mlpinto

Hi

Hope this is an easy question...

My PC account is set up to earn BA miles. I have a 5000 point Ambassador voucher to claim - do I need to change my earning preference to points before depositing this or will the points post anyway?

Similarly, if I sign up for points bonuses on stays and my account is set-up for miles will I get the bonus points?

Cheers

Marcel

pranu

mlpinto the fine print on the voucher says that you will get 1250 miles if you are a mile collector.

Similarly for promotions - it depends on the promotion itself. For example there has been and is going to be a double miles/points promotion - which means double either way. But some promotions are points only - while some are miles only.

So you have to look and judge.

mlpinto

Ah - thanks. That will teach me to read the small print!

The offers I had in mind were the recent stay x nights and earn x points promos. I was wondering if I could get the miles for a stay (better value from HI stays) but still get bonus points towards status.

Thanks for the help

Marcel

Standby4321

I don't collect BA miles, so I don't have a mental value that I would place on them for quick comparison purposes. For my own primary program, I value a mile at 1.5 cents (U.S.). I value a PC point at .5 cent. Holiday Inns credit 2.5 miles per $1 U.S. dollar (or equivalent) of the billing or 10 PC points, plus elite bonuses. Even without bonuses, points are the better deal because base points = 5 cents per $1 spent vs. 3.75 cents in miles per $1 spent. With elite bonuses, there is no contest. You get them as a points collector and you don't get them as a miles collector.

So my advice is to calculate the value of a PC point and a BA mile in your currency of choice. Then take into consideration any program differences or nuances that may apply to your situation. If you're staying enough to pick up points off the hurdle promos, you might very well be better off taking points instead of miles -- especially if you can convert them to miles later anyway at a decent conversion rate.

Depending on earning and redemption patterns of the account holders discussing it, all of these calculations could be subject to debate. That's just how I figure it for myself.

Shareholder

All PC promotions have pts/miles on offer. If you default to miles, you get that version. If points, you get those. It's a very simple proposition, and with all things, just read the fine print and most answers are found within. You can go on line and change your default, but you cannot retroactively change.

pranu

Right - And under MOST circumstances - you can just collect points and then convert them to miles later. You dont lose anything since your earning and later conversion is at the same ratio.

Drawback - later conversion has to be in certain multiples as opposed to a as many as you have conversation.

ANd the reason I say MOST circumstances is because you sometimes have something as special as the 25k Delta miles for Ambassador Status Purchase Promotion. Then you have to be a mile collector and specifically with the particular airline - Delta in this case.

As Shareholder mentioned just read the fine print. :-)

Raffles

Remember that BA is offering a 2,000 BA Mile bonus if you convert PC points into BA Miles before 30 January. If you deposit the voucher as points and then ring PC to convert it to BA Miles (assuming you have the 10,000 minimum), you will get the bonus. I don't know if you would get the bonus if you deposited the voucher directly as BA Miles - possibly not.

You may also want to delay converting the voucher until 1 January, as it will then count towards your qualification for Platinum status in 2005 (assuming you won't hit it in 2004). You may think that 60,000 points is unobtainable, but given the number of points promos knocking about you never know.

mlpinto

RJB - Thanks for pointing the BA conversion bonus out. I had already decided not to deposit the voucher until after New Year for the reasons you explained.

I'd like to try to hit the BA conversion bonus which I may be able to do if my MBNA points come through in time (some hope...).

However, do points count towards status once converted to miles? i.e. If I convert 15K of points in January and then earn another 45K through the year will I still qualify for Platinum of do I need a balance of 60K?

Cheers

Marcel

Stefan Daystrom

Since you don't collect BA miles, you're apparently not aware that earning miles with many non-US airlines (including BA) is NOT a straight 1-to-4 conversion (like the later points-to-miles conversion rate). You earn a flat 500 BA miles per stay, even for a one-night stay at a $60/night rate at an Express. Even with a Platinum bonus, you'd earn 1200 points which would would convert to 300 miles. So it makes NO sense to earn points instead of miles if you're aim is BA miles, unless you're taking part in promos which get you huge bonuses (more than just the Platinum bonus) which you wouldn't get AT ALL if you collected miles, OR if your stays are at more expensive properties (or for more nights) so that even after 4-to-1 conversion you come up at least even by collecting points first.