Most efficient transfer OUT of AA
May 23, 2020 | 7:14 pm
#2
FlyerTalk Evangelist
Join Date: May 2004
Location: DFW/DAL
Programs: AA Lifetime PLT, AS MVPG, HH Diamond, NCL Platinum Plus, MSC Diamond
Posts: 21,424
You don't have to use the miles to fly AA. You can use them on OneWorld or other partners. like Alaska Airlines.
You can use them to book hotel or car rentals, although those rates are not very good compared with using them for air tickets.
May 23, 2020 | 11:38 pm
#4
FlyerTalk Evangelist
Join Date: Aug 2009
Location: ZOA, SFO, HKG
Programs: UA 1K 0.9MM, Marriott Gold, HHonors Gold, Hertz PC, SBux Gold, TSA Pre✓
Posts: 13,807
This is not just AA.
FWIW - once the reward has been made available in the program account, the only practical way is to spend it. Even transfer might be available, it will cost you a lot making the transfer moot.
FWIW - once the reward has been made available in the program account, the only practical way is to spend it. Even transfer might be available, it will cost you a lot making the transfer moot.
May 24, 2020 | 1:20 pm
#5
Join Date: May 2008
Location: Las Vegas since 11/2023
Programs: No status anywhere anymore, it was fun while it lasted
Posts: 4,648
You can check the website points.com. It's legit and provides transfers. When it performs a transfer, it's via transfers authorized by the subject programs (sometimes more than one).
However, when available, transfers are almost always at unfavorable ratios. I think I remember once seeing a transfer at an 85% ratio (i.e. 15% haircut). Some have much larger reductions.
My sense is that transfers from hotel programs to airline programs tend to be the best. Starwood used to have a ratio of 1:1 or sometimes even 1:1.25 for conversion to airlines points. That's gone now of course since there is no more Starwood.
Sidebar: I once used the site because Air Canada had a promotion where you got a certain number of points toward a promotion for each "activity." An activity included a transfer into Air Canada of any number of points. The ratio of USAir (it was about 8 years ago) to Air Canada was something like 3:1 or 5:1, but by converting 50 US points to 10 AC points in 10 transactions I was able to get 10 "activities" and ended up with a very nice bonus from the promotion.
However, when available, transfers are almost always at unfavorable ratios. I think I remember once seeing a transfer at an 85% ratio (i.e. 15% haircut). Some have much larger reductions.
My sense is that transfers from hotel programs to airline programs tend to be the best. Starwood used to have a ratio of 1:1 or sometimes even 1:1.25 for conversion to airlines points. That's gone now of course since there is no more Starwood.
Sidebar: I once used the site because Air Canada had a promotion where you got a certain number of points toward a promotion for each "activity." An activity included a transfer into Air Canada of any number of points. The ratio of USAir (it was about 8 years ago) to Air Canada was something like 3:1 or 5:1, but by converting 50 US points to 10 AC points in 10 transactions I was able to get 10 "activities" and ended up with a very nice bonus from the promotion.
May 25, 2020 | 1:50 am
#6
FlyerTalk Evangelist
Join Date: May 2004
Location: DFW/DAL
Programs: AA Lifetime PLT, AS MVPG, HH Diamond, NCL Platinum Plus, MSC Diamond
Posts: 21,424
You can check the website points.com. It's legit and provides transfers. When it performs a transfer, it's via transfers authorized by the subject programs (sometimes more than one).
However, when available, transfers are almost always at unfavorable ratios. I think I remember once seeing a transfer at an 85% ratio (i.e. 15% haircut). Some have much larger reductions.
My sense is that transfers from hotel programs to airline programs tend to be the best. Starwood used to have a ratio of 1:1 or sometimes even 1:1.25 for conversion to airlines points. That's gone now of course since there is no more Starwood.
Sidebar: I once used the site because Air Canada had a promotion where you got a certain number of points toward a promotion for each "activity." An activity included a transfer into Air Canada of any number of points. The ratio of USAir (it was about 8 years ago) to Air Canada was something like 3:1 or 5:1, but by converting 50 US points to 10 AC points in 10 transactions I was able to get 10 "activities" and ended up with a very nice bonus from the promotion.
However, when available, transfers are almost always at unfavorable ratios. I think I remember once seeing a transfer at an 85% ratio (i.e. 15% haircut). Some have much larger reductions.
My sense is that transfers from hotel programs to airline programs tend to be the best. Starwood used to have a ratio of 1:1 or sometimes even 1:1.25 for conversion to airlines points. That's gone now of course since there is no more Starwood.
Sidebar: I once used the site because Air Canada had a promotion where you got a certain number of points toward a promotion for each "activity." An activity included a transfer into Air Canada of any number of points. The ratio of USAir (it was about 8 years ago) to Air Canada was something like 3:1 or 5:1, but by converting 50 US points to 10 AC points in 10 transactions I was able to get 10 "activities" and ended up with a very nice bonus from the promotion.
In fact, I see only 9 exchange partners on points.com, and AA isn't one of them.
Hilton lets you transfer from only Virgin Atlantic, Hawaiian, and AMTRAK
I do not see a way to transfer AA miles to any travel partner right now, is this even possible now?
Last edited by mvoight; May 25, 2020 at 1:57 am
May 25, 2020 | 9:08 am
#7
Join Date: Feb 2009
Location: LAX
Programs: AA EXP.
Posts: 1,364
If there was a transfer out partner the ratio would be terrible. You can always donate https://www.aa.com/i18n/customer-ser...ght/donate.jsp