OK, so thanks to all for their comments and information. I can now report as follows:

1. Converted 50,000 AP to 57,500 Esso Points via Points.com (no charge, about 24 hours to convert online);

2. Converted 57,500 Esso Extra Points to 34,500 RBC Reward Points via EssoExtra.com (no charge, about 65 hours to convert online);

3. Converted 34,500 RBC Reward Points to 51,750 BA Points via phone call to RBC Rewards (no online conversion available) at a 50% bonus which was available until January 31, 2010, but has reportedly been extended (told by RBC CSR) to March 1, 2010. This took about 24 hours to show up in account but was effected immediately (no charge);

So, the 50,000 original AC points ended up as 51,750 BA points. From what I have reviewed, it will take, for example, 150,000 for a BA F flight, compared to only 120,000 for an AC F flight. Nevertheless, this may be desirable for some.

A couple other notes:

1. Generally allow the suggested 72 hours per conversion, including weekends, although the entire multi-step process may occur faster than that;

2. Esso Extra apparently permits online conversion into another person's RBC Rewards account although there is nothing in their literature that expressly allows or prohibits this. This allowed me to send the converted Esso Extra points into my wife's RBC Avion account until my own RBC Avion card arrived in about 3 weeks;

3. You can link up two separate Esso Extra accounts by printing and faxing in a signed form, but they say this takes up to 3 weeks. This is an alternative to taking advantage of the above wrinkle in the system;

4. You can link up to six (6) BA accounts into a single "Household Account" that enables all to access it. This allowed me to pool my converted RBC points with my wife's converted RBC points;

5. The 15,000 RBC Avion introductory points are made immediately available upon receiving and activating your RBC Avion Visa card with online access, so you don't have to wait until your first statement arrives to convert them into BA points. This gave me an additional 22,500 BA points;

6. The RBC to BA conversion, as aforesaid, has been reportedly extended to March 1, 2010 (told to me by an RBC rep when making the conversion to BA).

7. You can purchase BA points via the BA web site. You can purchase up to 19,000 points per year in 1,000 point increments. The cost is US $52.50 per 1,000. You cannot purchase RBC Reward points.

8. How cool is this all, eh? I have taken this points fixation to a new height or depth (if you ask my wife).... lol