Jan 23, 2017, 12:30 pm
1.3 is conversion rate to Mileageplan
Dec 22, 2016, 1:19 pm
#61
Join Date: Mar 2016
Location: Preferably waiting for takeoff
Programs: AA EXP, MVPG, DL Silver, United Silver, Accor Platinum, Marriott Ambassador
Posts: 458
Dec 22, 2016, 1:46 pm
#62
Suspended
Join Date: Oct 2016
Posts: 187
Yea very good deal but are there really any worthwhile Cat 5 hotels?
Dec 22, 2016, 8:10 pm
#63
Join Date: Feb 2004
Location: Just off the Main Line
Programs: AA Lifetime PLT 2MM, DL Lifetime GM 2MM, Bonvoy Lifetime Titanium Elite, HH Diamond, IHG Amb Diamond
Posts: 881
My thoughts exactly. It's very rare that I might want to stay in the same hotel for 7 nights and the chances of it being a Cat 5 or below - zero. The value of points to me is the higher end Marriott, Ritz, Autograph, etc.
Dec 22, 2016, 11:47 pm
#64
Join Date: Jan 2014
Programs: Amtrak Guest Rewards (SE), Virgin America Elevate, Hyatt Gold Passport (Platinum), VIA Preference
Posts: 3,134
I think the point is that 90,000 SPG points converted out to airline miles would kick out 110,000 miles. While this would then convert to about 143k AS miles via the 1.3 ratio, I guess the question is whether you'd have an extra 23k AS miles or five hotel nights. The hotels might not be awesome ones, but in this case what you have is an opportunity cost question in which YMMV.
Dec 22, 2016, 11:55 pm
#65
Suspended
Join Date: Oct 2016
Posts: 187
I agree with YMMV. But Governator brings up a good point in that the travel package requires you stay in the same hotel for 7 straight nights. And since there aren't really worthwhile hotels in prime locations, it makes it very difficult to stay in that hotel for that period of time.
Dec 23, 2016, 1:27 am
#66
Join Date: Jan 2014
Programs: Amtrak Guest Rewards (SE), Virgin America Elevate, Hyatt Gold Passport (Platinum), VIA Preference
Posts: 3,134
True. I could circumstantially justify it in Florida (you have two hotels out in Kissimmee) or if I was using a suburban hotel in Atlanta for DragonCon. For me the failure point is that I don't recall the last time I spent more than 2-3 nights anywhere.
Dec 23, 2016, 8:42 am
#69
Join Date: Mar 2014
Posts: 546
If you transfer from SPG directly, you wouldn't transfer 90K SPG points. To maximize transfer bonus, you'd transfer 80K points to receive 100K VX points (or 130K AS miles). The alternative is to transfer 90K points to Marriott and purchase a travel package for 120K AS miles plus 7 nights in a cat 1-5 hotel. So the trade-off for the alternative is that you'd spend an extra 10K SPG points and get 10K fewer AS miles for a 7-night stays in a cat 1-5 hotel. Is the 7-night stay worth 10K SPG + 10K AS miles? Personally I prefer direct transfer from SPG because I already have too many these 7-night stay certificates for the next year.
Dec 23, 2016, 8:52 am
#70
Join Date: Mar 2014
Posts: 546
BTW, those 7-night certificates can be upgraded to stays at higher category hotels for additional Marriott points. They can also be refunded (before they expire) if you don't use them. They'd be treated as cat 1 hotel certificates (7.5K per day for 6 days) for refund purpose. So you'll receive 45K Marriott points (or 15K SPG points).
If you're not going to use the hotel certificate, the economics boils down to 80K SPG points for 130K AS miles (in a direct transfer to VX) or 75K SPG points for 120K AS miles (in an indirect transfer via Marriott). The former is slightly better (5K SPG points to 10K AS miles) in that scenario.
If you're not going to use the hotel certificate, the economics boils down to 80K SPG points for 130K AS miles (in a direct transfer to VX) or 75K SPG points for 120K AS miles (in an indirect transfer via Marriott). The former is slightly better (5K SPG points to 10K AS miles) in that scenario.
Last edited by tth6133; Dec 23, 2016 at 9:20 am
Dec 23, 2016, 12:24 pm
#71
Join Date: Nov 2013
Location: LAX, LGB, SNA
Programs: AA EXP OWE, DL DM ST+, AS MVPG, UA, BA, WN CP, Hyatt E, Ritz Plat, HH GM
Posts: 3,185
I prefer to call the Marriott transfer the bundle offer. It's better value, but there's almost no chance I would stay in any hotel for 7 days straight.
Dec 23, 2016, 5:34 pm
#73
Join Date: Jan 2014
Programs: Amtrak Guest Rewards (SE), Virgin America Elevate, Hyatt Gold Passport (Platinum), VIA Preference
Posts: 3,134
I think discussing valid uses of points in the context of a messy merger situation is not unreasonable, especially as the differences are really exclusively down to the merger.
Dec 23, 2016, 7:12 pm
#74
Suspended
Join Date: Oct 2016
Posts: 187
Concur. This thread specifically relates to the conversion and how to best take advantage of it. Every post thus far has been related to that topic.