American Express Membership Rewards - Points Usage Advice

Hi all! Love the forums and finally posting for the first time.

So admittedly this is a good problem to have, but I thought I might as well throw this out there and see if anyone has any insight on this. Anyhow, my business has expanded significantly and our points have really started to pile up (spend over $350k a month on our centurion card) and I am trying to brainstorm the best usage of these points.

I have been using them on airline and hotel stays but unfortunately don't have the time to travel exotically and really get some serious travel usage from them. I had used them the pretty solid shopping partners for gift cards at Restoration hardware, pottery barn, home depot etc. for gifts and to furnish the house, but there's really only so much I could buy or needed.

So recently I had been trying to use the points at the hotel properties partners that MR has, like a Penthouse Suite at Bellagio for 80k points or a suite at Trump Int'l in NYC for 100k points, the sort of rooms that I would never justify paying for with real money, but felt fine using points for.

My travel concierge however recommended that I go ahead and use the card for these hotel charges and then just transfer the points to actually pay a portion of the bill with MR points, as the net points cost would be cheaper and I would have unlimited rooming/flight options. Does anyone have any experience with doing this? I guess its logical but sort of ruins the 'magic' for me of splurging with points -- it feels a lot more like real money this way! But maybe I am just being silly...

Love to hear any thoughts or advice for me!

Mike

1) How can you get a suite at Bellagio for 80,000 points?

2) Seems to me that would beat the .5% conversion rate for paying your bill with points afterwards.

If the arithmetic actually works out, which seems improbable at $0.005 or even $0.01 per point, I would prefer to do as the concierge suggests and check in to a hotel as a paying guest rather than someone using a certificate.

you might want to get a diners club as well. that would allow flights on BA, and transfers to Hyatt. (and you could earn AA and Hyatt lifetime status, if those would benefit you at all)

and a starwood card, while you would have to make multiple payments a month, would give you some pretty nice options as well, like suites at st regis properties for 40K points, and nights+flights awards where you get 18-20K bonus frequent flyer miles when you use them. plus a 1.25 mile per dollar ratio in general. unfortunately it doesnt seem like a lot of properties allow redemption for say presidential suite, etc. that would have let you burn even more.

one other redemption option with amex = private jet card, i think netjets

<<could earn ... Hyatt lifetime status>>

My understanding is that Hyatt lifetime Diamond status is awarded for 1,000,000 base points only. Do you have reason to believe that points transferred from Diners are treated as base points, which are otherwise earned only by staying at Hyatt, five per dollar?

1) How can you get a suite at Bellagio for 80,000 points?

2) Seems to me that would beat the .5% conversion rate for paying your bill with points afterwards.

As a MR hotel property, there are several suites available, regular room = 30k points, Bellagio Suite = 50k I think and Penthouse suite =80k points (the name of the suite is a bit deceiving, it isn't like "the" penthouse, its about a 1500sf room on the top floors etc. There are far nicer suites around (MGM skylofts I want to try, the Cypress suite at Bellagio which is the rounded room in the very middle of Bellagio with the best fountain views etc.) , which is why I was thinking it really opens my options. Plus, paying for a suite with dollars versus points gives me the breakfast/spa credit, the airport limo pickup, etc.

Now I am confused however. I was under the impression that transferring points to pay down your bill like Amex suggested was at the rate 1 pt = $.01 (versus say getting cash back which is half that)? Is this incorrect? If this is right then the logic works because the Bellagio Suite for 80k points equates to $800 of bill, and for $800 i can get a nicer suite than the Bellagio Suite.

Has anybody ever used or heard of using MR points for flight credit with netjets? That could be a treat!

As a MR hotel property, there are several suites available, regular room = 30k points, Bellagio Suite = 50k I think and Penthouse suite =80k points (the name of the suite is a bit deceiving, it isn't like "the" penthouse, its about a 1500sf room on the top floors etc. There are far nicer suites around (MGM skylofts I want to try, the Cypress suite at Bellagio which is the rounded room in the very middle of Bellagio with the best fountain views etc.) , which is why I was thinking it really opens my options. Plus, paying for a suite with dollars versus points gives me the breakfast/spa credit, the airport limo pickup, etc.

Now I am confused however. I was under the impression that transferring points to pay down your bill like Amex suggested was at the rate 1 pt = $.01 (versus say getting cash back which is half that)? Is this incorrect? If this is right then the logic works because the Bellagio Suite for 80k points equates to $800 of bill, and for $800 i can get a nicer suite than the Bellagio Suite.

Has anybody ever used or heard of using MR points for flight credit with netjets? That could be a treat!

I don't see the suite rewards you reference on the MR site. Are they undocumented?

As far as the statement credit goes, there was a thread here 2 weeks ago that said it's .005 per point.

...under the impression that transferring points to pay down your bill like Amex suggested was at the rate 1 pt = $.01 (versus say getting cash back which is half that)?

A statement credit is the same as cash to American Express, see below. The exception is if you purchase an airline ticket from the American Express website and redeem points to offset the charge at the $0.01 rate. Of course the arrangement could be different for Centurion cardholders, I would ask the individual who suggested it.


About Cash Rewards

Q: What is a cash reward?

A: You can convert Membership Rewards points into a cash credit on the billing statement of the American Express Consumer or Small Business Card of your choice, provided it is enrolled in your Membership Rewards account. To convert points into a cash credit, click here.

Q: If I request a cash reward, when will it be applied to my monthly billing statement?

A: Cash rewards are generally applied to the Card account you choose between 48 and 72 business hours from when you request it.

Q: How many points are needed to request a cash reward?

A: Membership Rewards points can be redeemed for a cash reward at a rate of $100 per 20,000 points. You must have at least 20,000 points available to request a cash reward.

Has anybody ever used or heard of using MR points for flight credit with netjets? That could be a treat!

Close...

http://www.membershiprewards.com/catalog/partners/premiumpartner.aspx?brandName=private+jet+rewards

argh, link not working. wants me to login.

thank you for pointing that out, i have no idea what base points are :D thats too bad if transferring doesn't work.

maybe centurion allows 1% for all travel instead of just air?

bellagio penthouse suites are terrible compared to skylofts.

skyloft 1BR=$600 2BR=$1200 3BR=$6500 FHR gets you one-cat upgrades if available too, maybe confirmed with cent

personally, i would look at villas if i were you. prices i seem to have deleted off my computer, but IIRC >

Bellagio 3BR with outdoor area and pool - $6K (also have 2BR $?)
Wynn 2BR with pool overlooking golf course - $2400
Mansion 1BR with indoor pool - $5K

the Bellagio and Mansion both have fine art on the walls, and the Mansion has a number of common areas.

In common with most other loyalty programs base points are those earned by actually purchasing the product or service, excluding all bonuses, partner credits, or transfers. Stays at Hyatt earn five base points per dollar; to earn 1,000,000 base points requires spending $200,000 regardless of any other sources or types of points. I believe one must also have been a Gold Passport member for a minimum of ten years.

huh.. but the only other program where status is based on points not stays/nights i know of is priority club, and they allow you to transfer for status.

the 10 year thing is correct.

Hilton awards status on base points.

Diamond VIP Membership

To Qualify: During any consecutive 12-month period you'll need to complete 28 qualifying* stays or 60 qualifying* nights at participating HHonors hotels. You'll earn Diamond VIP status after earning 100,000 Base points in any consecutive 12-month period. Of course, you can still qualify based on your number of qualifying stays or nights.

thanks

So, does anyone know where I can find more info on the 80kpoint suite reward at Bellagio?

its not really an award.

he is redeeming 80,000 membership reward points to pay for an $800 rate.

(to have it counted as paid on his credit card statement)

its not really an award.

he is redeeming 80,000 membership reward points to pay for an $800 rate.

(to have it counted as paid on his credit card statement)

I looked at Bellagio suites for last weekend and they were much more than $800. Plus, it would be 160,000 points to pay for an $800 room.

I don't see the suite rewards you reference on the MR site. Are they undocumented?

As far as the statement credit goes, there was a thread here 2 weeks ago that said it's .005 per point.

The different suite options and point prices aren't listed online, but I just called MR up and asked what room or suite options they had (they also have a few options at Four Seasons and a few suites at MGM as well).

its not really an award.

he is redeeming 80,000 membership reward points to pay for an $800 rate.

(to have it counted as paid on his credit card statement)

Actually, it is an award... Separately I am looking options like you mention (paying normally and paying down the bill accordingly), but the Bellagio suites are pure rewards rooms.

The different suite options and point prices aren't listed online, but I just called MR up and asked what room or suite options they had (they also have a few options at Four Seasons and a few suites at MGM as well).

whoa!

How about so that we all don't bombard the MR line and end up making each other wait: One of us volunteers to call and report the award levels and room types?

It's certainly a high class problem to have so many points that you can't use them all.

Obviously the best use is for travel. If you can't use any more for that, I would suggest either a) get a cash rebate card for some of the spending (you can never have too much cash), or b) 'sell' the points for somewhere between the .5 cents statement credit value and the 1.0 cents travel credit value. Do you know people who would like to buy FF miles at .75 cents/mile?

I Do you know people who would like to buy FF miles at .75 cents/mile?

I do :) And I think RLG might too ;)

So i just got off the phone with MR... Apparently for travel related charges you can pay your bill down at 1 point = $.01, which is terrific. You just fax them the bill with the charges circled that you want to pay with points and they take care of it. Not sure if this is a Centurion benefit or just a slightly different process but this really opens the doors on things...

For example, even if the cost of a room in this manner is the same as using a room certificate with points, you get more from the hotel by paying directly with Amex rather than using points directly for the room, like airport limo pickup, late checkout, breakfast credits, etc.

Plus sometimes the point values stink; I used 100k points for a suite at Trump Int'l in NYC. But for $1000 there are better hotel rooms I could have used! Yippee!

maybe centurion allows 1% for all travel instead of just air?

Not sure, but I booked with american express travel, and was able to redeem membership rewards points towards the trip at $0.0085 each. IE, 100,000 points gets you $850 off your trip. Much better than the $0.005 statement credit option.

Close...

http://www.membershiprewards.com/catalog/partners/premiumpartner.aspx?brandName=private+jet+rewards

Redeem points toward your next private jet flight: Value received toward purchase $5,000 $10,000 $15,000 $20,000
Points required 384,000 768,000 1,152,000 1,536,000

At $0.0013/MR point, the numbers actually aren't terrible. Of course, it assumes that you want to invest in private jet service instead of commercial service. Depending on how you are doing your redemptions (F on long-hauls) you can get much higher value if you work at it. My RTW in J was only 220K points, and that sells for ~$5-6K, so that's definitely a better deal from a value perspective.

There are also R/T tix on eos (85K points) and a 12 month lease on a Lamborghini Gallardo for 9.5 or 10.5MM points, depending on whether you want the convertible model or not.

S.

EOS tix for 85K?? awesome news, thats a great deal!

why dont they have this stuff online? sigh..

the lease seems high.. .01 would be $100K ? the car doesnt cost more than $250K does it?

The EOS offer is online, but not listed under Airlines and it doesn't come up using the search function :confused: . Instead look for "First Collection", which loads a separate Flash display divided into Jewelry, Watches, Lifestyle and Travel.

So, nobody has found out about these suite rewards yet?

So, nobody has found out about these suite rewards yet?

I'm calling now.

I'm calling now.

Started new thread for this:

http://www.flyertalk.com/forums/showthread.php?t=616273

http://www.membershiprewards.com/catalog/partners/luxury.aspx
collection mia was talking about ^

Bombardier FLEXJET(fractional card) or SKYJET(charter or charter card)
Redeem points toward your next private jet flight:
Value received toward purchase
$5,000 384,000
$10,000 768,000
$15,000 1,152,000
$20,000 1,536,000

FLEXJET is also what their fractional ownership program falls under. i wonder if you can save up MR and buy one..

EOS
Companion ticket 50,000
$500 RT cert 45,000
RT 85,000

no specifications on what advance it is, so i would presume its a fully flexible ticket!

unrestricted - $6850
7 day advance - $5700
21 day advance - $4200
42 day advance - $3150

85,000 for $6850 ticket! its similar value per point as international F using miles ^

holy..

just called and talked to MR.

EOS tix are indeed unrestricted.

$6850 - 85000 - save $6850

2x $500 RT certs - 90000 + $1000 - save a whopping $12700