Club Carlson - Will have 150K points - What is best conversion??

Hello!!!

Will have 150K+ points next month from these 3 promotions. I'm NOT familar with this program. So, what is the best valuation of these points?? Convert to Delta miles?? Redeem for high category stay? Paypal?? Gift cards??

Your thoughts are important!!

Thanks, for your time!!!

You can load up your Avios miles. CC points can transfer with a 25% bonus until June 20th. 150,000 points would be 26,000 avios plus add 25% that would give you an additional 6,500 miles for a total of 32,500 miles. I have a feeling that the quality of hotels the Radisson has in Europe in general are much better than the states. I will transfer some to BA and use the rest in Europe. Considering the hotels go for $250 and up for 50k and I already have enough BA miles for the moment.

In most cases, there will be more value in using points for hotels than transferring to miles, assuming you have an opportunity to use them in Europe or some other high-price location. 150k points can buy 3 nights in London during the Olympics "worth" $1k per night. Or $500 per night in Paris. Much better value than 26k miles.

If you don't need hotel points I would suggest transferring to whatever airline provides you with the best bang for the buck; Avios may not be a great choice depending on your flight patterns and location (and the 25% bonus referenced above may make you worse off than just transferring the points to AA without bonus).

Either use the 150,000 points to stay 3 nights at one of their most expensive places in the world, or use it for a lot of nights at places that cost 9-15,000 points, particularly if you book early around peak attraction dates. The average places that cost around 28,000 points a night are usually the least attractive deals. I find using Club Carlson points for their hotels very easy and readily available when I want to use them, and for me a better use than the airline mile conversion.

Like the others said before, the best use is for hotels that cost 9000 points or high-end properties that cost 50000 points. You can also do the math for C+P and see if you get better value that way.

I don't have any plans to go to Europe in the near future (where the best radisson's are) and I don't consider any of their US properties aspirational. I will be converting 200k points to 36k US Air miles. I'll make the conversion during the Grand Slam later this year so I get a hit out of it as well.

Like the others said before, the best use is for hotels that cost 9000 points or high-end properties that cost 50000 points. You can also do the math for C+P and see if you get better value that way.

I don't have any plans to go to Europe in the near future (where the best radisson's are) and I don't consider any of their US properties aspirational. I will be converting 200k points to 36k US Air miles. I'll make the conversion during the Grand Slam later this year so I get a hit out of it as well.

Do have to agree that you probably will get the "most" value out of C&P for frequent stays.. or at high-end properties like in London/Paris.

But the worst value ever (at least at the moment) must be US miles with the ongoing promo.. you could get the 36k for $600..

Like the others said before, the best use is for hotels that cost 9000 points or high-end properties that cost 50000 points. You can also do the math for C+P and see if you get better value that way.

I don't have any plans to go to Europe in the near future (where the best radisson's are) and I don't consider any of their US properties aspirational. I will be converting 200k points to 36k US Air miles. I'll make the conversion during the Grand Slam later this year so I get a hit out of it as well.

Thank you so much for the info - APPRECIATE THE FEEDBACK -will use the points for stays in Europe this summer.

Do have to agree that you probably will get the "most" value out of C&P for frequent stays.. or at high-end properties like in London/Paris.

But the worst value ever (at least at the moment) must be US miles with the ongoing promo.. you could get the 36k for $600..

I got 200k points during this current promo for $225 in spending (using BRG's and 10% cashback from TopCashback.com). Also, like I said before, I don't forsee any stays in high-end Radisson's in the near future.

Do you still think that 36k US Air miles are poor value for $225?

I got 200k points during this current promo for $225 in spending (using BRG's and 10% cashback from TopCashback.com). Also, like I said before, I don't forsee any stays in high-end Radisson's in the near future.

Do you still think that 36k US Air miles are poor value for $225?

You aren't getting 36k US for $225. You're getting 36k US for 200k Club Carlson. You already converted your cash to Club Carlson. That transaction is done.

I see this all too often -- people continuing to value frequent flyer currency based on what it cost to acquire. That's just not the issue. Once you have the currency, the question is what the best use of it is, no matter how acquired. If you value 36k US miles more than anything else you could get for 200k Radisson, fine. That's a completely different issue.

Suppose you were able to buy 100k AA miles for $1. Someone comes along and offers you $100 for your 100k AA miles. Is this a good deal? Sure seems like it. You are getting $100 for $1 -- 100 times your money! But, of course, this is a terrible deal.

The place this is most difficult is where you acquire a frequent flier currency specifically for a particular use. For example, one could buy choice points during the daily getaways promo for about .3 cents. Suppose you realize that this allows you to convert your choice points to Southwest points for about 1.3 cents per point and to use them for 1.66 cents per point. You would not buy Choice points as part of the promo except specifically to transfer them to WN. So, you buy 100,000 and convert them to 30k WN rapid rewards points. Was this a good value, since you got 1.66 cents of value for 1.3 cents? Sure. But even in this example where you specifically do the deal for WN points, I would again argue you're asking the wrong question. Once the money is spent, it's gone. What you have, at that point, is 100,000 Choice. And now you're back to the start -- what can you get for them?

One can buy US miles right now for about 1.8 cents. That makes the value of 36k points very easy to figure out -- $650. Whatever you paid for 200k Radisson, the question is whether using them for $650 in miles is a good idea. To me, it's very poor because hotels in Europe are something I need. It really doesn't matter whether I spent $1 for my 200k Radisson or $1 million. The anser to that question is the same, and it's a different question.

Even 200k worth of redemptions at a below average property in Ohio are more valuable than the US Air miles...unless you're flying Europe-asia in C

maybe its just me but I dont get the OP or Campath

why go out spend your $$$ and once you get the pts then 1st ask what are they good for

If I had no idea what I would do with my pts I wouldnt have gotten them

Spending in Campaths case $225 for 36k in USAir miles unless they were short that many to get an Intl Biz tkt , they would have done much better in most cases simply using the $225 towards a tkt for when they wanted to fly to where they wanted to.instead of cashing in miles for a flight maybe with bad connections and long layovers and could be to an airport they prefer not to fly into, but at last thats all that was available for saver award tkts

the supermarket has as a sale today on eggs 10 cents a dz if I dont eat eggs theres no sense in my buying any, nor any sense in buying 12 dz unless I will use them before they spoil

this reminds of this person I know who applys for ANY and ALL free mag subscriptions simply since they are free, and then tosses the ones they have no interest in straight into the garbage

maybe its just me but I dont get the OP or Campath


Good points, craz. To me, the question is what's the price. I will buy points on spec if cheap enough through promos or otherwise even if I don't have an intended use. Radisson, in particular, if you can get them for .15 cpp is a good deal, because there are not restrictions on transfer and they are versitile to transfer to lots of different mileage programs if you want to use them that way.

So, I would have no problem buying Radisson on spec at $225 for 200k. But, once acquired, I don't think I would convert them to US right away. No reason to unless you are 36k short of an award. Maybe next year you'll need a top off to another program. Or maybe US will come back with a fall promo that gives a bonus to US miles. Or maybe suddenly, I'll need 5 nights in a 9k property. The beauty of Radisson is that they are flexible and even in a worse case scenario can be traded for miles. Once they are transfered, of course, they lose that flexibility.

Although I understand conversions, I've found the general rule to be that the best value for points/miles earned is in the program you earned (or bought) them through. I even believe that about Wyndham and Sheraton, the two darlings for conversion from hotel points to miles.

I assume a lot of folks don't get the viewpoint that after the flyin', there's gonna be some stayin'. Of course, if you're young, miles/points are few, and at your destination you can stay in a hostel/with friends, then hotel points are of little benefit. But, once you've got a significant other/family/little maturity, you're generally going to be staying in places you must pay for, and many times, the cost once you're on the ground vastly exceeds any flight cost you might have.

For instance, even with high airfares this summer, I could get to northern California for $500 or less, but if I'm staying a week in a relatively cheap, safe, clean place that's not in San Francisco (EconoLodge, not a Park Hyatt), I'll match that $500. Raise the standard of the lodging at all, and I'll get to $1000 very quickly. Make the destination San Francisco itself, and I'd be hard pressed to keep the hotel cost under $1400 (don't be fooled by cheap weekend $99 rooms, you'll pay $250 or more for a lot of places during the week). New York, Chicago, Miami, LA, Paris, London, Rome--all places where you can exceed those numbers.

I'm sure I miss some sterling conversion opportunities, but I've found it a fairly safe general rule that the best use of almost any earned/bought mile/point is in the original program. There are not many 9000 point properties in the Radisson portfolio, but I know of one on International Drive in Orlando where 63K points would get you a room for a week that would cost you at least $720 otherwise.

You know what 36K US miles gets me if I want to go from ORF to MCO for certain dates in August? The need to buy 1.5K more miles. And that's only because I get a 5K discount as a Barclay's US Mastercard holder. I can buy the flight for $292 outright.

Sure, that's kind of a tricked up example, but it illustrates the need to consider what you could use hotel points for rather than just blindly asking about conversion rates. 150K Radisson points can definitely get you three nights in an expensive overseas property, returning a much higher value than 36K US miles.

I'm sure I miss some sterling conversion opportunities, but I've found it a fairly safe general rule that the best use of almost any earned/bought mile/point is in the original program.

Absolutely agree. The only times I do hotel points -> airline miles conversion is when I have some orphan points laying in some program and if at the same time there is some meaningful conversion campaign - as I did with my orphan Hyatt points to BA Avios with the 25% bonus.

I got 200k points during this current promo for $225 in spending (using BRG's and 10% cashback from TopCashback.com). Also, like I said before, I don't forsee any stays in high-end Radisson's in the near future.

Do you still think that 36k US Air miles are poor value for $225?

Yes, definitely ! The Points do not expire and you could get a far better value out of them. So unless you do not need the US miles and have an exceprional good use with them.. just wait and maybe convert a part for a Grand Slam hit because that is a good use..

I got 200k points during this current promo for $225 in spending (using BRG's and 10% cashback from TopCashback.com). Also, like I said before, I don't forsee any stays in high-end Radisson's in the near future.

Do you still think that 36k US Air miles are poor value for $225?

Yes, definitely ! The Points do not expire and you could get a far better value out of them. So unless you do not need the US miles and have an exceprional good use with them.. just wait and maybe convert a part for a Grand Slam hit because that is a good use..

There are not many 9000 point properties in the Radisson portfolio, but I know of one on International Drive in Orlando where 63K points would get you a room for a week that would cost you at least $720 otherwise.


I am sitting in that very hotel at the moment.

Burning 6 x 9K this week after getting in cash nights, one each for the wife and myself, for the 50K each.

The Radisson Celebration just dropped from cat 3 to 1 and is a better hotel, I think. Better wifi, better pool, seems newer/fresher, often quicker to get to from Disney. Would have burned there, but no availability.

Was chatting with the friendly desk clerk here about Club Carlson point redemptions. He says that 35-40% of their room-nights are 9K redemptions.

maybe its just me but I dont get the OP or Campath

why go out spend your $$$ and once you get the pts then 1st ask what are they good for

Its not difficult to understand. Likely they had stays to do anyway. Where made aware of the offer via this forum, knew there was *some* value in the points, might as well place the stays with radisson.

Now, to get the best value out of them ?


the supermarket has as a sale today on eggs 10 cents a dz if I dont eat eggs theres no sense in my buying any, nor any sense in buying 12 dz unless I will use them before they spoil.


But what if you are baking 20 cakes, need loads of eggs, the supermarket is giving their loyalty points for eggs (but you are not familiar with the program), the eggs are similiar price as other places, makes sense to buy the eggs there as you need eggs anyway, and know enough to know that there is *some* value in the loyalty points. But you ask assistance from people who have experience with the program in determining the best use of the points.

Its not difficult to understand. Likely they had stays to do anyway. Where made aware of the offer via this forum, knew there was *some* value in the points, might as well place the stays with radisson.

Now, to get the best value out of them ?



But what if you are baking 20 cakes, need loads of eggs, the supermarket is giving their loyalty points for eggs (but you are not familiar with the program), the eggs are similiar price as other places, makes sense to buy the eggs there as you need eggs anyway, and know enough to know that there is *some* value in the loyalty points. But you ask assistance from people who have experience with the program in determining the best use of the points.

its like buying DL miles after getting an email telling you they will give you a 100% bonus. So you buy them and then go to FT and ask OK I now have 100K and whats teh ebst use, only to find out finding an Intl tkt in Biz for Saver is almost impossible.

At least I will 1st see what I can use them for before actually getting them. So had the question been before I actually spend $225 is it worth it for me to get these pts that would be something else

its like buying DL miles after getting an email telling you they will give you a 100% bonus. So you buy them and then go to FT and ask OK I now have 100K and whats teh ebst use, only to find out finding an Intl tkt in Biz for Saver is almost impossible.

At least I will 1st see what I can use them for before actually getting them. So had the question been before I actually spend $225 is it worth it for me to get these pts that would be something else

I think this is pretty good advice, although the price of these particular points is so low if one uses topcashback and gets good rates that it makes sense to buy them no matter what. Still, I bet Radisson loves the bloggers pumping up this promo -- I bet lots of people went ahead and got the points because it was the thing to do and will have them sit for years without doing anything with them.

I think this is pretty good advice, although the price of these particular points is so low if one uses topcashback and gets good rates that it makes sense to buy them no matter what. Still, I bet Radisson loves the bloggers pumping up this promo -- I bet lots of people went ahead and got the points because it was the thing to do and will have them sit for years without doing anything with them.

I didnt bother with topbackcash as it would have been only for 1 of the 3 and that would have been $6 my Rad is C&P with a $55 rate and my PI was $55 walk-in and that CIS was a prepaid @ $66

I dont know where I will use my pts but it will be in KEF,BGN,OSL places where you find CC but not much else and where the CCs are much better located and where I want to be

Wow! Can't believe all this flak I'm getting for saying that 200k CC to 36k US Air is a good choice.

Firstly, I did not sign up for the CC promo without any plan for how to use the points. I have a very specific award that I'm saving up for. It's a LH F roundtrip that costs about 140k miles. The CC promo lets me get 1/4 of the way there for just $225. If I offered any of you a LH F roundtrip for $900, I doubt anyone would say no. I know you can buy the same amount of miles directly for about $630 but when this promo saves me over $400, why wouldn't I do it?

Secondly, I agree that in most cases using CC points for stays in European Radisson Blu's is probably the best use of points for most people if you go by cpm/cpp, but it has to fit your needs. I don't forsee any Radisson stays in the near future so why should I save my points for it?

You guys have been drinking too much of the FT koolaid if you think there is only one good way to use points/miles. This is like assuming that anyone who gets a Hyatt card and does not use his 2 nights in PH Paris Vendome is an idiot.

I could argue that I am getting 1/4 of a $15000 ticket for my 200k CC points, but that makes no sense because I would never have paid that amount for a ticket. I think that $500 hotel rooms are overpriced and a complete waste of money. A $70 room on Priceline is perfectly fine IMO. However if you find value in spending 50k CC points on one hotel room then good for you.

its like buying DL miles after getting an email telling you they will give you a 100% bonus. So you buy them and then go to FT and ask OK I now have 100K and whats teh ebst use, only to find out finding an Intl tkt in Biz for Saver is almost impossible.


Its NOTHING like that, assuming he had to do stays already ANYWAY, he just picked radisson over elsewhere as he knew the points were valuable...just not how to get THE best value. Your scenario suggests an un-necessary outlay.

Wow! Can't believe all this flak I'm getting for saying that 200k CC to 36k US Air is a good choice.

Firstly, I did not sign up for the CC promo without any plan for how to use the points. I have a very specific award that I'm saving up for. It's a LH F roundtrip that costs about 140k miles. The CC promo lets me get 1/4 of the way there for just $225. If I offered any of you a LH F roundtrip for $900, I doubt anyone would say no. I know you can buy the same amount of miles directly for about $630 but when this promo saves me over $400, why wouldn't I do it?

Secondly, I agree that in most cases using CC points for stays in European Radisson Blu's is probably the best use of points for most people if you go by cpm/cpp, but it has to fit your needs. I don't forsee any Radisson stays in the near future so why should I save my points for it?

You guys have been drinking too much of the FT koolaid if you think there is only one good way to use points/miles. This is like assuming that anyone who gets a Hyatt card and does not use his 2 nights in PH Paris Vendome is an idiot.

I could argue that I am getting 1/4 of a $15000 ticket for my 200k CC points, but that makes no sense because I would never have paid that amount for a ticket. I think that $500 hotel rooms are overpriced and a complete waste of money. A $70 room on Priceline is perfectly fine IMO. However if you find value in spending 50k CC points on one hotel room then good for you.

although you did state that you didnt forsee using the pts for Hotels in Europe , by simply saying in post #8 isnt $225 for 36k a good deal w/o expounding as you have above a person was left to think what good is 36k

as for hotel rooms I agree with you most arent worth $500 but when in Europe and you want to be downtown you wont get anything for $70 maybe a bed in a shelter. At best the room will be so small and the toilet and shower in a central bathroom, with maybe enough room for a bed and a small carry-on in the room with you. Although I try to spend as little time in my room so as to be out doing things I dont want to have a closet size room either.

If you're going to transfer to US, wait for a 50% bonus promo.

As for "but what about spending on an überxpensive hotel"... I've yet to see a way you can Priceline your way into an F cabin for pennies on the dollar the same way you can buy miles at less than a penny a mile (putting the net cost of a C/J redemption at less than $1000) but I've Pricelined/Hotwired into nice hotel rooms many times over the years or done other tricks (this includes getting rooms in Central Hong Kong for $100 a night or less) and Radisson's properties in the US ain't all that.

Not everyone generates big mileage balances via CC churn or flying 6 digits of miles in a year

If you're going to transfer to US, wait for a 50% bonus promo.

How often do these occur? I know there was one earlier this year.

Although I understand conversions, I've found the general rule to be that the best value for points/miles earned is in the program you earned (or bought) them through. I even believe that about Wyndham and Sheraton, the two darlings for conversion from hotel points to miles.

I assume a lot of folks don't get the viewpoint that after the flyin', there's gonna be some stayin'. Of course, if you're young, miles/points are few, and at your destination you can stay in a hostel/with friends, then hotel points are of little benefit. But, once you've got a significant other/family/little maturity, you're generally going to be staying in places you must pay for, and many times, the cost once you're on the ground vastly exceeds any flight cost you might have.

For instance, even with high airfares this summer, I could get to northern California for $500 or less, but if I'm staying a week in a relatively cheap, safe, clean place that's not in San Francisco (EconoLodge, not a Park Hyatt), I'll match that $500. Raise the standard of the lodging at all, and I'll get to $1000 very quickly. Make the destination San Francisco itself, and I'd be hard pressed to keep the hotel cost under $1400 (don't be fooled by cheap weekend $99 rooms, you'll pay $250 or more for a lot of places during the week). New York, Chicago, Miami, LA, Paris, London, Rome--all places where you can exceed those numbers.

I'm sure I miss some sterling conversion opportunities, but I've found it a fairly safe general rule that the best use of almost any earned/bought mile/point is in the original program. There are not many 9000 point properties in the Radisson portfolio, but I know of one on International Drive in Orlando where 63K points would get you a room for a week that would cost you at least $720 otherwise.

You know what 36K US miles gets me if I want to go from ORF to MCO for certain dates in August? The need to buy 1.5K more miles. And that's only because I get a 5K discount as a Barclay's US Mastercard holder. I can buy the flight for $292 outright.

Sure, that's kind of a tricked up example, but it illustrates the need to consider what you could use hotel points for rather than just blindly asking about conversion rates. 150K Radisson points can definitely get you three nights in an expensive overseas property, returning a much higher value than 36K US miles.


I completely agree with the above.

Also would people rather fly 6 hours in business class to and from the holiday destination, only to stay in a cheap hotel because they can't afford it, or would you rather take the hit in economy for the flight but stay in a 4* or 5* hotel? Over the last few months I've started to change my preferences a bit and I think it works better for me.

There really is some excellent value to be had with Radisson at the minute.

Wow! Can't believe all this flak I'm getting for saying that 200k CC to 36k US Air is a good choice.

Firstly, I did not sign up for the CC promo without any plan for how to use the points. I have a very specific award that I'm saving up for. It's a LH F roundtrip that costs about 140k miles. The CC promo lets me get 1/4 of the way there for just $225. If I offered any of you a LH F roundtrip for $900, I doubt anyone would say no. I know you can buy the same amount of miles directly for about $630 but when this promo saves me over $400, why wouldn't I do it?

I could argue that I am getting 1/4 of a $15000 ticket for my 200k CC points, but that makes no sense because I would never have paid that amount for a ticket. I think that $500 hotel rooms are overpriced and a complete waste of money. A $70 room on Priceline is perfectly fine IMO. However if you find value in spending 50k CC points on one hotel room then good for you.

Well, now that you've explained your intentions, I will help to point you in the right direction.

Go to the US Airways Forum and read 'Master Bookings Using US Miles'.

You will see quickly that LH/LX is BLOCKING ALL F when redeeming US miles.

You are getting 1/4 of an UA F ticket for your 200k CC points :)

I agree with others - one shouldn't make any moves towards a respective promotion without a plan. I feel very strongly about this, because having miles sit in an account is worthless. I won't signup for a CC (unless its a megabonus) without knowing what availability is like for destinations I want to take.

Also, I would like to add that promotions like this are very rare and are an extremely good deal. The only other one where it's possible to get a super good deal is Pointbreaks. You've gotten 4 top-end nights rather easily, where as it would take like 50 nights with a top chain to get this (or more). It's not like this is just going to keep coming back every week.......

I will also add that Carlson has outlets like the 2-for-1 and F+F which make a lot of redemptions bad values. There are a lot of hotels (Paris) which don't really work on F+F, but others that do (Rome), making them probably smile even more and more when they see naive bloggers pushing things (without commission!!).

I completely agree with the above.

Also would people rather fly 6 hours in business class to and from the holiday destination, only to stay in a cheap hotel because they can't afford it, or would you rather take the hit in economy for the flight but stay in a 4* or 5* hotel? Over the last few months I've started to change my preferences a bit and I think it works better for me.

There really is some excellent value to be had with Radisson at the minute.

I can sleep and shower in a $100 hotel room. I can't sleep sitting upright, and it's not like I can leave a plane and go out like I can a hotel room.

Also, places like HKG are closer to a full DAY of travel for me.

Well, now that you've explained your intentions, I will help to point you in the right direction.

Go to the US Airways Forum and read 'Master Bookings Using US Miles'.

You will see quickly that LH/LX is BLOCKING ALL F when redeeming US miles.

You are getting 1/4 of an UA F ticket for your 200k CC points :)



US isn't the only transfer partner. There's AA, BA, UA and others. The OP is about halfway to a one way to DPS as a UA F award redemption via FRA (and UA isn't blocking LH F).

I can sleep and shower in a $100 hotel room. I can't sleep sitting upright, and it's not like I can leave a plane and go out like I can a hotel room.

Also, places like HKG are closer to a full DAY of travel for me.



US isn't the only transfer partner. There's AA, BA, UA and others. The OP is about halfway to a one way to DPS as a UA F award redemption via FRA (and UA isn't blocking LH F).

You could do that in a $20 room in HKG - but would you want to ?

Wow! Can't believe all this flak I'm getting for saying that 200k CC to 36k US Air is a good choice.


200k = 36k miles is certainly a good value. ^

Converting the points to hotel nights might be an even better value. All depends.

Wow! Can't believe all this flak I'm getting for saying that 200k CC to 36k US Air is a good choice.

Firstly, I did not sign up for the CC promo without any plan for how to use the points. I have a very specific award that I'm saving up for. It's a LH F roundtrip that costs about 140k miles. The CC promo lets me get 1/4 of the way there for just $225.

As noted before you won't get LH F for US miles.

I'll make the conversion during the Grand Slam later this year so I get a hit out of it as well.

What's the Grand Slam event?

You could do that in a $20 room in HKG - but would you want to ?

Right, but I don't want a flophouse complete with bedbugs.