Velocity points or Amex Membership Rewards? Which should I choose? Please help...
Oct 10, 2017, 8:42 am
#1
Original Poster
Join Date: Jul 2017
Posts: 11
Velocity points or Amex Membership Rewards? Which should I choose? Please help...
Hi everyone, Please help me make the right decision...
I’m looking to book a $1,000 Virgin Australia flight from LAX to Melbourne...
I need trip cancellation insurance...
I have 2 options:
I’m a Virgin Australia silver member and a united milageplus member (no status).
Virgin Australia’s Velocity program is very limited, but does have partner airlines with Delta, Alitalia, Singapore air & Silk Air. Also Select codeshare flights operated by Virgin America & Etihad... (I don’t really use those airlines... I tend to stick with star Alliance)
Which website/ credit card should I use to maximize my points and guarantee trip cancellation insurance?
I’m looking to book a $1,000 Virgin Australia flight from LAX to Melbourne...
I need trip cancellation insurance...
I have 2 options:
- Book through Delta website, earn 5,400 Skymiles, pay for trip cancellation insurance... Pay with my platinum Amex and get 5,000 MR points. (The Skymiles I earn will be useless since I don’t fly delta)
- Book through the Virgin Australia website, earn 12,000 velocity points, pay with my Chase Milageplus Visa (which includes trip cancellation insurance). Earn only 1,000 United miles...
I’m a Virgin Australia silver member and a united milageplus member (no status).
Virgin Australia’s Velocity program is very limited, but does have partner airlines with Delta, Alitalia, Singapore air & Silk Air. Also Select codeshare flights operated by Virgin America & Etihad... (I don’t really use those airlines... I tend to stick with star Alliance)
Which website/ credit card should I use to maximize my points and guarantee trip cancellation insurance?
Oct 10, 2017, 10:06 am
#2
FlyerTalk Evangelist
Join Date: Dec 2003
Location: Not here; there!
Programs: AA Lifetime Gold
Posts: 29,588
Hi everyone, Please help me make the right decision...
I’m looking to book a $1,000 Virgin Australia flight from LAX to Melbourne...
I need trip cancellation insurance...
I have 2 options:
I’m a Virgin Australia silver member and a united milageplus member (no status).
Virgin Australia’s Velocity program is very limited, but does have partner airlines with Delta, Alitalia, Singapore air & Silk Air. Also Select codeshare flights operated by Virgin America & Etihad... (I don’t really use those airlines... I tend to stick with star Alliance)
Which website/ credit card should I use to maximize my points and guarantee trip cancellation insurance?
I’m looking to book a $1,000 Virgin Australia flight from LAX to Melbourne...
I need trip cancellation insurance...
I have 2 options:
- Book through Delta website, earn 5,400 Skymiles, pay for trip cancellation insurance... Pay with my platinum Amex and get 5,000 MR points. (The Skymiles I earn will be useless since I don’t fly delta)
- Book through the Virgin Australia website, earn 12,000 velocity points, pay with my Chase Milageplus Visa (which includes trip cancellation insurance). Earn only 1,000 United miles...
I’m a Virgin Australia silver member and a united milageplus member (no status).
Virgin Australia’s Velocity program is very limited, but does have partner airlines with Delta, Alitalia, Singapore air & Silk Air. Also Select codeshare flights operated by Virgin America & Etihad... (I don’t really use those airlines... I tend to stick with star Alliance)
Which website/ credit card should I use to maximize my points and guarantee trip cancellation insurance?
Can't you use either credit card at [any] airline site?
What is the cost of purchasing trip-cancellation insurance if you use your Amex card? Does that cost exceed the value of the 5,000 MR points you would earn?
Also, different insurance policies have different terms. Carefully compare the terms of the paid coverage with the terms of the free Chase/UA card coverage.
Even if you book through the Delta website, can't you still opt to earn Velocity points instead of Sky Miles?
Oct 10, 2017, 11:34 am
#3
Original Poster
Join Date: Jul 2017
Posts: 11
Can't you use either credit card at [any] airline site?
What is the cost of purchasing trip-cancellation insurance if you use your Amex card? Does that cost exceed the value of the 5,000 MR points you would earn?
Also, different insurance policies have different terms. Carefully compare the terms of the paid coverage with the terms of the free Chase/UA card coverage.
Even if you book through the Delta website, can't you still opt to earn Velocity points instead of Sky Miles?
Trip cancellation through delta costs $40...
I just checked and can either pay $921 and earn 4,606 MR points, or I can transfer 52,000 of my current MR points to pay for the entire flight...
I currently have 78,000 Amex MR points and was hoping to get a business class flight or 2 in the future... I shouldn’t use them now on this economy flight to Australia, right?
Oct 10, 2017, 12:23 pm
#4
FlyerTalk Evangelist
Join Date: Dec 2003
Location: Not here; there!
Programs: AA Lifetime Gold
Posts: 29,588
Airline miles (and credit-card points that can be converted to airline miles) are usually worth more when redeemed for premium-cabin International travel -- assuming that you can find low-tier award seats for when you want to travel.
Oct 12, 2017, 8:27 am
#6
Original Poster
Join Date: Jul 2017
Posts: 11
Thanks again Guv,
I just booked a UA reward saver business class flight from LHR to EWR... 55,000 miles... Very excited because this will be my 2nd business class flight in all my years of flying... Can’t wait to experience the Polaris
I just booked a UA reward saver business class flight from LHR to EWR... 55,000 miles... Very excited because this will be my 2nd business class flight in all my years of flying... Can’t wait to experience the Polaris
Oct 13, 2017, 9:34 am
#7
FlyerTalk Evangelist
Join Date: Dec 2003
Location: Not here; there!
Programs: AA Lifetime Gold
Posts: 29,588