Best way to get Honors points OUT
#1
Original Poster
Join Date: Feb 2001
Location: MCI ** UA Plat, Marriott Lifetime Plat
Posts: 1,242
Best way to get Honors points OUT
I've attained HHonors Gold and SPG Platinum and will no longer be staying at any Hilton properties. I tried to make a reservation using HHonors points at a Hampton inn in a po-dunk town I would be traveling to for a medical emergency and was informed their capacity controls had kicked in and they had no rooms available for award stays (at any point level). Given that this sort of practice HUGELY devalues my points, I'm going to stick with Starwood (where they have NO blackouts and NO capacity controls -- if you can buy a room, you can get the award period).
I'm looking for the best way to get the points out of HHonors and into something else. I've got FF accounts with CO, NW, AA, US and Delta, but tend to fly CO/NW most. Is there anything better than a straight swap for FF miles (at 10:1 ratio, which sucks)?
I'm looking for the best way to get the points out of HHonors and into something else. I've got FF accounts with CO, NW, AA, US and Delta, but tend to fly CO/NW most. Is there anything better than a straight swap for FF miles (at 10:1 ratio, which sucks)?
#2
Join Date: May 1999
Posts: 6,084
<font face="Verdana, Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif" size="2">Originally posted by holland:
Is there anything better than a straight swap for FF miles (at 10:1 ratio, which sucks)?</font>
Is there anything better than a straight swap for FF miles (at 10:1 ratio, which sucks)?</font>
For more information, see http://www.hilton.com/en/hhonors/rew...change_2.jhtml .
#5
Join Date: May 1999
Posts: 6,084
<font face="Verdana, Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif" size="2">Originally posted by holland:
I've got just over 125K in my account</font>
I've got just over 125K in my account</font>
http://www.hilton.com/en/hhonors/rewards/airline.jhtml
#7
Join Date: Nov 2001
Location: Home of the El Dorado Promise
Posts: 462
<font face="Verdana, Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif" size="2">Originally posted by holland:
5:1 is much better than 10:1, my mistake.
I've got just over 125K in my account and about 10K in my wife's.</font>
5:1 is much better than 10:1, my mistake.
I've got just over 125K in my account and about 10K in my wife's.</font>
Just remember, Good judgment comes from experience, and a lot of that comes from bad judgment.
Good luck.
#8
Join Date: Jul 2000
Location: BOS, SEA
Programs: AA Lifetime Gold, DL Gold, LP ex-Millionaire!
Posts: 565
Eugene,
Would you mind explaining how these awards work? Are the tickets issued as regular revenue tickets or are the points passed through the airline ff program, which then issues an award ticket?
If they are rev fares, in what class are they issued?
Do the awards work the same for all airlines, including partner airlines? For example, does the AP14 award on South Africa Airlines earn ff points on Delta?
I'm slowly transferring some of my million LP miles into HHonors and am looking for creative ways to use them. I don't know how I missed this award. It sounds quite promising. While I'm asking a million questions--how is availability or award seats, are there blackout dates, etc.?
I'll call Hhonors to find out how to redeem these awards but would appreciate any tips and tricks you can give from your own experience.
Thanks.
Would you mind explaining how these awards work? Are the tickets issued as regular revenue tickets or are the points passed through the airline ff program, which then issues an award ticket?
If they are rev fares, in what class are they issued?
Do the awards work the same for all airlines, including partner airlines? For example, does the AP14 award on South Africa Airlines earn ff points on Delta?
I'm slowly transferring some of my million LP miles into HHonors and am looking for creative ways to use them. I don't know how I missed this award. It sounds quite promising. While I'm asking a million questions--how is availability or award seats, are there blackout dates, etc.?
I'll call Hhonors to find out how to redeem these awards but would appreciate any tips and tricks you can give from your own experience.
Thanks.
#9
Join Date: May 1999
Posts: 6,084
stephlac -- Let me try to answer some of your questions based on my (somewhat limited) personal experience. I'm sure that others will jump in and cover the gaps in my explanation.
First, when you redeem HH points for an airline award (or a VIP award that includes tickets), you receive a voucher to present to the airline. You don't receive airline miles in your account (the way Marriott does the transfer). Then you have to exchange those vouchers for actual tickets. Depending on the airline, some of those vouchers are for an award ticket (e.g., UA, in V class), some are for a "revenue" ticket (e.g., AA, in N class). Not completely sure if technically you can truly call it a revenue ticket, but AA tickets issued on a HH award earn mileage.
One thing to remember, that inventory for tickets issued on, let's say, award ticket on UA paid for with HH points, is different from UA Mileage Plus award inventory (typically, availability is much better with HH awards). And yes, there are blackout dates, but it has been reported ( http://www.flyertalk.com/forum/Forum57/HTML/003845.html ) that sometimes those blackout dates while stated by HH, are not enforced by UA. An important thing to keep in mind that those tickets (at least on UA) are not upgradeable.
First, when you redeem HH points for an airline award (or a VIP award that includes tickets), you receive a voucher to present to the airline. You don't receive airline miles in your account (the way Marriott does the transfer). Then you have to exchange those vouchers for actual tickets. Depending on the airline, some of those vouchers are for an award ticket (e.g., UA, in V class), some are for a "revenue" ticket (e.g., AA, in N class). Not completely sure if technically you can truly call it a revenue ticket, but AA tickets issued on a HH award earn mileage.
One thing to remember, that inventory for tickets issued on, let's say, award ticket on UA paid for with HH points, is different from UA Mileage Plus award inventory (typically, availability is much better with HH awards). And yes, there are blackout dates, but it has been reported ( http://www.flyertalk.com/forum/Forum57/HTML/003845.html ) that sometimes those blackout dates while stated by HH, are not enforced by UA. An important thing to keep in mind that those tickets (at least on UA) are not upgradeable.
#10
Join Date: Jul 2001
Programs: Hilton Lifetime Diamond
Posts: 1,266
<font face="Verdana, Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif" size="2">Originally posted by stephlac:
While I'm asking a million questions--how is availability or award seats, are there blackout dates, etc.?
Thanks.</font>
While I'm asking a million questions--how is availability or award seats, are there blackout dates, etc.?
Thanks.</font>
[This message has been edited by milesmilesmiles (edited 03-25-2002).]
#12
Join Date: Jul 2001
Programs: Hilton Lifetime Diamond
Posts: 1,266
<font face="Verdana, Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif" size="2">Originally posted by milesmilesmiles:
Here's a link to get you started...
http://www.hilton.com/en/hhonors/rewards/vip.jhtml
</font>
Here's a link to get you started...
http://www.hilton.com/en/hhonors/rewards/vip.jhtml
</font>
[This message has been edited by milesmilesmiles (edited 03-25-2002).]
#13
Join Date: Jul 2000
Location: BOS, SEA
Programs: AA Lifetime Gold, DL Gold, LP ex-Millionaire!
Posts: 565
Wow. Thanks for the quick responses.
If these tickets are issued as N fares on AA then that is very good news. These fares are upgradable and they qualify for mileage bonuses such as the USAJP multiple RT bonus. Can I get an award to any place that AA flies or just to cities with Hilton properties (should be an huge overlap, in any case).
Does anyone have any experience with the South Africa Airlines awards? Do these earn Delta Skymiles?
If these tickets are issued as N fares on AA then that is very good news. These fares are upgradable and they qualify for mileage bonuses such as the USAJP multiple RT bonus. Can I get an award to any place that AA flies or just to cities with Hilton properties (should be an huge overlap, in any case).
Does anyone have any experience with the South Africa Airlines awards? Do these earn Delta Skymiles?
#14
Join Date: May 1999
Posts: 6,084
You may want to check if those fares on AA are upgradeable, and by which means (miles vs. VIPOW vs. stickers for domestic segments). Also, see this thread: http://www.flyertalk.com/forum/Forum57/HTML/003195.html .
No experience with the South Africa Airlines awards, sorry.
No experience with the South Africa Airlines awards, sorry.
#15
Join Date: Sep 1999
Location: too far from the airport
Posts: 3,296
AA fares are of the I kind, they're not published, and I've been told by the special promotion desk that they can only be upgraded domestically with 500-mile stickers. VIPOW's can't be used to upgrade these fares.