Other Programs that allow switching
 

I love being able to switch miles into Hilton Honors. Are there any other programs that let you do this?

I read in Webflyer's review of the HiltonHonors: "There are 13 airlines with which HHonors members can earn miles during their business-rate stays. Regular earnings are 500 miles per stay with each airline, including: Air Canada, Alaska, America West, American, British Airways, Continental, Delta, Mexicana (1,000 kms), Midwest Express, Northwest, TWA, United and USAir. Six of these airlines also participate in the HHonors Reward Exchange program, where members can exchange HHonors points for airline miles and miles for points with participating partners. American Express
Membership Rewards and Diners Club Club Rewards also participate. For 5,000 airline miles, receive 10,000 HHonors points. Membership Rewards points can be exchanged at a rate of 1,000 for 1,300 HHonors points. Club Rewards points can be exchanged on a one-to-one ratio."

So check your Credit Cards and Airline-program rules to read about the specifi rules.

I do not know of other hotel programs where you can transfer airline miles into hotel points. Some airlines will let you redeem the airline miles for free hotel stays. British Airways is one such airline where you can get free stays in Marriott, Radisson and one or two other hotels using British Airways miles.

The membership reward exchange rate is pretty poor. Even with a 20% boost mentioned in the latest Notiflyer it is not a good deal. It is a better deal transferring the membership reward points to a participating airline and then from the airline into HHonors. That way you get 2x instead of 1.3x

Diners Club has had 2x promotions with HHonors but I have not seen these in a while.

pgupta: are you sure about these calculations? Don't you lose points as you exchange MR for to the airline then to HHonors. Every time I try to copmare the calculations, I come up with a different answer...If you could detail an example, I'd sure appreciate it!

Yes the numbers I mention are correct, but they apply only to the transfer of Membership Reward/Diner Club points to Hilton Honors.

For example I have a Diners Club card which gives me 2 points for every dollar charged to the card. Ordinarily this gives me effectively 2 Hilton points if I decide to convert the Club reward points to Hilton Honors. (Note - I have never converted my Club reward points to hotels points, I have used them exclusively for conversion to airline miles).

Similarly if one had 5000 Membership Reward points and wanted to convert those points to the Hilton program, one could ask American Express to do so and would get 6500 Hilton points (or 7800 points during an AMEX "promotion"). However one could do better by converting those Membership Reward points to 5000 Continental airline miles, and then ask Continental to convert them to 10,000 Hilton points.

As many of you already know, Hilton HHonors will be eliminating the VIP level award discount coupons this fall as well as increasing some of the award levels.

My question is....will there be increases in the number of points needed for the VIP Only awards? Anyone out there know?

I am interested in knowing as well whether the VIP award levels have been affected by the recent change. Real world inflation may be next to nil but is running away in the frequent flyer world !

I am interested in knowing as well whether the VIP award levels have been affected by the recent change. Real world inflation may be next to nil but is running away in the frequent flyer world !