American Express Membership Rewards - What are MR points good for?

I got my centurion card using the Starwood preferred card. Starpoints are very useful and convert well to miles. Now that I have the Centurion card, I find that I don't know what to use the membership reward points for. They convert more poorly than the Starpoints did. Why would AMEX have their top card earn points that are inferior to another card they offer?

Probably the best deal is to convert them to Virgin Atlantic points.

What's the conversion rate? I wish I could do the same to Virgin America. I've never had a destination that Virgin Atlantic was an appropriate carrier for.

The value of Starpoints is set by Starwood, not by American Express. Airline transfer ratios are a feature of the Starwood Preferred Guest program, and have nothing to do with the credit card. In the USA the SPG credit card just happens to be issued by American Express.

If Starwood Preferred Guest is a better program for your purposes, use the SPG card. However, if you need Continental OnePass miles you will find that Membership Rewards is better, and if you need (for example) CO, DL, VS miles you will know see that Membership Rewards transfers instantly, versus several days or longer from Starwood.

The value of Starpoints is set by Starwood, not by American Express. Airline transfer ratios are a feature of the Starwood Preferred Guest program, and have nothing to do with the credit card. In the USA the SPG credit card just happens to be issued by American Express.

If Starwood Preferred Guest is a better program for your purposes, use the SPG card. However, if you need Continental OnePass miles you will find that Membership Rewards is better, and if you need (for example) CO, DL, VS miles you will know see that Membership Rewards transfers instantly, versus several days or longer from Starwood.

Wow, thanks for the info. Idiotic question, but what is DL and VS? Also, I wish I could opt-in to accruing starpoints instead of MW points with my centurion card. But the instant transfer is a nice benefit. I just got bit by the waiting period, and now I have a bunch of NWA miles that I don't have a use for!

Probably the best deal is to convert them to Virgin Atlantic points.

There is one, yes, exactly one, award for which Flying Club is the best program.

If you're not after that ONE award - you are throwing your miles (and your money) down the crapper by transferring to VS.

CO= Continental Airlines DL = Delta Airlines VS = Virgin Atlantic Airlines.

Membership Rewards points convert 1:1 to all of the airlines listed here...

http://www.membershiprewards.com/catalog/travel/NewPointsTransfer.aspx?tab=airlines&mrnavlink=topnav:TravelFreqFlyerProg

MR rocks - but I like it soo much because of the instant transfers. No risk involved.

SPG is generally a better program - but I like the features of the charge cards (particularly Cent) much more than the credit cards.

But, from MR itself, what are you trying to do?

Please use them for air travel - anything else is, relatively speaking, a huge waste.

We know our stuff here: if you post a particular routing/carrier/class of service you want, we will tell you how best to obtain it - and likely even chime in with better alternatives.

I found this site by accident the other day, and so far I've been loving it. Lots of people like me here, only way more experienced and smarter about saving $$!

Please use them for air travel - anything else is, relatively speaking, a huge waste.

I don't know. Personally, I'm saving them up for the Sub-Orbital flight from Space Adventures (http://www.membershiprewards.com/catalog/partners/premiumpartner.aspx?brandId=4592).:p

In all seriousness, MR is great for topping up to airlines instantly, as indicated. I have my business platinum card mostly for all the other benefits not related to the rewards scheme, and I use other cards to earn points. You could do the same with your Centurion: hang on to it for the benefits, but use the Starwood Amex for actual spending and point accumulation.

I found this site by accident the other day, and so far I've been loving it. Lots of people like me here, only way more experienced and smarter about saving $$!

Firstly, welcome to FT and the Amex forum, tangfish!

Having a Centurion Card is not really about saving money for most people. In any case, to really advice you we actually need to know in which country you are located. The US, UK, German, Australian etc. Centurion Cards have very different features, earning rates and partners.

The Amex SPG card is indeed one of the best cards out there for free nights in great hotels and airlines transfers. Centurion has similar benefits but also many more which SPG does not have.

There is one, yes, exactly one, award for which Flying Club is the best program.

What is that?

I'm in the US. I definitely spend a decent amount, but I have certainly save much more than the annual fee in the past year with the centurion card.

Firstly, welcome to FT and the Amex forum, tangfish!

Having a Centurion Card is not really about saving money for most people. In any case, to really advice you we actually need to know in which country you are located. The US, UK, German, Australian etc. Centurion Cards have very different features, earning rates and partners.

The Amex SPG card is indeed one of the best cards out there for free nights in great hotels and airlines transfers. Centurion has similar benefits but also many more which SPG does not have.

I've noted before that converting to ANA points for Intra-Asia travel if you need to go through Japan is a great use of MR points.

I got my centurion card using the Starwood preferred card. Starpoints are very useful and convert well to miles. Now that I have the Centurion card, I find that I don't know what to use the membership reward points for. They convert more poorly than the Starpoints did.

Several of us here have both a Centurion card and a Starwood Amex, and put most of our charges on the Starwood card for exactly the reason you allude to: for many people, SPG points are far more valuable than MR points. I think you'll find that you can put the great majority of your spending on the Starwood card and still get the benefits of Centurion. Even features like the FH&R program only require you to a) have a Centurion card, and b) charge the room to *any* Amex product in your name.

What is that?

NZ C, LAX-LHR r/t.

NZ C, LAX-LHR r/t.

Thank you, that is a very good tip. Is there decent availability? Because there sure isn't using UA miles.

Thank you, that is a very good tip. Is there decent availability? Because there sure isn't using UA miles.

Is that better than converting to ANA miles for that trip? Very useful info, if true.

I use my MR points to transfer to *A Air Canada... 100,000 points for an $18,000 round trip Lufthansa First Class SFO-FRA/MUC ticket. ^

Thank you, that is a very good tip. Is there decent availability? Because there sure isn't using UA miles.

Is that better than converting to ANA miles for that trip? Very useful info, if true.

Well, UA never shows on that route. The availability is certainly better, but still not fantastic.

And, yes, far better than ANA for that particular route.

NZ C, LAX-LHR r/t.
Hmm..I'm seeing 100k miles + $616.66 in taxes for LAX-LHR, that doesn't seem to be good deal to me? What am I missing here? :confused:

TIA!

$3688 retail. Not counting taxes, about 3 cents per mile value. What more do you want?

Hmm..I'm seeing 100k miles + $616.66!

It sounds as if you looked at the mileage requirement for a flight operated by Virgin Atlantic (VS), but the suggestion is to redeem Flying Club miles for a flight operated by Air New Zealand (NZ), which requires only 75,000 miles...

http://www.virgin-atlantic.com/en/us/frequentflyer/fcpartners/airlines/airnewzealand.jsp?bfSubmit1.x=15&bfSubmit1.y=10

$3688 retail. Not counting taxes, about 3 cents per mile. What more do you want?

How about 100K & $250 in taxes/fees for $18,000 retail SFO-FRA LH F... about 18 cents per mile not counting taxes?

How about 100K & $250 in taxes/fees for $18,000 retail SFO-FRA LH F... about 18 cents per mile not counting taxes?

I love this game. Too bad the Concorde isn't still flying, you might get it up to $0.25.

It sounds as if you looked at the mileage requirement for a flight operated by Virgin Atlantic (VS), but the suggestion is to redeem Flying Club miles for a flight operated by Air New Zealand (NZ), which requires only 75,000 miles...

http://www.virgin-atlantic.com/en/us/frequentflyer/fcpartners/airlines/airnewzealand.jsp?bfSubmit1.x=15&bfSubmit1.y=10

Or about $.04 per mile. Even better!

It sounds as if you looked at the mileage requirement for a flight operated by Virgin Atlantic (VS), but the suggestion is to redeem Flying Club miles for a flight operated by Air New Zealand (NZ), which requires only 75,000 miles...

http://www.virgin-atlantic.com/en/us/frequentflyer/fcpartners/airlines/airnewzealand.jsp?bfSubmit1.x=15&bfSubmit1.y=10
Thank you! Yes, I was looking at flight operated by VS.

How about 100K & $250 in taxes/fees for $18,000 retail SFO-FRA LH F... about 18 cents per mile not counting taxes?
^That is pretty awesome redemption rate. thanks. :cool:

NZ C, LAX-LHR r/t.

Thank you, that is a very good tip. Is there decent availability? Because there sure isn't using UA miles.

This is generally considered one of the hardest rewards to find. The ANA tool can be used to search but it is a very hard seat to find.

I use my MR points to transfer to *A Air Canada... 100,000 points for an $18,000 round trip Lufthansa First Class SFO-FRA/MUC ticket. ^

Yep, bingo. 100k points for my F trip to Europe. $192 in taxes and fees. Love MR!

How about 100K & $250 in taxes/fees for $18,000 retail SFO-FRA LH F... about 18 cents per mile not counting taxes?

How do you get that?

Im seeing 140k? Can you show me where you see its 100k? Thanks

How do you get that?

Im seeing 140k? Can you show me where you see its 100k? Thanks

Where are you looking? It's definitely 100.

Can you paste a link? I dont know what Im doing/looking wrong. Thanks