flyguy00

Since this covers a few hits, i think best practices (and cheapest) ways to do swapping and sharing in points.com into DM is good to have. Any recommendations?

dcpatti

An actual swap on points.com will only be usable for one hit. The buy/share/gift hits will be processed through points.com but count separately. However, if you have CO miles and Amtrak points for example, you can transfer them both to US but only one will count as a hit.

Since there are so many combinations, the answer to "what's the best and cheapest" will depend on what you already have. Many of these programs have high minimums to transfer, unlike past years when 4 CO miles would get you one Hit.

I would start by registering ALL your programs with Points.com which is the only way you will see the full details and restrictions on transfers on each swapping partner, then see if the ones you currently hold in sufficient quantity are worth transfering for the hit, and how you can load up cheaply to get the hit across.

For reference, CO and PC are 10k minimum and Audience Rewards is 2500 points.

Shanye2233

For Anyone who can be bothered I got a free 2500 AA miles from the mistake desktop chargers.

Can I use these AA miles to transfer to US DM for a free hit? Or exchange them into a hotel program then into DM ?

Exiled in Express

That was my swap last year, 31 AA became 1 US mile and a hit. I have not checked the current exchange rates but with 2500 miles you should have plenty.

beltway

EDIT: As of 10/7/11, posters in this thread have suggested the following mechanisms for transfering into a Dividend Miles account from points.com:

• 4 American Airlines miles -> 1 US Airways mile
  • AA account must contain a minimum of 25,000 miles (or user must have Platinum or Exec Plat AA status), although transfering only 4 is fine
• 4 Asia Miles -> 1 US Airways mile
  • can be done as a round-trip transfer: 10 US miles -> 4 Asia miles -> 1 US mile
• 3 Best Buy points -> 1 US Airways mile
• 13 S&H Greenpoints -> 1 US Airways mile
  • can be done as a round-trip transfer: 8 US miles -> 13 S&H points -> 1 US mile; reportedly goes through each way with no delays, unlike some other options (such as AA)
• 10,000 Priority Club points -> 1,000 US Airways miles
  • obviously not a very cheap hit
• 3 Amex Membership Rewards points -> 1 US Airways mile
• 1001 Frontier miles -> 184 US Airways miles
  • minimum amount for outbound Frontier transfer
• 4 Continental miles -> 1 US Airways mile option rescinded sometime after 9/20/11; now requires minimum transfer of 10,000 CO miles (for 2500 US miles, a very poor exchange)

bryanwallace

and 1 dm will work ?!

ingenious!

Shanye2233

moo-moo

I'm planning on using phonehog at 1:1. I know from past experience that this site has a lot of problems interacting and swapping through points.com. I did manage to get a hit out of it 2 years ago.

Backup plan is to use BBRZ at 3:1 and lastly if all else fails I'll drain my Frontier balance which has a 1001 mile minimum.

debwany24

you can open an Asia miles account and register it on points.com.... then exchange 10 us airways miles to that account (10 DM = 4 Asia miles) then exchange the 4 Asia miles for 1 DM....that'll get you a hit

flyguy00

Ahh so what exactly is the difference between "share miles" (via points.com) and "swap" miles through points.com. As per rules, these are two separate hits.

Exiled in Express

Swap miles is better states as exchange miles, you are taking one currency, (AA, F9, CO miles, Phonehog) and exchanging for US miles with quite a steep conversion loss. No money involved.

Sharing miles takes US miles from your account and placing them in another person's US account. No miles are lost and likely some will be created, this has a financial cost though.

louie-m

"Share miles" means transferring US miles to another US DM accountholder (one hit for both of you), "swap miles" means transferring third party miles to yourself via points.com.

(Beaten to it by EiE!)

flyguy00

Got it, thanks! Buying and sharing are probably mostly going to be done through US Airways and swapping is done through points.com.

pavemental

Looks like points.com will let me transfer 3 Best buy points to 1 US Airways Dividend Miles, or 4 American Airlines points to 1 1 US Airways Dividend Miles. Pretty cheap ways to get a hit, no? I don't see anything about minimum transfers in order to record one hit.

bryanwallace

how does the buying /gifting miles work-can you use any credit card or can only the person whose name is on the credit card used receive the hit>>>

separate from above but i also noted that when you share miles both accts get the hit which is interesting(!) but how do you do it on points.com? i cant see it there only buying and exchangin..
wonder if this is less than the 40$ min for us