chase and even Citi have been really strong lately with the addition of benefits and such. Amex just keeps taking away.

LETTERBOY

As I mentioned above, this was likely at the instigation of Chase, due to their not liking their credit card partners dealing with anyone but them. AmEx didn't "force" anything. In all likelihood, there's not much, if anything, AmEx could've done about it. If BA were a US-based airline (like CO or WN), I think they would've been gone from MR totally, as opposed to simply having a reduced transfer ratio.

mia

Chase would be in violation of USA anti-trust laws if it were to even suggest to British Airways how it should do business with Chase's competitors. Chase can ask for exclusivity, but they cannot demand any advantage if BA* chooses to continue to sell points to other card issuers. American Express, British Airway and Chase all know this. This doesn't mean there isn't an off the record understanding, but I think we need to watch to see how BA's relationship with their other USA card partners change as contracts are renegotiated. It's very early days.

*Actually, Avios Group Limited, because the change applies both to BA and IB transfers.

Sintaku

Citi doesn't have many decent transfer partners. Chase however does have BA

TMM1982

Even with Chase, BA is still worthless after its recent deval

LETTERBOY

Whether or not a program has decent transfer partners will depend entirely in the individual. For Citi, VS and QF would work for me, maybe not for others.

riversidetom

BA is certainly not worthless to us left coast folks flying RT from LAX -> OGG

PDX Duck

Using BA partners to fly non-stop from the west coast to Hawaii for 25,000 Avios round trip is a pretty sweet deal. Portland also has a number of non-stops to Hawaii on Alaska Airlines. I was afraid this would end with the last devaluation, but there was no change. ^

anc-ord772

or LAX-KOA/HNL

bombadilio

Hey guys!

Was reading this as I need a new card. Can someone direct me to a thread on the best use of my Amex points. I always fail to understand the best way to use them / transfer. I have spent hours reading thread after thread... I have about 200,000 points and at one point had double but used 200,000 points for a 2 grand flight ticket and got 40,000 back. To me this is a relatively bad deal.

I always read avios was a great transfer deal so really interested if should consider the chase.

howtofreetravel

Such a waste if you transferred around 100-120k you could have had a business/first class ticket( assuming transatlantic).