There's no reason to transfer them anywhere and limit your future options, unless you (i) believe Amex will never again offer a 40% bonus and (ii) are happy to be restricted to BA or VS.

The flexibility of Membership Rewards points (they can be transferred into all three alliances as well as to a few non-aligned carriers) means that anyone who can should keep some in reserve.

Obviously everyone's circumstances are different, but a stash of MR points is a key part of my 'insurance'. They almost always make it possible to book intercontinental flights at short notice (e.g. in the event of a family emergency) without shelling out thousands.

For what it's worth, I've always kept SPG points in SPG as the benefits are really good. We've had various nice hotel stays using part points and cash and Sheraton, Westin, Luxury Collection are normally of a very nice standard. For example, we had 8 nights at the Sheraton Gold Coast for something like 32000 SPG points and $400ish cash. That saved us something like $1600 on the normal rate. Plus there's no taxes and fees to pay on top.

I am going over to the dAArkside (AA) to replace both BD and CO, and have just completed my challenge to AA Plat. Overall, AA is a better OW program than BA.

I've come to the same conclusion myself. I'm using my SPG points on hotels. The value that can be had (especially where there is say, a major event on, and hotel prices are through the roof) is higher than the value i'd place on reward flights.

I got laughed at when i suggested AA, but i like it too...

That may well be true for you, but it certainly isn't true for everybody.

Someone buying a lot of economy tickets for flights lasting three or more hours within the US is likely to value the upgrades into domestic "first" that AA status will get them. Someone who typically pays for business class will probably get more from BA status (and acquire that BA status faster). And so on, and so on -- this has been discussed quite a lot.

It's also worth bearing in mind that the right choice for any particular individual can change from year to year depending on the tickets that person buys and the redemptions he/she is interested in making -- not to mention, for FTers in many markets, the opportunities that are available to earn additional miles/Avios through hotel stays, car hire or credit card use.

My employer does not pay for Biz tix, and most of my travel is TATL or intra-Europe, since I am based in eastern Europe. As long as I redeem on AA metal or that of some other European partners, I do not get hit with BA's bloody awful YQ on award tix. My last paid TATL segment was on BA and as an AA Plat I was upgraded to World Traveller Plus. The lounge access on international itineraries as an AA Plat is also nice.

Nobody replied to my question so ill repost. I guest what I'm asking is for someone to confirm that my analysis below is unfortunately correct and that nothing else comes close to DC in terms of low mileage needed for redemption:

Nothing touches DC, or even comes half close. Hence people's indescission. In some respects it's like trying to pick the best of the worst...

thx Danny, just wanted confirmation on that, in case my sums were off. Tis a real shame :(

I think Ill just collect avios. On short haul their redemptions are good value because of the fixed tax and on long haul at least yiou have the 241

Upgrades don't look bad. Say buy WT+ ticket in the sale, then you've payed most of the taxes from what i read, and it's a fewer amount of avios to upgrade than a straight redemption.

Plus it's easy to get avios, i have to say i'm a little obsessed already.

I've submitted to A3 as well. Gold there now, all it took was one roundtrip TK business class longhaul flight (OSL-BKK on sale, around 7200 NOK). I was planning to go with TK, but since people here reported a 2014 expiry and TK would have taken me longer time to build up, then I submitted and went with A3 :rolleyes:

God, I am gonna miss Diamond Club :(

Christ! Return?? Including tax??

Well rightly or wrongly decided to start earning miles with SAS Eurobonus, and I now find another club with piss poor IT and missing bookings.

At least some things are making me feel at home with my new club :D

Still I think they are starting off well missing leg 1,3 and 4 but awarding me miles on leg 2 is pretty amazing given all with LH in same class with membership numbers all put in on line at the same time?

Lets see how they perform with claims!

As a separate note over the last few flights I have had no issues with lounge access, priority boarding etc flashing the BD*G and booking flights to SAS with zero status.

Yes but the fare is long gone, though (I booked one of these last autumn).