Hello all, I am new to this forum but I think I know a just few things on miles, so here I am to have some fun and get info while maybe assisting others. It looks like a solid place to do just that!

So I do have my first question regarding United miles and hotel programs: My wife has 5000 UAL miles. She probably will not use or bost them up, and they wont expire for a long while, so why not try something else...

We want to know what, if any hotel programs you recommend that she can convert them to, understanding there may be some points lost, that would gain the best hotel type or program incentive. I am a member of Starwood Platinum but no other hotel program to date and so we don't know which route to go when trying to use these for at least one night's stay at any level someday in some program we could now join.

So, kinda of like I said, I have a little mile know-how, but not much on hotel info.

Any thoughts?
Thanks!

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If speed is not your thing, distance may as well be. Enjoy and embrace it all!

Only option that I know of is United->Hilton

Cool, and thanks. BUT HOW is this done?
Anyone know the steps or best ways to maximize ones conversion to said program?


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If speed is not your thing, distance may as well be. Enjoy and embrace it all!

http://www.hilton.com/en/hhonors/rewards/exchange_2.jhtml

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More Room Throughout Coach: the Website of Free Miles and Free Markets

[This message has been edited by gleff (edited 11-05-2002).]

Just call United Mileage Plus and tell them you want to transfer the miles. They'll ask you the HHonors number to transfer to. Online you can check your mileage summary and see that they have left your account. You have to be patient for them to show up in your HHonors accounts (6 weeks is normal).
The miles translate 1:2, 1 mile gives you 2 HHonors points. Transfers have to be multiples of 5000 miles.

Thanks all thus far! I have seen some of their site info now and must join the program at Hilton. (Now the other question is, of course, are there any bonusses to join HHilton and if so, what may they be? If they have a referral program, I will let myself be referred by any of you on here who have helped if this gains you points!)

Since I am not yet an HHilton member, I feel so... new to this one! Wow, brings me back to the early days of my own FF programs.
Yes, i know they take a while to post to the new hotel acct, but the funny thing is that my wife has EXCACTLY 5000 UAL miles... Exactly. Couldnt be better, I suppose, as she never flies them anyway.

I may have it so SHE signs up but I may also wanna try to see if I can put HER UAL miles into a new ACCT that I open at HH! I wonder if that will work?

Sorry for all the questions.

Not quite sure what you intend to do, but the names on the UA and HH accounts have to match exactly.

The best way for both of you to have access to the miles is to sign up for two HHonors accounts, one in your name, one in your wife's.

After your wife transfers her miles into her HH account, you can then combine yours and hers, a convenient feature HHonors offers to spouses.

HHonors grants 500 points per profile update, up to twice per quarter. If you do this after signing up, by the time the UA points are in you could wait until 1/1/03 for another round of profile updates before combining accounts, and end up with 14,000 points in the combined account in two months.

I would recommend scouring the Hilton forum for more points earning ideas. HH has many promotions.

If you sign up for Hilton HHonors online, you get a 1,000 point bonus (offer valid until 12/31/02).

https://www.hiltonhhonors.com/enroll/enroll1.asp

PS- I am pretty sure that the names in UA and HH programs must match exactly for the transfer to work.

You get 1000 points for opening an account. You get 1000 points for a Member Get a Member referral. You get 1000 points per quarter for updating your profile twice.

Open accounts for both of you. Have your wife e-mail HH that she referred you (or vis versa). For the referral she gets 1000 points plus 1000 points per stay by the referral up to 5 a year.

Thank you all again!
I will check out the HHilton stuff some more and both of us will join. We may as well, since it seems the best way anyhow. I understand that it needs to be the same name (miles and hotel point transfers). I had been thinking of keeping it simply but I will join HHilton.

Dave, since you mentioned it, if I understand correctly, there is a referral bonus so if you wish to be the "member get member" referrer for my new acct, then tell me what I need to provide in order for you to get that first bonus for when I sign up later today! I can wait to hear back from you... Especially since I think I see that you are from the same town I am from anyhow! What odds indeed. My email (in case it does not show up in the newly set up prefs, is [email protected] and if you need more info for this one, let me know.

After I join thru your referral, I will then refer my own wife's new acct and we will take all the above advice!

Thanks again, all.