Originally Posted by
lkar
But if you don't have any US to combine them with to book a larger award, you're probably best off just holding the 60k in MR and waiting for the next deal to come along.
Just to add to my post above, I note that another such deal has just come along. Amex announced today a 50 percent bonus on transfers to British Airways. So, if you are sitting on 60k Amex, you could transfer them to SPG and then to US and get 52.5k miles. Or, you could transfer them directly to British Airways and get 90k miles.
Obviously, BA miles aren't right for everyone. Some think they are terrible now, given some recent devaluations and the fact that they charge pretty hefty fuel charges. Others have found amazing uses for BA miles -- like west coast to HI, which can be had if you plan it right for 25k round trip.
I can't answer whether 52.5k US is better than 90k BA. It's a personal choice that depends on your needs. The point is that 60k Amex can actually be pretty valuable when the right deal comes along, confirming the advice not to jump at 55k US just to do it.