Originally Posted by
upsidedown
I am trying to read through this thread and am currently sitting on 380k MR points. I don't have a specific destination in mind but it seems like I should get a certificate now before rates go up. I would probably go for AA points. Is there a recommended approach or advice that I should use? It looks like I could go for the Cert 1-5 with 120k AA miles for 270k. What happens if I want to upgrade to a better hotel later. Or should I go for the highest value cert I can afford with miles. Either way, I need to act quickly.
Post merger it'll cost you 60k per category upgrade (assuming upgrading new and/or legacy certs will be possible). Currently upgrading costs 30k. If you are more likely to use the cert at a higher category hotel, or if you want to take the "certs to points" gamble, it may be best to redeem for a higher category. However, no one knows how the old category certificates will map into the newer categories, so there's a chance you miss out.
Another point to consider is whether it may be worth saving some points to redeem at the Cat 7 hotels temporarily at 60k until Dec 31st. If you commit all your pts into a cert and they convert into a new cert post-merger, you'll be tied into that category.