Welcome to FlyerTalk!

FWIW, I usually take other's analyses on these things with a grain of salt, because the comparison is often very individualized. That aside, I don't know off hand of a chart anywhere that does a bare bones comparison. I think it'd be awfully tricky.

The big hotel programs talked about here most often seem to be Starwood and Hilton HHonors. I am an HHonors die hard because of the credit cards and the extensive inventory of properties, as well as the ability to transfer miles to points. Others are Starwood diehards because of their excellent credit card (Amex), the availability of award stays, and the ability to transfer points to miles.

Just that information alone is enough to confuse the comparison issue: points to miles, miles to points, credit card spending as a factor in earnings. And if you're using your credit card at the properties, that rakes in even more points which is very important to your comparison.

And on the redemption side, you should be aware of the HHonors VIP awards which discount a 6 night stay. 40K points per night at Hilton Hawaii resorts, but 6 nights is only 175K or <30K per night.

You could probably do your own comparison in a few hours. If you do so, please post your results. I, for one, am always interested in seeing a new angle on things.


[This message has been edited by Rut Dog (edited 07-19-2003).]