3 Tickets To Shanghai With Amex Points
Sep 13, 2011, 8:46 am
#1
Original Poster
Join Date: Aug 2011
Location: Missouri
Posts: 36
3 Tickets To Shanghai With Amex Points
Hey guys and gals,
My mum has just informed me that we have close to 400,000 Amex points to spend and I was hoping to get my three roommates flights to Shanghai China during our winter break. I currently live in Columbia Missouri, but they'd likely being flying out of Chicago on Jan 2nd and return the 12th (Dates fairly flexible.)
I was playing with the Amex points feature ( I'm new to this travel hacking thing) and it appears to get them to Shanghai for free it would cost me 380,000 points. My dad is a platinum member so he gets the 20 percent rebate. I know paying with Amex points isn't always the most efficient method.
Ideally, I only want to use 200,000 or 250,000 points and then have them pay the rest of the fees (350-500 dollars each?) Any suggestions to the best way to go about this? What would be the best airlines to transfer the miles to?
Any help would be appreciated.
Thanks!
My mum has just informed me that we have close to 400,000 Amex points to spend and I was hoping to get my three roommates flights to Shanghai China during our winter break. I currently live in Columbia Missouri, but they'd likely being flying out of Chicago on Jan 2nd and return the 12th (Dates fairly flexible.)
I was playing with the Amex points feature ( I'm new to this travel hacking thing) and it appears to get them to Shanghai for free it would cost me 380,000 points. My dad is a platinum member so he gets the 20 percent rebate. I know paying with Amex points isn't always the most efficient method.
Ideally, I only want to use 200,000 or 250,000 points and then have them pay the rest of the fees (350-500 dollars each?) Any suggestions to the best way to go about this? What would be the best airlines to transfer the miles to?
Any help would be appreciated.
Thanks!
Sep 13, 2011, 9:51 am
#2
Join Date: Nov 2007
Location: IAD
Programs: No Loyalty to any airline
Posts: 2,378
I think you are posting in the wrong forum; maybe this will be moved to one where you can get more help.
Before moving any miles, you may want to look at eligible airlines and see who has these award flights available. Once you move the miles, you'll be stuck.
Before moving any miles, you may want to look at eligible airlines and see who has these award flights available. Once you move the miles, you'll be stuck.
Sep 13, 2011, 9:52 am
#3
In Memoriam
Join Date: Apr 2001
Location: dallas texas usa
Programs: aa plt 4.9MM LTAC
Posts: 14,828
your ? is not re mr's.....moderator has been alerted....another forum will probably get you better info....good luck...
ps.... you want another classmate for the trip?....
ps.... you want another classmate for the trip?....
Sep 13, 2011, 10:45 am
#4
Join Date: Feb 2011
Location: AUS
Programs: Doing GS11, probably affiliated with every program out there
Posts: 188
ok first of all, yes the post probably should be moved to amex mr forum. but here are some suggestions.
Transfer MR reward points to continental before Sep 30th. continental has direct flight from ORD (chicago O'Hare) to PVG (Shanghai Pudong) The reward needed per ticket is 65K so for 3 tickets you are looking at 195K miles (amex MR transfer to continental at 1:1 ratio). Or if you need 4 tickets, one for yourself? then it's another 65K. 260K total and I believe it's ~$100 or so for the fee (I just booked 2 award tickets for my parents last month :P). you are also allowed a stopover on the way so you can play with that on continental.com using multi-city routing. my parents flew out of MCO made a week long stop over in Calgary Canada then flew on to PVG which 65K miles each using continental's *A partners (united, air canada).
Transfer MR reward points to continental before Sep 30th. continental has direct flight from ORD (chicago O'Hare) to PVG (Shanghai Pudong) The reward needed per ticket is 65K so for 3 tickets you are looking at 195K miles (amex MR transfer to continental at 1:1 ratio). Or if you need 4 tickets, one for yourself? then it's another 65K. 260K total and I believe it's ~$100 or so for the fee (I just booked 2 award tickets for my parents last month :P). you are also allowed a stopover on the way so you can play with that on continental.com using multi-city routing. my parents flew out of MCO made a week long stop over in Calgary Canada then flew on to PVG which 65K miles each using continental's *A partners (united, air canada).
Sep 13, 2011, 10:54 am
#5
Join Date: Mar 2011
Posts: 349
Currently you can get 50% Delta bonus miles for transferring to Delta. (or 40% rebates in Amex points)
Delta flight to China is generally 70,000 miles x 4 is 280,000miles.
So you can transfer 187K points to Delta(should be 280K miles)
or you can do 280K points to Delta and wait for the 40% rebates in couple months.
I think it might be quite tough to get 4 award seats for January since it's pretty busy early January. I just checked Delta for you, no low mileage award seat until January 9th.
I checked continental, there's some seat available but direct flight(none)
Delta flight to China is generally 70,000 miles x 4 is 280,000miles.
So you can transfer 187K points to Delta(should be 280K miles)
or you can do 280K points to Delta and wait for the 40% rebates in couple months.
I think it might be quite tough to get 4 award seats for January since it's pretty busy early January. I just checked Delta for you, no low mileage award seat until January 9th.
I checked continental, there's some seat available but direct flight(none)
Sep 13, 2011, 11:10 am
#6
Join Date: Dec 2009
Location: ICT
Programs: AA ExP
Posts: 1,860
Don't transfer to DL, no way you'll find seats in Jan.
Transfer to CO. You'll prolly have to split up, some people go east, some west. If you're new to the game, I'd hire Gary or Ben to do the redemptions for you. It's gonna be tough to find seats on those dates.
Transfer to CO. You'll prolly have to split up, some people go east, some west. If you're new to the game, I'd hire Gary or Ben to do the redemptions for you. It's gonna be tough to find seats on those dates.
Sep 13, 2011, 11:17 am
#7
Join Date: Feb 2011
Location: AUS
Programs: Doing GS11, probably affiliated with every program out there
Posts: 188
I did a quick check on CO. 4 seats going out on Jan 3rd on Air Canada with connection in Toronto... not that bad right 
but it won't be a good stop over. too cold in the winter over there. maybe a trip to sunny CA on the way...
but it won't be a good stop over. too cold in the winter over there. maybe a trip to sunny CA on the way...
Sep 13, 2011, 3:03 pm
#8
Original Poster
Join Date: Aug 2011
Location: Missouri
Posts: 36
Thanks for the tips everyone! I don't need a ticket for myself as I'll already be with my family for a few weeks before. From what I see it's 120,000 points per person round trip yeah?
I'll keep looking!
Thanks again!
I'll keep looking!
Thanks again!
Sep 13, 2011, 3:34 pm
#10
Join Date: May 2011
Location: CT
Programs: HHonors Silver
Posts: 429
If your goal is to miniminze points used, but don't care much about the extra taxes/fees, then you should transfer MR to BA. Then use BA miles to book on AA or CX. This way, RT is only 50K per person, but of course, you need to pay a large YQ.
Sep 13, 2011, 6:02 pm
#11
Join Date: Oct 2009
Location: Somewhere over the rainbow
Programs: Airline Free Agent, Bonvoy Platinum, Hyatt Globalist
Posts: 3,811
Why not you just charge them a certain amount of money in exchange for the ticket? I'd be glad to be your roommate and go to China for a cheaper cost. They should appreciate your parent's willingness to get them tickets with their points. If I were your parents, I'd say "Are you drunk?".
Sep 13, 2011, 8:38 pm
#13
FlyerTalk Evangelist
Join Date: May 2002
Location: Pittsburgh
Programs: MR/SPG LT Titanium, AA LT PLT, UA SLV, Avis PreferredPlus
Posts: 31,008
Nevermind, user error....
As noted, CO is showing 65K availability for 1/1 or 1/3 - 1/12. You should grab those ASAP. The only challenge may be the points transfer if you haven't already established CO as a transfer partner. The actual transfer is typically near instantaneous from my experience with other partners.
As noted, CO is showing 65K availability for 1/1 or 1/3 - 1/12. You should grab those ASAP. The only challenge may be the points transfer if you haven't already established CO as a transfer partner. The actual transfer is typically near instantaneous from my experience with other partners.
Last edited by CPRich; Sep 14, 2011 at 10:13 am
Sep 13, 2011, 9:23 pm
#14
Join Date: Nov 2007
Posts: 609
Sep 15, 2011, 1:32 am
#15
A FlyerTalk Posting Legend
Join Date: Dec 2000
Location: Shanghai
Posts: 42,039
This is a good way to go. AA does not charge YQ on BA awards to China. Furthermore, ORD-PVG is a fairly easy redemption and LAX-PVG is a very easy redemption. Check availability before transferring, of course.