Value of LY Points
Feb 24, 2009 | 1:44 am
#1
Original Poster
Join Date: Mar 2002
Location: 30,000 Feet
Programs: LY Top Platinum, AA Platinum, Hertz President's Circle
Posts: 881
Value of LY Points
How do you compare the value of LY points vs. miles on other airlines, say AA or BA, for example?
I ask because I'd like to take advantage of the LY special until the end of March where a bonus economy ticket costs just 650 points (usually 900) to Europe. To London, for example, the ticket would cost 650 points plus $222 in taxes/surcharges. If I use another 200 points to knock off $100 from the taxes/surcharges, then its 850 points + $122 to London.
OTOH, to London on BA using a AA miles, its 40,000 miles + $126. Dollar to dollar its a wash. But how do you compare the 850 points to the 40,000 miles?
Here's what I thought, tell me if this makes sense: We know that it takes 1400 points (usually) to get a Bonus Y tkt TLV-NYC. To get those 1400 points, it takes 3.5 roundtrips, with each one yielding 400 base points (forget the PL/GL bonus). On AA, by comparison, it takes 90,000 miles to go TLV-NYC. And to get there, you need to fly 8 RT's (11,300 roughly per RT). 11,300 (miles from the trip) divided by 400 (points from the trip) yields a factor of 28. 40,000 miles then would be equal to 1428 points - I think. So that AA charges for TLV-LHR as much as LY charges for TLV-NYC in miles/points. It would seem that El Al's awards are much cheaper than AA's and hence LY points are more valuable than AA miles. Does this work out? Am I missing something?
Of course this whole theory is upside down when you consider Amex points' transfer rates. With all the "miles" programs, 1 Amex point is equal to 1 airline miles. But with El Al it works differently so that it takes 97,000 Amex points to get 1400 el al points. Meanwhile, 90,000 AA miles (which are similar to Amex points), according to my assessment above, is equal to 3214 LY points.
I am a bit confused.
I ask because I'd like to take advantage of the LY special until the end of March where a bonus economy ticket costs just 650 points (usually 900) to Europe. To London, for example, the ticket would cost 650 points plus $222 in taxes/surcharges. If I use another 200 points to knock off $100 from the taxes/surcharges, then its 850 points + $122 to London.
OTOH, to London on BA using a AA miles, its 40,000 miles + $126. Dollar to dollar its a wash. But how do you compare the 850 points to the 40,000 miles?
Here's what I thought, tell me if this makes sense: We know that it takes 1400 points (usually) to get a Bonus Y tkt TLV-NYC. To get those 1400 points, it takes 3.5 roundtrips, with each one yielding 400 base points (forget the PL/GL bonus). On AA, by comparison, it takes 90,000 miles to go TLV-NYC. And to get there, you need to fly 8 RT's (11,300 roughly per RT). 11,300 (miles from the trip) divided by 400 (points from the trip) yields a factor of 28. 40,000 miles then would be equal to 1428 points - I think. So that AA charges for TLV-LHR as much as LY charges for TLV-NYC in miles/points. It would seem that El Al's awards are much cheaper than AA's and hence LY points are more valuable than AA miles. Does this work out? Am I missing something?
Of course this whole theory is upside down when you consider Amex points' transfer rates. With all the "miles" programs, 1 Amex point is equal to 1 airline miles. But with El Al it works differently so that it takes 97,000 Amex points to get 1400 el al points. Meanwhile, 90,000 AA miles (which are similar to Amex points), according to my assessment above, is equal to 3214 LY points.
I am a bit confused.
Feb 24, 2009 | 8:26 am
#2
Join Date: May 2005
Location: tlv
Programs: AA Platinum, LY Matmid
Posts: 804
How do you compare the value of LY points vs. miles on other airlines, say AA or BA, for example?
I ask because I'd like to take advantage of the LY special until the end of March where a bonus economy ticket costs just 650 points (usually 900) to Europe. To London, for example, the ticket would cost 650 points plus $222 in taxes/surcharges. If I use another 200 points to knock off $100 from the taxes/surcharges, then its 850 points + $122 to London.
OTOH, to London on BA using a AA miles, its 40,000 miles + $126. Dollar to dollar its a wash. But how do you compare the 850 points to the 40,000 miles?
Here's what I thought, tell me if this makes sense: We know that it takes 1400 points (usually) to get a Bonus Y tkt TLV-NYC. To get those 1400 points, it takes 3.5 roundtrips, with each one yielding 400 base points (forget the PL/GL bonus). On AA, by comparison, it takes 90,000 miles to go TLV-NYC. And to get there, you need to fly 8 RT's (11,300 roughly per RT). 11,300 (miles from the trip) divided by 400 (points from the trip) yields a factor of 28. 40,000 miles then would be equal to 1428 points - I think. So that AA charges for TLV-LHR as much as LY charges for TLV-NYC in miles/points. It would seem that El Al's awards are much cheaper than AA's and hence LY points are more valuable than AA miles. Does this work out? Am I missing something?
Of course this whole theory is upside down when you consider Amex points' transfer rates. With all the "miles" programs, 1 Amex point is equal to 1 airline miles. But with El Al it works differently so that it takes 97,000 Amex points to get 1400 el al points. Meanwhile, 90,000 AA miles (which are similar to Amex points), according to my assessment above, is equal to 3214 LY points.
I am a bit confused.
I ask because I'd like to take advantage of the LY special until the end of March where a bonus economy ticket costs just 650 points (usually 900) to Europe. To London, for example, the ticket would cost 650 points plus $222 in taxes/surcharges. If I use another 200 points to knock off $100 from the taxes/surcharges, then its 850 points + $122 to London.
OTOH, to London on BA using a AA miles, its 40,000 miles + $126. Dollar to dollar its a wash. But how do you compare the 850 points to the 40,000 miles?
Here's what I thought, tell me if this makes sense: We know that it takes 1400 points (usually) to get a Bonus Y tkt TLV-NYC. To get those 1400 points, it takes 3.5 roundtrips, with each one yielding 400 base points (forget the PL/GL bonus). On AA, by comparison, it takes 90,000 miles to go TLV-NYC. And to get there, you need to fly 8 RT's (11,300 roughly per RT). 11,300 (miles from the trip) divided by 400 (points from the trip) yields a factor of 28. 40,000 miles then would be equal to 1428 points - I think. So that AA charges for TLV-LHR as much as LY charges for TLV-NYC in miles/points. It would seem that El Al's awards are much cheaper than AA's and hence LY points are more valuable than AA miles. Does this work out? Am I missing something?
Of course this whole theory is upside down when you consider Amex points' transfer rates. With all the "miles" programs, 1 Amex point is equal to 1 airline miles. But with El Al it works differently so that it takes 97,000 Amex points to get 1400 el al points. Meanwhile, 90,000 AA miles (which are similar to Amex points), according to my assessment above, is equal to 3214 LY points.
I am a bit confused.
You have very serious flaws in all your assumptions
Firstly you do not get 400 point for all RT TLV-NYC flights. If you do not pay full fare economy but use any of the discount fares which many people do, you can get as little as 100 points RT which now makes it 14 Round trips without adding in the highway robbery called tax and fuel surcharge
On the AA side anyone could take a PLATINUM CHALLENGE (I hope it still exist) by flying Iberia or Malev codeshares and with it become AA Platinum after just one trip to NYC . This will lead to bonuses on all subsequent AA flights and you could get a RT NYC- TLV on El Al using AA miles for less than 4 flights and there is no fuel surcharge, and as I mentioned you fly ELAL non stop
Next there is the issue of the expiration of points. While there is an expiration date of 18 months of inactivity for AA anyone can keep it going indefinately by thousands of ways
Over at EL AL points expire and there is no way to roll the points over. You either use them or lose them
All in all I think that there is no comparison. AA is so much better in value.
Unfortunately there are no direct flights
Bring back TWA
Last edited by badatz; Feb 24, 2009 at 12:55 pm
Feb 24, 2009 | 10:28 am
#3
FlyerTalk Evangelist
Join Date: May 2005
Location: TLV/LHR
Programs: BA GGL, IHG Diamond Elite Amb, HH Diamond, Avis PC, Hertz PC, Sixt Platinum
Posts: 13,004
Feb 24, 2009 | 4:35 pm
#4
Moderator, El Al and Marriott Bonvoy, FlyerTalk Evangelist
Join Date: Feb 2005
Location: SIN
Programs: SQ PPS, Mar LTT, Hyatt LTG, AA LTG, LY, HH, IC, BA, DL, UA SLV
Posts: 12,155
AA Plat/Gold challenge now only counts AA flights. Also, there is now a fee associated with the challenge.
Feb 25, 2009 | 12:55 am
#5
Join Date: May 2005
Location: tlv
Programs: AA Platinum, LY Matmid
Posts: 804
As to AA flights, the rules do say that non AA metal Codeshare flights with AA flight numbers do count towards the challenge, but I am aware that some AA reps say that only AA AE metal counts.
If there is a clear ruling update on this matter maybe someone could post it.
Feb 26, 2009 | 4:04 am
#6
Moderator, El Al and Marriott Bonvoy, FlyerTalk Evangelist
Join Date: Feb 2005
Location: SIN
Programs: SQ PPS, Mar LTT, Hyatt LTG, AA LTG, LY, HH, IC, BA, DL, UA SLV
Posts: 12,155
Feb 26, 2009 | 5:18 am
#7
Join Date: May 2005
Location: tlv
Programs: AA Platinum, LY Matmid
Posts: 804
If you cash in points (an exaggerated amount in my view) on El Al you still need to pay about $250. On AA you pay about $50
Another example from TA. If you fly to the Far East using AA miles, the charge is $52 taxes all inc. No fuel surcharge.
So the original cost of the Challenge should be figured in but I say that it is negligible in the total picture
AA still comes out better