AMEX Membership Rewards Canada - What is Plan B if Aeroplan J Class disappears?
Jun 26, 2018, 5:16 pm
#1
Original Poster
Join Date: Nov 2008
Location: YYC
Programs: Hilton Diamond, Fairmont Plat, IHG Spire, SPG Gold, WS Gold, Hertz PC, National E Elite,
Posts: 2,768
AMEX Membership Rewards Canada - What is Plan B if Aeroplan J Class disappears?
I have started to think alot more about June 2020, when the "new" Aeroplan comes into effect. I have always kept my spend on my Amex, and converted to Aeroplan for J class tickets. It is fantastic value. I tried to dwindle down my points, but work spend has them already back up to 600K MR's, so I am wondering what happens if Aeroplan changes to a useless program with no MR transfer, and if the new Air Canada program doesn't have any MR transfer?
What do we do with all of these MR's? I'm not aware of any other good Canadian transfer partners at reasonable rates? Where else can we get RT business class flights for 80-90K to Europe, and 150K to Asia?
Should we start collecting MBNA Alaska miles to convert to SPG? The Amex SPG is gone now, so I am a little stumped on where to be collecting or what to be doing with MR's right now?
Anyone else pondered this?
What do we do with all of these MR's? I'm not aware of any other good Canadian transfer partners at reasonable rates? Where else can we get RT business class flights for 80-90K to Europe, and 150K to Asia?
Should we start collecting MBNA Alaska miles to convert to SPG? The Amex SPG is gone now, so I am a little stumped on where to be collecting or what to be doing with MR's right now?
Anyone else pondered this?
Jun 26, 2018, 6:36 pm
#2
FlyerTalk Evangelist
Join Date: Feb 2002
Location: San Francisco/Tel Aviv/YYZ
Programs: CO 1K-MM
Posts: 10,762
Well, you can still collect starpoints until august, so load up. There are still useful transfer partners for canadian AX, BA for one (in certain circumstances). In general, I'd burn what you've got but dont' fret the future.
Jun 27, 2018, 2:51 pm
#3
Join Date: Jul 2004
Programs: Priority Club Platinum & Ambassdor, Hilton Honors Diamond, SPG Gold, Marriott Gold
Posts: 505
Yeah the SPG points are good, especially if you want to redeem one of the higher profile SPG hotels when the award rate temporarily drops in August, although you would need to transfer before then if SPG goes away. Not sure if they will add Marriott as transfer partner.
Cathay would be a great deal if it was 1:1... I would imagine come 2020, AMEX will probably drop Aeroplan and add Air Canada. Aeroplan will turn into an AirMiles type of program, which would significantly devalue Membership Rewards in Canada.
Cathay would be a great deal if it was 1:1... I would imagine come 2020, AMEX will probably drop Aeroplan and add Air Canada. Aeroplan will turn into an AirMiles type of program, which would significantly devalue Membership Rewards in Canada.
Jun 27, 2018, 5:46 pm
#5
Moderator
Join Date: Jun 2003
Location: Miami, Mpls & London
Programs: AA & Marriott Perpetual Platinum; DL & HH Gold
Posts: 48,954
See the Wikipost at the top of this thread:
https://www.flyertalk.com/forum/amer...l-program.html
Different in every country, and cards issued anywhere other than USA apply foreign transaction fee when used in another currency.
https://www.flyertalk.com/forum/amer...l-program.html
Different in every country, and cards issued anywhere other than USA apply foreign transaction fee when used in another currency.
Jun 28, 2018, 8:29 am
#7
Join Date: Feb 2005
Posts: 7,156
You may convert the MR to travel dollar at 1,000 points to $10 or use the Fixed Points Travel Programme. There are still many other loyalty programmes that you can transfer your MR points besides Aeroplan, e.g., Alitalia, BA, DL, CX, Hilton, SPG although SPG is unclear with the merger of the SPG and Marriott programmes in August 2018.
Finding J redemption seats on Aeroplan have been increasingly difficult in the past few years, especially on Air Canada. Other *A airlines open redemption seats to other *A airlines but not Aeroplan. One example is that BR J redemption availability is generally more plentiful ex-USA than ex-Canada. More than once, I could find redemption availability through other programmes but not Aeroplan. Aeroplan has been on life support for a while and it will be unplugged and buried in June 2020. Poor management is the culprit.
I have stopped collecting Aeroplan points and am working very hard to burn whatever I have!
Finding J redemption seats on Aeroplan have been increasingly difficult in the past few years, especially on Air Canada. Other *A airlines open redemption seats to other *A airlines but not Aeroplan. One example is that BR J redemption availability is generally more plentiful ex-USA than ex-Canada. More than once, I could find redemption availability through other programmes but not Aeroplan. Aeroplan has been on life support for a while and it will be unplugged and buried in June 2020. Poor management is the culprit.
I have stopped collecting Aeroplan points and am working very hard to burn whatever I have!
Jun 28, 2018, 8:36 am
#8
Join Date: Feb 2005
Posts: 7,156
Yeah the SPG points are good, especially if you want to redeem one of the higher profile SPG hotels when the award rate temporarily drops in August, although you would need to transfer before then if SPG goes away. Not sure if they will add Marriott as transfer partner.
Cathay would be a great deal if it was 1:1... I would imagine come 2020, AMEX will probably drop Aeroplan and add Air Canada. Aeroplan will turn into an AirMiles type of program, which would significantly devalue Membership Rewards in Canada.
Cathay would be a great deal if it was 1:1... I would imagine come 2020, AMEX will probably drop Aeroplan and add Air Canada. Aeroplan will turn into an AirMiles type of program, which would significantly devalue Membership Rewards in Canada.
Jun 28, 2018, 1:33 pm
#9
Join Date: Jan 2008
Location: YYZ
Programs: All Accor Plat, 1865 Voyager, AE E35K, HH Gold,Hyatt, Hrtz Gold, Marriott Gold, NEXUS
Posts: 1,670
I'm going to England in September and booked it a few months ago. No J awards for my dates on Aeroplan, but there was avaialbility on BA. I was able to get J to LHR and F return. Problem was it took 4 or 5 days for the MR points to transfer to BA, and I was sure the availability would disappear while I waited for the transfer to go through,
Jun 28, 2018, 1:56 pm
#10
Original Poster
Join Date: Nov 2008
Location: YYC
Programs: Hilton Diamond, Fairmont Plat, IHG Spire, SPG Gold, WS Gold, Hertz PC, National E Elite,
Posts: 2,768
You may convert the MR to travel dollar at 1,000 points to $10 or use the Fixed Points Travel Programme. There are still many other loyalty programmes that you can transfer your MR points besides Aeroplan, e.g., Alitalia, BA, DL, CX, Hilton, SPG although SPG is unclear with the merger of the SPG and Marriott programmes in August 2018.
Finding J redemption seats on Aeroplan have been increasingly difficult in the past few years, especially on Air Canada. Other *A airlines open redemption seats to other *A airlines but not Aeroplan. One example is that BR J redemption availability is generally more plentiful ex-USA than ex-Canada. More than once, I could find redemption availability through other programmes but not Aeroplan. Aeroplan has been on life support for a while and it will be unplugged and buried in June 2020. Poor management is the culprit.
I have stopped collecting Aeroplan points and am working very hard to burn whatever I have!
Finding J redemption seats on Aeroplan have been increasingly difficult in the past few years, especially on Air Canada. Other *A airlines open redemption seats to other *A airlines but not Aeroplan. One example is that BR J redemption availability is generally more plentiful ex-USA than ex-Canada. More than once, I could find redemption availability through other programmes but not Aeroplan. Aeroplan has been on life support for a while and it will be unplugged and buried in June 2020. Poor management is the culprit.
I have stopped collecting Aeroplan points and am working very hard to burn whatever I have!
1000 points for $10 is 1% return. That is pathetic.
I routinely fly on $10,000 business class flights, for 150,000 MR points . That is a a 6.7% return, which is more in the range of what I look for. And flying J is very easy to find, if you know how to search. ExpertFlyer is your friend.
Jun 28, 2018, 2:08 pm
#11
Join Date: Feb 2005
Posts: 7,156
1000 points for $10 is 1% return. That is pathetic.
I routinely fly on $10,000 business class flights, for 150,000 MR points . That is a a 6.7% return, which is more in the range of what I look for. And flying J is very easy to find, if you know how to search. ExpertFlyer is your friend.
I routinely fly on $10,000 business class flights, for 150,000 MR points . That is a a 6.7% return, which is more in the range of what I look for. And flying J is very easy to find, if you know how to search. ExpertFlyer is your friend.
Last edited by Clipper801; Jun 28, 2018 at 6:27 pm
Jun 28, 2018, 3:32 pm
#12
Join Date: Jul 2009
Location: YWG
Programs: Free Agent
Posts: 1,478
I am putting more of our MR to BA as the transfer partner- wait for the transfer bonus that seems to be offered at least annually and get more on the (current) 1:1 transfer. Using the AA portal lets me see what flights have availability then I book via BA.
Jun 28, 2018, 7:46 pm
#14
Original Poster
Join Date: Nov 2008
Location: YYC
Programs: Hilton Diamond, Fairmont Plat, IHG Spire, SPG Gold, WS Gold, Hertz PC, National E Elite,
Posts: 2,768
I'm going to England in September and booked it a few months ago. No J awards for my dates on Aeroplan, but there was avaialbility on BA. I was able to get J to LHR and F return. Problem was it took 4 or 5 days for the MR points to transfer to BA, and I was sure the availability would disappear while I waited for the transfer to go through,
Jun 29, 2018, 9:50 am
#15
Join Date: Mar 2012
Programs: Mileage Plus 1K; Marriott Platinum; Hilton Gold
Posts: 6,355
I'm going to England in September and booked it a few months ago. No J awards for my dates on Aeroplan, but there was avaialbility on BA. I was able to get J to LHR and F return. Problem was it took 4 or 5 days for the MR points to transfer to BA, and I was sure the availability would disappear while I waited for the transfer to go through,