superking

I know the limits to transfer out of an account is 150K and to receive is 300K.

So if I transfer 150k from Account A to B, I would get 150K plus 100% bonus, that's 300K total. Does it count as 300K OR 150k? Thanks

newsmanhoss

My interpretation is it counts as 300k to the recipient, because that's what's actually being deposited in the account.

koolr

Hello,

After reading all the posts, here is what I am thinking of doing. I have 3 family accounts.

A - 200k
B - 9k
C - 17k

Account B and C are almost inactive, so I would like to use the miles up. I am planning to buy 3 tickets from DTW to ACN for the the next summer. The airfare is $650/ticket, or miles required are 40k each (120k total miles). So, I can take advantage of 100% deal...
A --> C - transfer 12k, balance in B - 24k + 17k = 41k - enough to buy one ticket. Cost $150.

Balance in A = 188k

A --> B - transfer 11k - balance in B, 22k+9k = 31k, Cost $140
B --> A - transfer 30K - balance in A ,60k+177k = 237k, Cost $330

Total cost for point transfer $620 (compared to buying tickets $650x3=$1950)
After buying 2 more award tickets, balance in A = 157k

Does this make sense?? Is there any other way I can maximize the miles transfer? I can transfer more miles for 100% bonus for additional cost. I am trying to use minimum miles from account A as I am planning to use those (and more) for J tickets to Asia in future.

roknroll

I think you mixed up account B and C in your example, it took me a while to figure out where your numbers were coming from. One thing to realize is that there is a $30 flat fee per transfer, whether it is the minimum 1,000 miles or the maximum 30,000 miles. So the top value of 1.1 cpm is only when transfering 30k miles. Transfering only 11k miles would cost 1.27cpm, and you would be paying 15% more per mile. Overall in your example you average paying 1.17 cpm, which isn't that much more.

No point in leaving stranded miles, if these accounts aren't used. To maximize value and use all the miles then do:This is EXTREMELY negligible, and the difference in the rate paid per mile is only $10 for 100,000 miles. So really you are talking about a couple of bucks for possible thousands of dollars worth of travel. But if you consider the stranded 1k miles in each account, you are paying 1.22 cents per mile in your original example. The better redemption rate of 1.16 cpm saves you about $32.

And yes, you can always transfer more miles (until Sept 30). You could do the transaction you described above. Then a week later, you could transfer 30k from A to B to get 60k miles in B. Then transfer right back to A to get 120k miles in A. Total cost would be $990 which is basically purchasing 90k bonus miles. Again, it doesn't have to be the maximum transfer, and you could just do 10k to B, then 20k back to A, etc.

Clark.W.Griswold

Just did the US AIR promo of buying 50k DIV MILES to get 100k. Was able to find a biz class ticket on LH by using CO search tool. A piece of cake. $1500 for a biz class ticket vs 5100.00 on the LH.com website. July 2012 travel .. LAX > NCE > LAX

ncvet61

Also by placing all miles in one account (A), you can book all three tickets on one PRN. If you leave the miles in ABC, you will need to book all three separately and any change would cost three change fees, and it's difficult to book each ticket separately "on the same plane at the same time". Certainly not impossible as we do it once or twice a year,..... but difficult.

We always take advantage of the 100% bonus deals to move miles into one account whenever possible and practical. We always use the miles to fly Bis/Elite internationally.

koolr

Thanks very much roknroll and ncvet61. I understand it better now.

dmitri

You can save $30 by doing A --> B and A --> C in one transaction. The $30 fee is per transaction, not per transfer. So transferring 11k A --> B and 12k A --> C in a single transaction will cost $260 vs $290 if doing two separate transactions.

FindAWay

Please check my math and logic, but, I think the following is one way to use 30k SMs from one account to create 300k SMs in a separate account using an intermediate account (and replacing the original 30k):

BEGINNING SM BALANCES:
Account A --> 30k (or more)
Account B --> any amount
Account C --> any amount

GOAL:
Transfer 300k SMs into Account C @1.1cpm with no net change in Accounts A or B

STEP 1:
A transfers 30k to B (+30k Bonus)

STEP 2:
B transfers 30k to A (+30k Bonus)
B transfers 15k to A (+15k Bonus) and 15k to C (+15k Bonus)

STEP 3:
A transfers 30k to B (+30k Bonus)*See Edit Below.
A transfers 30k to C (+30k Bonus)*See Edit Below.
A transfers 15k to B (+15k Bonus) and 15k to C (+15k Bonus)

STEP 4:
B transfers 30k to A (+30k Bonus)*See Edit Below.
B transfers 30k to C (+30k Bonus)*See Edit Below.
B transfers 30k to C (+30k Bonus)

STEP 5:
A transfers 30k to C (+30k Bonus)

ENDING SM BALANCES:
Account A --> 30k (or more) - same as beginning
Account B --> same as beginning
Account C --> 300k more than beginning

10 transfers @$330.00/transfer for $3,300.00 to gain 300,000 SMs in Account C at 1.1cpm.*See Edit Below.


A few notes:
- The logic problem I ran into is the 150,000 mile limit for transfers from one account to another.
- I think the key to maximizing the limit of 150,000 miles transferred out of one account (assuming no net change to that account) is that you have to transfer 75,000 miles into that account (before the 100% Bonus), which can be done without incurring duplicate $30 fees if one transfers 15,000 miles simultaneously to 2 separate accounts.
- If account "A" has more than 45,000 miles, this method can be shortened (the Account "A" I plan to use has over 90,000 miles and I plan to use only 3 steps to leave Accounts A & B with no net change and my Account C with a 300k SM gain).
- This is a scenario that should work for someone who wants to pay 1.1cpm and has 2 friends/family who are willing to let that person max-out their transfer-out limits for the year.
- FWIW, I contacted SM as to whether "Bonus Miles" count towards one's maximum limit of miles transfer into one's account and was told: "Please be advised the bonus miles earned do not count towards the maximum amount per year a recipient may have transferred into their accounts." So, theoretically, after using friends/family A & B's accounts, the process could be repeated with friends/family X & Y's accounts if someone wanted 600k SMs @ 1.1cpm.

I plan to use this method to get SMs to use for my honeymoon trip next year.

*EDIT: Note that I think one may be able to combine the first 2 transfers under both Step 3 and Step 4 into only 1 transfer each and cut out 2 of the $30 fees to bring the total cost down to $3240 @ 1.08cpm.

battensea

What? This is a very big deal, if it's correct.

You have to wonder why, then, did Delta choose to include this language in the statement of terms of the 100% transfer promotion: "no recipient may receive more than 300,000 transferred miles from any other SkyMiles program account or combination of accounts in any calendar year"?

FindAWay

The T&Cs for the 300,000 maximum reference "transferred miles" (Link) and the 100% Bonus promotion T&Cs state that "Bonus miles for Gift and Transfer Miles transactions will be awarded to the recipient's SkyMiles account." (Link) So, "awarded" bonus miles should not be considered "transferred" miles. (the difference in terminology in the T&Cs is why I emailed SkyMiles Account Support)

superking

Which card should you use to pay for the transfer? I have Amex Gold Card, which gives 3 points/per dollar on airline charges, but do you know if this charge will be coded as the same way as Delta air fare purchase? I also have Sapphire card, and I'm pretty sure it will be coded as "Travel", hence receiving 2 points/dollar.

Please advise. Thanks


I have used Amex card on Expedia.com hotel booking/air fare in the past, and Amex denied the 3 points/dollar claiming that expedia.com charge is coded as "tour operator" instead of airline.

aratiradhi

If I am paying $450 to transfer miles, is there a reason I should not get a Platinum Delta card instead and pay $450 annual fee ? Ofcourse one would get only the promotional miles on the credit card offer and much more on the transfer promotion, however is there any other reason other than that ?

JoeFlyer

Actually, it's not. Only the miles transferred in count against your transferred miles allowance of 300k. The rest of the miles count as bonus miles. So 300k transferred in gets you 600k miles (300k of transferred miles, 300k on bonus miles).

I know this because I did the transfers across family accounts. I now have miles in my Diamond Medallion account with no change fees so that's a BIG score for all my family.

newsmanhoss

Excellent! Thanks for the info, Joe.