Super Mario

The best answer is what makes most sense for you. While valuation is a good topic, it is overplayed. Giving points a valuation based off of a "best-case" scenario does not work for everyone. If a premium fight was discounted 10%, would you buy it with your own money? Well a 10% increased valuation for points somehow makes it the greatest deal ever for others.

For me, my work travel has left me with a bunch of hotel points, so I don't use any of my CC points for hotels. For leisure air travel, I don't see value in high-priced ones, so try to stay as cheap as possible, most of which I can't use my CC points for again. So what in the world would I use all of these points for? For me, it's cruises. As a heavy CSR user, I get the 50% bonus on those, and I honestly wouldn't see much value using my points any other way, at least in this point in time.

Play around with it. Align it with your interests. Maybe even upgrade your habits. I think it's good to hear from others what were some ways they got the most out of their money, but it's not law

beachmouse

American Express just announced that Aer Lingus is becoming a transfer partner, presumably at the same 1:1 rate BA Avios get, and there are some sweet spots with their off season reward options between NE cities + Chicago and Dublin going for as little as 26K Avios and with far lower fees than what you get with BA redemptions.

Brian Chen

I would add also that saving up for international business class gets the most bang for your buck but probably off topic for you. I would save up for one of those amex experiences

blitzen

itcheroni

I'm not as knowledgeable as most other people here, but I've found something that works for me so far.

My MR is usually transferred to BA Avios when they have a good 40% transfer bonus. This is my short haul program I use. For Narita (I'm Tokyo based) to Manila for 10k Avios each way + $40ish each way. Cash price is regularly over $400. Narita to Bangkok would be 12,5k each way. If I calculate the cheapest price I can find for JAL, it would be well over 2 cents per Avios, making a value close to 3 cent per MR. I enjoy flying JAL economy and try my best to avoid LCC unless I have to, so this strategy works out well for me, and for me those are the values I feel I'm getting for the points.

You will need a second program for long haul flights since you said you want to fly internationally for DC or NYC. The program I've mainly used is AA, but maybe Alaska would be good for you. You can't transfer MR to Alaska. Maybe get a Marriott/SPG card. They transfer to AA and Alaska and you'll also have the option of hotel redemptions.

I'm an incredible cheapskate, which is why I'm attracted to loyalty programs, so I feel you when you say you want to redeem for quantity over quality, but I suggest treating yourself to a good business class long haul flight occasionally. I'm someone who never would/could buy a business class fare, nor do I have a job that would allow me to experience it, so it's quite a treat. I'll never forget my first business class flight from Haneda to SFO on JAL business. I think it's worth doing at least once.

chazpbg

We've got about 80k in Amex points. In the past, I've used them for Home Depot gift cards (yes, not the best use) or transferred to Starwood (slightly better use, I think). I keep hearing you can get some great mileage (pardon the pun) by transferring to certain airline programs, but I'm not sure which. Also, my wife and I only fly coach and we scour the web for good airline deals, so if the only good airline mileage deals are, say, for a business class ticket, it makes no sense to us. Can anyone advise what they see as the best use for these 80k points. We are planning some trips ahead and will be flying to Europe in the fall most likely. But we stay in hotels all the time, too.

mia

Welcome to Flyertalk. I have added your question to a recent discussion of the same issue. If you are not interested in premium cabin airfare redemptions, or economy class flights to markets with high fares due to insufficient competition, it will be difficult to extract more than $0.01 per point.

beachmouse

What's your home airport? a lot of the best options can vary based on location or number of flights required to get there.

mia

Transfers to JetBlue when the rate is 1:1 (as it is until the end of September) might be of interest, but I am not an economy cabin passenger.

MR (USA) to JetBlue (B6) 25% transfer bonus to 10.1.2018

Javier1704

Thank you everyone for all your replies. You have been very helpful.

Economy class flights to markets with high fares works perfectly for me. I paid a lot to fly from Washington, DC to Seville. I just realized that transferring my MR points to Aeroplan or Singapore Airlines allows me to travel on United (and Lufthansa, for being a Star Alliance partner) for 60,000 MR points and $200-$300 roundtrip. I will definitely love to make this trip again.

One thing I noticed is that Aeroplan has very low roundtrip tickets from Washington to Toronto, around 15,000 MR but the fees are stupidly high. Any ideas on MR transfers with low fees? British Airways has ridiculous fees.

mia

Aeroplan adds high fees on some airlines, including Air Canada. Likewise, BAEC adds high fees on their own flights, but both programs have low fee sweet spots.

Aeroplan, start here:

http://www.flyertalk.com/forum/air-c...rd-travel.html


BAEC look at domestic USA flights operated by AA and AS, and well as some routes to South America, and flights between UK and much of Europe (but avoid transatlantic routes).

guv1976

If you want to fly from DCA to YYZ on AA, and can find MileSAAver award seats on the AA nonstops, transfer your MR points to BA. BA does not collect surcharges on AA flights for travel wholly within the Americas (North and South), and would charge just 15,000 Avios for the roundtrip in Economy. (Iberia would charge just 12,000 Avios for the same roundtrip, but IB does not permit changes or refunds on award tickets for travel on AA.)

Javier1704

Javier1704

This is extremely helpful. I've meaning to visit Mexico and Colombia for a while now.

hyperbling

all of the various bloggers value these things around 2 cents a piece. sure, if you're booking business/first class, it's quite easy to get value out of MR points, but what if you're only going to fly economy? i mostly do domestic travel, and maybe do an international flight once every two years -- and when i do, i'm perfectly content flying coach to save money.

i recently picked up the amex gold because of the 4x bonus for food/dining (my biggest expense after mortgage), but i'm not so sure i will keep it a 2nd year. my sapphire reserve only gives 3x points but it's a guaranteed 1.5 cents per point. i'm finding it difficult to redeem my MR points for more than 1 cent a piece.

what am i missing? is there nothing in between 1cpp and 2cpp for MR points? thanks in advance.