Hi Everyone, I have been a faithful lurker on this board since the summer of 1998 (yes, you read that right). I never posted, because I was here to learn, and never had anything new to contribute. I do have to say that over the years I have accumulated many miles & registered for many promotions that I learned about here. Thank you.
Well, I still don't travel to much and accumulate as many flying & staying miles as some of the masters here, but I do have a redemption question.
First of all, my wants.. To stay in Hawaii for as little money as possible. We go every other year, flying on a FF reward, but have always paid for our stays. I think I can manage some of a free stay now, but I want to make sure I'm doing the right thing.
Situation:
Hilton - Gold VIP (thanks all) about 23,000 points in my account
Delta - no status - about 100,000 miles in my account
Marriott - no status - about 21,000 points in my account.
I have enought mile for 2 coach tickets on each of United, Continental & Delta, plus a storehouse in Amex (20k) & Diners (80k). My preference is to save Diners for when I run out of United miles as I don't fly to Asia as much as I used to.
Now, If I understand correctly, I can transfer 5k Delta miles for 10k Hilton Points. In order to get 100k points for 6 nights at the HHV, I would have to transfer about 40k Delta miles.
To get 2 free nights at the Mariott Ihilani (gorgeous place), I would need 55k in Marriott.
Should I use My points (2k) to get Marriot points or Hilton points? Should I use Click Rewards to get Marriot or Delta points (or some other airline)?
Since I may blow more in airline points value than its worth, should I just wait a little longer to accummulate more hotel points?
What do you think my chances are of getting the HHV on an award for 6 nights? Blowing 40k Delta points doesn't seem too bad a deal for a 6 night stay particularly if they provide an upgrade for gold VIPs.
Let me appologize if I've put this in the wrong place... it almost seem appropriate for a mileage makeover. I guess the first of my confusions is where to put those Mypoints & Click points where they would be the most beneficial for getting a hotel.
I'm grateful for anything you experts could offer!
Mary
tudorcity
Jul 26, 01, 2:58 pm
Hi Mary, welcome to the next step in your FT life (posting)! I can offer some insight into the Hilton/Delta part of your question.
First, and most important, Hilton is wonderful in that they will allow you to book the ALON VIP award that you are looking for (6 nights for 100K points), even if you do not currently have the points in your account. You just need to accumulate those points prior to your stay (leaving enough time to get the certificate by mail or fax). So, call Hilton and see if they have availability. If HH CS says the hotel has no capacity, call the hotel directly - you may get a more favorable response. Then, if you can book the award - decide whether it is worth it to you to cash in Delta points for HH points. In my case (we're staying at the HWV in January on an ALON), it was worth it for me to convert 25K DL to 50K HH.
Now as to upgrades for a Gold member when you stay at HHV, do a search on the Hilton forum - results seem to be mixed. Good luck! http://www.flyertalk.com/forum/smile.gif
ILTE_Miles
Jul 26, 01, 4:56 pm
<font face="Verdana, Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif" size="2">Originally posted by Mary2e:
[...] First of all, my wants.. To stay in Hawaii for as little money as possible. We go every other year, flying on a FF reward, but have always paid for our stays. I think I can manage some of a free stay now, but I want to make sure I'm doing the right thing.</font>
Hi Mary,
First of all, as you likely already know, there really is no absolutely "right" thing to do...this all boils down to optimizing strategy, value, & overall return on investment w/ one's goals...
In light of such, I need to ask a few things, to clarify a few variables involved.
You asked a question regarding ClickRewards--do you have ClickMiles? If so, how many?
When you mentioned having enough miles for 2 coach tickets on each of United, Continental, & Delta, are you referring to 2 coach tickets for domestic travel within the contiguous 48, or 2 coach tickets to Hawaii (& the respective amounts required for such by each of the aforementioned airlines)?
You mentioned that you don't travel too much, but when you do travel, do you have a preference re: hotel chain?--or are you flexible, w/ a few constraints, perhaps?
Do you have any points in a Starwood account?
Do you travel to other places in addition to Hawaii? If not, would you like to? If so, in what part(s) of the U.S. or in what country/countries?
Did you happen to be a recipient of the targetted promo mailer from AmEx a few weeks back re: a transfer from AmEx Membership Rewards to Delta SkyMiles account being given bonus miles (based on a tiered scale)--?
Have you ever asked for (& received) a Diners Club retention bonus?
Are you earning miles or points w/ whatever telecomm provider you've chosen for use @ home?
Do you have any mileage &/or points-earning credit cards in addition to the AmEx & Diners Club cards? If so, which card(s)?
Have you ever participated in any of the Hilton 50k HHonors points promos re: 4 stays, 5k bonus after 1st stay, 10k bonus after 2nd, 15k bonus after 3rd, & 20k bonus after 4th--? If you'd really like to pad the HHonors account, I'd hop on this promo the next time it comes about--even if it means paying for stays at hotels for which you end up being a no-show (depending on how the points would be used, it might be worth it to, say, charge 4 nights @ a ~$40-$50 per night Hilton chain property [which could =, overall (in terms of $ spent), the minimum cost per night for a stay @ the HHV]).
Before responding w/ an overall mileage makeover-like opinion http://www.flyertalk.com/forum/smile.gif, I will say one thing: I would not transfer ClickMiles to a Marriott account--in general, the value is diminished, unless you planned to transfer 150,000 Marriott points to miles--the ClickMiles are worth more if transferred to a different account (I think this for several reasons...the best value re: ClickMiles transfer [in the opinions of many], is to transfer them to a Starwood account--if so desired, you can ultimately transfer the points from there to any of ~30 airline FF accounts, most @ a 1:1 ratio [including airlines for which you currently have FF accounts] [though there is a minimum transfer threshold if one is not Platinum within the Starwood SPG program]).
Will you be renting a car when in Hawaii?
Do you have an American Airlines account (even if w/ a minimal # of miles)?
Lastly, don't count on being upgraded @ the hotel--be prepared for not being upgraded, & include the valuation of such (i.e. a non-upgraded room) in the "worth this much" calculation...I don't know what timeframe you're thinking of re: Hawaii, but a quick check of the cost of rooms @ the HHV for the end of October results in a range of $179-$300 (note that that was just a cursory inquiry into such, not a full blown analysis of such, by any means). A range could be used re: determination of approximate value of any miles converted to an HHonors account, but the more precisely you know what kind of room you would otherwise reserve on your own (i.e. if it was a paid stay), the more "realistic" the figure could perhaps become (re: valuation)--unless the room type in question would not necessarily be available for use w/ an award stay (ah, the frustrating issues that can come into play... http://www.flyertalk.com/forum/smile.gif ).
Regardless, w/ the answers to the aforementioned questions, a better overall picture would likely be formed, & we could proceed from there... http://www.flyertalk.com/forum/smile.gif[/B][/QUOTE]
[This message has been edited by ILTE_Miles (edited 07-26-2001).]
Mary2e
Jul 30, 01, 7:03 am
EEEK ~ so many questions. I really appreciate you interest & will do as best as I can to answer….. I also don't know how this is going to look.... I'm not familiar with UBB coding & am hoping for the best :}
You asked a question regarding ClickRewards--do you have ClickMiles? If so, how many?
Not a whole lot….. about 800.
When you mentioned having enough miles for 2 coach tickets on each of United, Continental, & Delta, are you referring to 2 coach tickets for domestic travel within the contiguous 48, or 2 coach tickets to Hawaii (& the respective amounts required for such by each of the aforementioned airlines)?
No, it’s at least enough on each airline for 2 coach tickets to Hawaii. On Delta there’s more.
You mentioned that you don't travel too much, but when you do travel, do you have a preference re: hotel chain?--or are you flexible, w/ a few constraints, perhaps?
I’m only as flexible as the hotel closest to my overseas offices are. For vacation, when I can, I use hotels that I have accounts with (Marriott, Hilton & Hyatt).
Do you have any points in a Starwood account?
I did (2000), but I didn’t stay at a Starwood for over a year, so they suspended it.
Do you travel to other places in addition to Hawaii? If not, would you like to? If so, in what part(s) of the U.S. or in what country/countries?
We’ll go anywhere that has a nice beach and something to do at night besides go to a casino. In Europe, we prefer France & Italy. Tahiti & Bali are also on our list of places to get to, as well as to try a safari.
Did you happen to be a recipient of the targetted promo mailer from AmEx a few weeks back re: a transfer from AmEx Membership Rewards to Delta SkyMiles account being given bonus miles (based on a tiered scale)--?
I think I did…. And then I tossed it, probably with the mistaken idea that I already had enough Delta miles (not realizing that I could double them enrout to Hilton)
Have you ever asked for (& received) a Diners Club retention bonus?
No, my original card was a corporate card. I just got a personal card when my company switched to Amex (WITHOUT membership rewards)!
Are you earning miles or points w/ whatever telecomm provider you've chosen for use @ home?
No, based upon the experiences I’ve read on this board…. It seemed like too much grief!
Do you have any mileage &/or points-earning credit cards in addition to the AmEx & Diners Club cards? If so, which card(s)?
Yes, a United Visa.
Have you ever participated in any of the Hilton 50k HHonors points promos re: 4 stays, 5k bonus after 1st stay, 10k bonus after 2nd, 15k bonus after 3rd, & 20k bonus after 4th--? If you'd really like to pad the HHonors account, I'd hop on this promo the next time it comes about--even if it means paying for stays at hotels for which you end up being a no-show (depending on how the points would be used, it might be worth it to, say, charge 4 nights @ a ~$40-$50 per night Hilton chain property [which could =, overall (in terms of $ spent), the minimum cost per night for a stay @ the HHV]).
I registed for the gold promotion, and actually had a real cancellation that I was billed for at the Turtle Bay Hilton (in May). Somehow, a $180 cancel fee generated 12k points! I doubt that I’ll have an opportunity for a business stay at a Hilton. Should I try the no-show route again?
Before responding w/ an overall mileage makeover-like opinion , I will say one thing: I would not transfer ClickMiles to a Marriott account--in general, the value is diminished, unless you planned to transfer 150,000 Marriott points to miles--the ClickMiles are worth more if transferred to a different account (I think this for several reasons...the best value re: ClickMiles transfer [in the opinions of many], is to transfer them to a Starwood account--if so desired, you can ultimately transfer the points from there to any of ~30 airline FF accounts, most @ a 1:1 ratio [including airlines for which you currently have FF accounts] [though there is a minimum transfer threshold if one is not Platinum within the Starwood SPG program]).
Thanks for the Marriott advise. I’ll take it. Would I be better off sending them to Delta, where I could get 2 for 1 on the exchange to Hilton?
What about Mypoints to Marriott or Hilton? For 1500 MP I get 1000 Marriott. For 1000 MP I get 1000 Hilton. Seems like almost a no-brainer to Hilton, but it will build my Marriott account closer to the 55k required for 2 free nights (discounted ocean front room rate at the Ihilani on the Rewards promotion is about $250 per night).
Will you be renting a car when in Hawaii? Yes, always do. I already have a certificate from Budget for 4 free nights rental.
Do you have an American Airlines account (even if w/ a minimal # of miles)? No, I’ve never flown them.
Lastly, don't count on being upgraded @ the hotel--be prepared for not being upgraded, & include the valuation of such (i.e. a non-upgraded room) in the "worth this much" calculation...I don't know what timeframe you're thinking of re: Hawaii, but a quick check of the cost of rooms @ the HHV for the end of October results in a range of $179-$300 (note that that was just a cursory inquiry into such, not a full blown analysis of such, by any means). A range could be used re: determination of approximate value of any miles converted to an HHonors account, but the more precisely you know what kind of room you would otherwise reserve on your own (i.e. if it was a paid stay), the more "realistic" the figure could perhaps become (re: valuation)--unless the room type in question would not necessarily be available for use w/ an award stay (ah, the frustrating issues that can come into play... ).
Thank you for that advise. When in Hawaii, an ocean view is high on our list. We generally request (& pay for) ocean front or ocean view, depending upon how far away the hotel is from the ocean. We’re planning trying to bo in early Nov. (before Thanksgiving), and usually we don’t have any problems getting discounts (ie; 50% off Outrigger hotels). Still even discounted rooms run in the $4250-$300 range for that view.
Regardless, w/ the answers to the aforementioned questions, a better overall picture would likely be formed, & we could proceed from there...
THANK YOU THANK YOU THANK YOU…
Look forward from hearing from you!
Mary
[This message has been edited by Mary2e (edited 07-30-2001).]
Mary2e
Jul 30, 01, 7:09 am
deleted, duplicate post!
[This message has been edited by Mary2e (edited 07-30-2001).]
[This message has been edited by Mary2e (edited 07-30-2001).]
PG
Jul 30, 01, 7:37 am
I would suggest moving Mypoints to Hilton, and moving Clickrewards to Delta/United (either can be transferred to Hilton). A lot of folks have used the HHV 6 nights, and availability seems to be fine. As mentioned, book the room once you know the dates and continue accumulating Hilton points.
Also you may want to consider moving your Diners Club points to British Airways during the double conversion promotion. British Airways miles can be used on American airlines and also for hotel stays. Also join the British Airways dining program to ensure that your BA miles never expire (you need one activity every three years to retain the miles).
Starwood may reinstate your account if you ask them. Get the Starwood Optima card (free for a year), top off your Starwood account with the card purchases and transfer to an airline (Delta/United). Starwood converts 20K points to 25K airline miles, so if you can get to 20K points on Starwood I would suggest moving the Clickrewards points to Starwood instead of the airlines directly. Or use Starwood points for hotel stays.
[This message has been edited by PG (edited 07-30-2001).]
PG
Jul 30, 01, 10:33 am
<font face="Verdana, Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif" size="2">Originally posted by Mary2e:
Since I may blow more in airline points value than its worth, should I just wait a little longer to accummulate more hotel points?
What do you think my chances are of getting the HHV on an award for 6 nights? Blowing 40k Delta points doesn't seem too bad a deal for a 6 night stay particularly if they provide an upgrade for gold VIPs.
</font>
Since you use airline miles a lot, it makes even more sense to use the Diners double conversion to BA. You'll have twice the number of miles than if you converted Diners to UA or DL.
The HHV 6 night for 100K Hilton points is a good value. The gold upgrade is hit or miss. As a gold I received a oceanview room on the Rainbow tower (not very high about the 6th floor). The view was good, the room could have been better. They did not give any breakfast vouchers, and when I pressed them they gave me vouchers for 1 breakfast.
Beckles
Jul 30, 01, 11:11 am
When we stayed at the HHV as an HHonors nothing we got a corner room ocean view in the Rainbow tower very high up ... very nice. Several Golds with us did not do as well ...
I just wanted to add that you had expressed you wanted to get a 55K Marriott reward. Marriott points can be a bit "expensive", but if you really want that award, you'll want to use your ClickMiles for that instead of an airline, because ClickMiles are the cheapest way to buy Marriott points out of the three options you have (ClickRewards, Diners Club, and AMEX). The second best option is Diners Club, so you'll want to get the rest of the 55K you want from there.
ILTE_Miles
Jul 30, 01, 4:53 pm
Hi Mary, I just had a chance to see your post, & wanted to post the following bit of info right away, before responding overall, given an associated deadline.
<font face="Verdana, Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif" size="2">Originally posted by Mary2e:
Did you happen to be a recipient of the targetted promo mailer from AmEx a few weeks back re: a transfer from AmEx Membership Rewards to Delta SkyMiles account being given bonus miles (based on a tiered scale)--?
I think I did…. And then I tossed it, probably with the mistaken idea that I already had enough Delta miles (not realizing that I could double them enrout to Hilton)</font>
The deadline for performing this transfer is tomorrow. Given that you don't need to send in the promo mailer to garner the bonus miles--but simply have to have been a recipient of the targetted promo--you could still avail yourself of this promo, if you so chose.
The best value comes @ the 50,000 Membership Rewards points level--for which the transfer ala the promo would result in 15,000 bonus miles being awarded (to your SkyMiles account).
The first post in the following thread contains the overall breakdown, contact detail, & promo code:
Note that the bonus miles are not to post until 8 weeks after the promo ends.
[This message has been edited by ILTE_Miles (edited 07-30-2001).]
ILTE_Miles
Jul 30, 01, 9:16 pm
Hi Mary,
Okay, here goes... http://www.flyertalk.com/forum/smile.gif
First out of the gate: call me crazy, but I think you ought to consider creating an AA AAdvantage account (hear me out http://www.flyertalk.com/forum/smile.gif ), & consider joining the masses in going after the 20 partners promo (to garner 20,000 miles). The Mileage Workshop site has a convenient list/guide re: 16 partners, involving minimal expenditures, etc. All sorts of detail can be found in the AA forum of this board, if needed. There would be several advantages (no pun intended [honest!]) to having AA miles (aside from being a short bit away from a free trip), & if not used for flying, they can be converted for use "as" something else--perhaps an "ideal" use would be in an ultimate conversion to BA miles (in which they could perhaps be merged w/ miles from your DL &/or UA accounts [if necessary]).
You could perhaps keep any AA miles "dormant" until next year, & have them available for an "import" to your Diners Club account, should the BA 1:1 redemption promo that has taken place w/ DC for the past few years be repeated. FYI, per the DC online awards catalog, it states that you are limited to converting 50,000 miles to DC CR points per calendar year (vs. rolling 12-month window), per partner (though some folks cite that @ least one of the carriers allowed them to convert more than 50,000 miles).
If you do decide to go for the AA 20 partners promo, you can transfer 250 of your ClickMiles to the AA account & have it count as a partner. You can also transfer another 250 of the ClickMiles to an America West account, & then launder them through points.com to result in yet another partner transaction (the conversion rate sucks, but that's not "the point" [another pun! http://www.flyertalk.com/forum/smile.gif ] [& we're only talking about 250 miles, technically (keep thinking, "the greater good..." http://www.flyertalk.com/forum/smile.gif )]).
Also, just as an FYI, should you decide to set up an AA account (doing so via aoladvantage.com results in 500 bonus miles for signing up), be sure to take advantage of the eSummary promo on the AA home page (re: receiving statements online [given that you're not earning flight miles w/ them, it shouldn't matter that you'd be receiving the statements online, right?])--it's an easy 1,000 miles (that COULD perhaps be 1,000 BA miles, ultimately... http://www.flyertalk.com/forum/smile.gif ).
========================
While you may not have a Northwest WorldPerks account, & may not necessarily see the "use" of having one @ this point, I'd recommend a quick hop over to nwa.com to create a WorldPerks account, if you don't already have one--if you do so by 7/31, & use the promo code ADVO in the "source code" field of the WorldPerks enrollment form, it'll result in an automatic deposit of 2,500 miles into your account. The reason I recommend this is not only due to the 2,500 miles being "irresistible" http://www.flyertalk.com/forum/smile.gif, but also because of the reciprocal relationship that exists between NW & Continental. I don't know if your Continental miles are from Membership Rewards conversions, or from flight miles & bonuses (or perhaps a mix of all three), but if you happen to ever fly Continental, & if on a non-award flight, you can use WorldPerks miles to upgrade to FC, technically. FYI, there's also a WorldPerks promo currently running in which you can obtain 1,000 miles for registering your email address re: promotional mailings (they don't spam you...you'd get something once & occasionally twice per week).
If you don't decide to take advantage of the AA 20 partners promo, I'd transfer the ClickMiles to a Starwood account--& ASAP (rumors abound regarding the longevity of the ClickRewards program)--BUT FIRST, I'd attempt to get your Starwood account reinstated (specifically the Starpoints that were in it). It's my understanding that by default, the CSRs on the front line are allowed to reinstate 50% of the points that were in the account @ the time it was closed. Do you know how long ago the account was closed (if you don't, they'll have it on record & can provide the info)? I'd make a very polite plea to have the entire amount reinstated. When you obtain a verdict, the account should be reactivated within 24 hours--I'd recommend a transfer/import of any remaining ClickMiles (for 3 reasons).
I'd then recommend getting a Starwood AmEx card. As PG mentioned, you have the benefit of being able to obtain a 5,000 mile bonus for a transfer of 20,000 Starpoints (note: as a transfer in a single block, not as a kind of cumulative transfer ~threshold value obtained over time). Note also that there are some terrific bonus point perks associated w/ the card during the first year as a cardholder. FYI, Starwood's Free Fridays & Free Saturdays promos have been a huge hit (redeem free nights practically anywhere during the redemption period), & have been available multiple times in a year. In addition, the Starwood SPG program does not have blackout dates or capacity controls for award redemption. Starwood also tends to have various Hawaii property-specific promos.
With Starpoints, you would have the flexibility to top of accounts in any of ~30 different FF programs, or keep the points for hotel awards (FYI: you can use Starpoints to upgrade to a suite, obtain a 50% discount [from rack rate], etc.).
Lastly, if you ARE able to get all of your 2000 original Starpoints reinstated, you'd be @ the minimum threshold level for executing a transfer to FF account (if memory serves--I think the level is 2000 & not 2500 re: if non-elite). If you obtained Gold status (available for free, including its being available w/ the Starwood AmEx card), you could transfer @ the 1,500 Starpoints level.
========================
MEMBERSHIP REWARDS -&- HHONORS
You mentioned that your company switched to AmEx (sans Membership Rewards). I assume you still have a Membership Rewards account (or you wouldn't have received the targetted promo re: Delta transfer) -- if the account isn't dormant, & doesn't require a "reactivation" (which can take time), & depending on how many AmEx MR points you have available, I'd seriously consider transferring some MR points into your DL account (particularly if you happen to have 50,000 MR points available, given the near 30% bonus that is achieved @ that tier).
Even though you wouldn't see the bonus miles post for a few months, the DL miles could be shuttled off into your HHonors account (w/ a 1:2 conversion)--IF you end up needing them--& you could count on the DL account ultimately being "refurnished". Given that you have many extra DL miles (i.e. more than enough to cover 2 free coach trips to Hawaii), you should still be fine re: DL miles, even if you ultimately moved some to the Hilton account.
If you hear of another HHonors 50k promo, get ready to jump on it. There are usually posts in the Hilton forum of this board re: most inexpensive hotels for which to book a stay (i.e. particularly if planning to be a no-show [& hopefully still get charged]). FYI, another advantage to getting the 4 stays in during the same quarter = obtaining a threshold bonus (4,000 points).
You likely already take advantage of the HHonors profile update reality, but I thought I'd mention such, just in case (re: 1,000 HHonors points each update, 2 updates "allowed" per quarter).
========================
TELECOMM provider
Who is your long distance provider @ home?
I completely understand your reluctance to even venture down this path re: the grief many have enduring wresting miles from a telecomm company.
But, it's worth @ least considering re: those options that are available to you w/ whatever telecomm provider you currently use.
(So, which is it? http://www.flyertalk.com/forum/smile.gif )
(Oh, & BTW, have you been w/ them a long time, by chance? [I'm asking for a specific reason (one that involves strategy, of course http://www.flyertalk.com/forum/smile.gif ])
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DINERS CLUB
You mentioned that your DC card was originally a corporate card, & you now have a personal card.
IF you happened to not be allowed to earn DC CR points w/ your corporate DC card:
Although you didn't obtain the 24,000 points sign-up bonus (I'm concluding, re: the personal card), you STILL can, technically. First, I would recommend obtaining the DC referral code of someone from FlyerTalk, & have it handy--make the call to DC, but don't mention anything about a referral (yet). Your first priority would be obtaining the 24,000 points--if they grant it, you can then simply respond immediately w/ a word of gratitude & perhaps right then begin "innocently" providing a referral code of the person who "referred" you to the Club Rewards program (& your "incentive" to go w/ a personal DC card, despite "not knowing" of the Club Rewards program re: the restriction which was associated w/ your DC corporate card).
IF you were allowed to earn DC CR points w/ your corporate DC card:
Go for a "retention" bonus. Review the various retention bonus threads in the Diners Club forum of this board. NOTE: even if you were allowed to earn DC CR points w/ the corporate card, if you were never given a sign-up bonus, I'd push for obtaining such as your "retention bonus" (FYI, the rationale used to grant a particular retention bonus request, to keep a particular DC cardholder when the cardholder asked for his first retention bonus--after being a cardholder for many years--was expressed as it being due to the cardholder not having previously received a sign-up bonus [which he was ultimately granted (*)]).
*see MIKESILV's post in the following thread:
http://www.flyertalk.com/forum/Forum70/HTML/000253.html
They are apparently given some latitude if they think you're going to split.
I'd go for the full 24,000 points.
And then get ready to start referring! Typical referral bonus = 6000 points, but an upcoming promo bumps that up to 10000 points.
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MARRIOTT REWARDS
You've got your eye on an award stay @ a specific Hawaiian property (re: Marriott), right? You'll be going to Hawaii again in 2 years, yes? Well, if you go w/ a Hilton award this year, you've got ~2 years to beef up the Marriott account...& there will be various promos to perhaps take advantage of, or perhaps AA miles to "sacrifice" through an AA->DC->MR laundering process, etc.
Given that you would like to book this year's award stay in Hawaii for use in early November, it would seem that the most cost-effective (& least "painful") conversion &/or expenditure required to bump up an existing frequent stay account would be to try & ramp up the HHonors account--& resort to a mileage transfer/conversion, if necessary.
Mary2e
Jul 31, 01, 8:00 am
WOW ~ ask a question around here & you REALLY get an answer :}}}
Seriously, thanks to all who responded. My years of lurking around here confirmed the fact that you're all a really good bunch of people, willing to help anyone. Well, almost anyone ~ as long as they behave themselves :}}}.
Again, seriously. The amount of effort that everyone has expended to help me figure out the best way to go is simply mind boggling. Thank you, thank you, thank you.
I'm going to sit back & try to digest all of this stuff, and get back to all of you.