Converting Hotel Reward Points to BAEC
Jun 21, 2016, 9:55 am
#1
Original Poster
Join Date: Jun 2013
Location: ABZ
Programs: BAEC Gold, IHG Gold
Posts: 204
Converting Hotel Reward Points to BAEC
Any opinions on converting around 20000 ihg reward points and the same number of Hilton Honour points to BAEC avios with the current 35% bonus offer?
Any thoughts gratefully received, thanks.
Any thoughts gratefully received, thanks.
Jun 21, 2016, 12:05 pm
#2
Join Date: Sep 2006
Location: Manchester, UK
Programs: BA Silver, Amex Platinum, IHG Diamond Ambassador
Posts: 333
Jun 21, 2016, 4:16 pm
#3
FlyerTalk Evangelist
Join Date: Aug 2011
Location: Barcelona, London, on a plane
Programs: BA Silver, TK E+, AA PP, Hyatt Globalist, Marriott LT Plat, Hilton Diamond
Posts: 13,043
If you don't ever plan to need free hotel nights and those points are about to expire, then by all means convert those points to Avios.
Otherwise 20K IHG will convert to 5400 Avios. (1 or 2 free nights is more valuable to me than 5400 Avios)
20K HHonors will convert to 2700 Avios. Again, you can probably manage a low category free night from HHonors, or a Points & Money award.
The only hotel point conversion options that make any sense are SPG and a Marriott Hotel + Air package.
Otherwise 20K IHG will convert to 5400 Avios. (1 or 2 free nights is more valuable to me than 5400 Avios)
20K HHonors will convert to 2700 Avios. Again, you can probably manage a low category free night from HHonors, or a Points & Money award.
The only hotel point conversion options that make any sense are SPG and a Marriott Hotel + Air package.
Jun 21, 2016, 7:47 pm
#4
FlyerTalk Evangelist
Join Date: Dec 2004
Programs: CX Green, QF Platinum, BAEC Silver, Hyatt Glob
Posts: 10,780
Raffles is running an article on it tomorrow morning.
http://www.headforpoints.com
http://www.headforpoints.com
http://www.headforpoints.com/2016/06...sfer-to-avios/
Jun 21, 2016, 9:36 pm
#5
FlyerTalk Evangelist
Join Date: Jun 2012
Programs: BA Gold, QF WP
Posts: 12,551
What value do you place on 20k IHG/HH points?
What value do you place on 5.4k/2.7k avios?
Jun 21, 2016, 9:41 pm
#6
Join Date: Aug 2002
Location: YYZ
Programs: BA Gold/Marriott Gold/HH Diamond/IC Plat Amba
Posts: 5,989
The value I place on hotel points and AMEX MR are the flexibility. Once you convert them to Avios you are locked in. Personally I already have too many Avios and like to keep my options open for converting to other airlines for an F redemption for example.
Jun 21, 2016, 9:46 pm
#7
Join Date: Feb 2011
Posts: 5,797
I have about 500k IHG points. It just doesn't make sense to give up at the very least a full week in any hotel in the group for just 135,000 Avios.
I also find IHG points far easier to redeem.
Jun 21, 2016, 10:41 pm
#8
Join Date: Jan 2005
Programs: BA Gold, AA Lifetime Gold 1.8mm, IC Spire Ambassador, Hilton Diamond, SPG Gold et al
Posts: 4,350
The widely held view of these conversions is that they can be useful as a top-up tool to for a specific redemption but they almost never make sense just to boost an existing balance. As far as Hilton & IHG points are concerned, that rule is particularly applicable because, even with a bonus, they represent poor value for most.
Jun 22, 2016, 12:19 am
#9
Community Director
Join Date: Jan 2009
Location: Norwich, UK
Programs: A3*G, BA Gold, BD Gold (in memoriam), IHG Diamond Ambassador
Posts: 8,476
I'm in a position where I'm relatively Avios poor (about 400k in a household account) but fairly IHG points rich (in excess of 1.1m once the current earning promotion ends in August). Even though I'm really not sure I'm ever going to be able to burn all my IHG miles given I generally earn quicker than I spend at the moment, the offer still doesn't really make sense - I have no immediate plans for a large Avios redemption, and I generally find IHG points easy to redeem if I happen to want to stay in an expensive city.
I suspect there are very few people that will find this offer attractive when they do the analysis.
I suspect there are very few people that will find this offer attractive when they do the analysis.
Jun 22, 2016, 12:43 am
#10
Join Date: Feb 2011
Posts: 5,797
Jun 22, 2016, 4:12 am
#11
Original Poster
Join Date: Jun 2013
Location: ABZ
Programs: BAEC Gold, IHG Gold
Posts: 204
Really useful replies there, thanks.
I'll stick with the individual hotel programmes, as it would seem to be the better option for my needs.
I used a few IHG points for a night in HEL recently on a TP run, which was good value and will do the same in MIA later this year.
Thanks again.
I'll stick with the individual hotel programmes, as it would seem to be the better option for my needs.
I used a few IHG points for a night in HEL recently on a TP run, which was good value and will do the same in MIA later this year.
Thanks again.