Originally Posted by
Happy
I always compare the out of pocket cost versus using the points - if the out of pocket cost is reasonable, I would pay rather than use points.
I make that comparison, too, but it's always on a cpp basis. With SPG, if I can get 4 cpp or better, I use the points. There's always devaluation risk, and with my travel habits, that's probably the probably the right balance between using them and getting value out of them.
Just a heads up for W Hong Kong in case this is your first time visit.
[snip]
I were you, I would switch to Sheraton instead, for that 5 nights if you can still find the space. I would even take Le Meridien than W for that matter as right next to Le Meridien there are both Bus and MiniBus that can take you to Central in 15 minutes for just a few HKD. The rooms are designed in a much "warmer" tone that conjures comfort.
Hmm... thanks for the advice. I did check out TA and the FT threads on the two properties before I booked, and the more I think about it, the more I'm leaning toward the Sheraton. (We're not going until the end of Sept... plenty of time to decide.) When you're out and about all day, the out of the way location makes it hard to pop back in for a little R&R in the middle of the day. Also, there's some advantage to having the local restaurants and night life right outside your hotel...
W drives me nuts... I like the concept, but in more than a few places, the location down right sucks. Hip and trendy doesn't work so well if it's isolated.
Not necessarily. 900K SPG pts would be a whole heck more value than 900K HHonor points. Not all points are created equal.
Oh, I know. And I think that's one of the larger points of the thread -- sometimes, points find you. Another point is that for as much as one tries to compare them, comparisons only go so far.
I dont like the YQ on BA for that HKG trip, as well as we had to make our own way to the CX gateway cities, plus the cost of changes - it would add up to about $700 out of pocket real cash per person for the YQ, extra ticket to CX gateway, and potential changes. Hence I used AA miles.
Part of that stash of 900k miles is almost 300k AA miles... I'm using those for our 2013 trip. We're thinking about doing the Maldives, where we can get to CMB as Part of an Asia 2 award (BA zones it as India/Middle East.)
We have the same relocation problem that you do, living in DC. But we're a hop, skip and a jump from JFK and ORD, so it's not terrible. Also, don't forget that if you're arriving JFK, you'll likely have to overnight there. And you're right about the expense factor -- we're looking at about $1500 for repositioning and YQ costs. Not cheap, but I'm not going to pass up our first opportunity to experience CX F, either.
But for me, the alternative (using Avios points under the new scheme) isn't all that advantageous. That only works really well if one lives in an AA hub city, which I don't. As for the European bit, It's probably going to be 4-5 years before we get over there, and I'd rather not sit on that many points for that long.