Anyone like a challenge?
 

I'm not sure if this is where I would post this, but I need help. You guys seem so mileage saavy I thought I would ask for your assistance. Here's my question:

My sister, neice and I would like to travel to MSP from MSY ($262/person on AirTran) for a weekend and stay at the Residence Inn (Category 3- $89/nt) for three nights. My husband and I have a small number of miles in many different airlines and hotel accounts. Is there anything I can do with the following to cut down on costs. SWA doesn't fly to MSP, but I can get $300/ticket on Ebay to apply toward my costs. Here's what I have:

Continental: 5,060 - Me
Continental: 6,060 - Spouse
Continental: 2,548 - Spouse - he has two ?
AA: 3,000 - Spouse
AA: 1,700 - Me
Marriott: 21,750 - Spouse
HHonors: 7,000 - Spouse
HHonors: 7,000 - Me
PriorityClub: 3,770 - Me
US Air: 3,882 - Me
Delta: 7,628 - Me
Rapid Rewards: 9 - Me
MyPoints 12,000 - Me
AmEx 12,500 - Me
Milesource: 1,254 - Me

Anyone interested in helping me figure this one out is welcome to email me with questions or advice at [email protected]

I will start with a partial response: consolidate the accounts whenever possible. That is the first thing you should do before going any further, in my opinion.

Combine your Hilton HHonors and your husband’s Hilton HHonors accounts into one joint account, as Hilton allows you to do this. You will then have 14,000 Hilton HHonors points with which to work towards an award.

Then, combine your husband’s two Continental OnePass accounts into one.

I looked on the HHonors website and found this:

Can I transfer my HHonors points to someone else's HHonors account? (Top)

No. Points you earn as an HHonors member are meant to reward you personally for your patronage and cannot be transferred to another account. However, you may request HHonors Rewards in someone else's name.

Is there some what around this?

Look up the HHonors Mutual Fund here:

http://www.hilton.com/en/hhonors/med...r_Benefits.pdf

My wife and I combined our Hilton accounts this year. (See the previously posted URL.) You just have to prove that you're a couple at the same address. (We used a cancelled check with both of our names on it.)

Before doing this you might consider moving the My Points into your Hilton account. My Points seems to be picky about issuing Hilton rewards if the names don't match.


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"I was once dissappointed that I didn't get an upgrade, then I saw a homeless man without shoes. Somehow, the upgrade didn't seem all that important."

Briefly, tarmand, the Hilton HHonors Mutual Fund allows a married couple to combine two accounts into one. There is no cost for this service from Hilton HHonors. The Hilton HHonors Mutual Fund is different from transferring points from one account to another.

Thanks everyone. I will do that tonight. I don't want to transfer the mypoints yet because I'm thinking it might help me more to transfer them in Marriott Rewards. Hilton requires 85,000 points for a SWA ticket whereas with Marriott Rewards, you can transfer for Rapid Rewards credits and I'm thinking that would help me more in this instance. Even if the conversion rate is a killer.

Three hotel options:

(1) Most of the MSP Residence Inns are participating in both the Summer and Fall reduced-point awards. 19,000 points gets you 2 nights, and availability generally isn't a problem. You already have a nice rate for a Res Inn, but a penny-a-point yield on such a small number of points is actually pretty good. There's $200 right there, and you have just enough points to do it.

(2) You could also use Priceline to save money on the hotels: you'd probably pay around $50/nt. for a 3* hotel, give or take a few bucks. You might not get a place with free breakfast, and it might not be as roomy as a Res Inn.

(3) Use a Marriott Elite Offer to get a 2-for-1 weekend at a Marriott. (Must be a real Marriott, not an RI, but there are nice and cheap Marriotts in MSP.) If you aren't Marriott Elite, check out the Marriott forum: I noticed quite a few people offering to give their extras away. Only good if your stay is this month or next.

Although I'm usually a big fan of (2), I am doing both (1) and (3) in Minneapolis in the next three months.

If you only got HHonors points for profile updates, they might not let you consolodate the two accounts.

you are only allowed to have 1 spouse.

Lemonthrower is probably referring to this:

Sorry, I meant my husband has two Continental accounts.

Thanks for the help. However, we have decided to either book a Priceline, Marriott or Expedia vacation. It seems to be a cheap route without any headache.

tarmand,

Here's what I would do if I had all those orphaned points. I would concentrate on accuring Hilton points.

1. The Continental frequent flyers have a hard time getting an award date they want. So if you think it will take a long time to build up your accounts to 25,000 miles, I would exchange the miles (in 5,000 mile increments) for Hilton points (which would give you and your husband each 10,000 points. But you must do this right away, because effective September 1, Hilton will no longer exchange Continental miles for points. It will take several weeks for the points to post to your accounts. You may have to have help from Hilton to speed up the process. They have liasion people to work with Continental.

2. Redeem your 12,000 Mypoints to Hilton points.

3. Then after all of the above takes place, go to the Hilton website and apply for the Hilton Mutual Fund.

You will now have 46,000 points in one account. If you go to Minneapolis often, there are several category 2 Hilton brands in the Bloomington/Minneapolis area and one in category 1. And these hotels have several point stretcher dates now, which means you can stay 3 nights for 45,000 points.

Also, if you don't have the no annual fee Hilton credit cards (Hilton American Exress platinum and the Hilton Platinum Visa) you can apply and get more points. See the Hilton website.

I had two Continential accounts. (one old one from 1980's and a new one). I asked if they could combine two into one. They did it for me. I explained that I flew CO & didn't have the old number & opened the new account so I could get the miles for travel. After a little while (like a month or two), then have the husband's combined account merged with the wife's account. Hope this helps.