Originally Posted by
aznaphrodite
Could you clarify? What is the conversion rate for HHonor points to AA miles? I rarely stay at SPG hotels. The only reason I'm thinking about SPG Amex is to convert to AA miles. Ultimately, I want the most AA miles from my credit card. Hotel points aren't as appealing to me since I don't like having to stick to a certain chain.
HH is not worth it to convert the points to AA. The actual conversion ratio is 20:3, or 0.15 AA miles per HH point. Although you do get a minimum of 3 HH points per dollar with HH cards vs. the 1 SPG point per dollar with the SPG Amex -- but it still doesn't make up for the difference.
But HH Diamond status (top tier) is worth more than SPG Gold status (middle tier). Benefits are better.... free breakfast, for one. This can be a $30-$40 value per night in some hotels. But the basic HHonors Amex is a great card to have: no annual fee, and automatic Silver status (which doesn't do much, but it's better than nothing). I have one and only use it for HH stays.