drbobguy

Okay after looking into this I've found that for me it makes basically no sense to try to fill up any of these accounts with other FF programs or AMEX MR points.

For example, 6,000 AA miles can be transfered for 10,000 HHonors points, which then can become 850 US Miles for the hit. But you're losing 5,150 total airline miles (if you value AA miles and US miles equally), for a hit that nets you 5,000 miles. Not worth it for me. I guess it could work if you really need that last hit in a group of four.

Likewise 7500 AMEX MR points become 2500 SPG starpoints, which can become 2500 US Miles. But you "lost" the opportunity cost of 5000 Continental miles, or Aeroplan, or 7500 Delta miles. Again this is a wash for me.

Another example, 10,000 Amex MR points become 10,000 Priority Club points, which become 2,000 US miles. (Opportunity cost 8,000 CO/ANA/etc. miles).

And just glancing at the first page, none of the purchases (except priority – see below) for hotel points make much sense considering how cheap you can buy US miles anyways.

So it seems to me the value here is for people with lots of hotel points already that they don't plan on using, and also people with the AMEX SPG card.

For most of the rest of us these hits don't seem worthwhile, except in a situation where you really need a fourth hit in a group of four and there are no alternatives.

These are the exceptions I can find so far:

1) One interesting exception. 5000 CO miles -> 5000 Amtrak AGR points -> 15000 Choice points -> 3000 US Miles. Plus 5,000 for the hit and you turned 5000 CO miles into 8000 US miles.

You need to have an Amtrak credit card or elite status though.

2) Buy priority club points. $60 for 10,000 –> 2,000 US miles plus 5,000 for the hit, so 7,000 miles for $60.

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But the big conclusion for me is that these make marginal economic sense ONLY once you get into the 5000 miles per hit territory. So I won't be really looking into any of these for the first month or so of the GS.