70% bonus on purchased elevate pts through Dec 12
Nov 20, 2014, 1:44 pm
#1
FlyerTalk Evangelist
Original Poster
Join Date: Oct 2014
Posts: 10,904
70% bonus on purchased elevate pts through Dec 12
Offer:
70% bonus for buying or gifting 6k or more pts (smaller bonuses for buying < 6k). Does not appear to be targeted.
My Analysis:
This values the pts at a little more than 3c each (or a little less than 3c if you include the pts that you get for charging the transaction to your VX CC)
This is not a good deal if you use pts for domestic travel with VX (they are worth 2.2c each then) but it can be a good (not great) deal if you have a particular international partner award in mind, and there is availability
For example, you can fly roundtrip SFO - Asia (various destinations) on Singapore airlines for 40k (economy), 95k (business), or 130k (first) pts + $38 in fees.
You can't buy or receive more than 20k pts in a calendar year, before bonus (so, 34k after the bonus). I think that these are separate totals, so you could buy 20k for yourself (getting 34k) and have a friend gift you another 20k (paying with your credit card) for another 34k. Add in the pts you get for putting the transactions on your VX CC and that's 70k pts for $2080.
(purchase is processed by points.com, so you get 1 elevate pt per $ spent, not 3)
70% bonus for buying or gifting 6k or more pts (smaller bonuses for buying < 6k). Does not appear to be targeted.
My Analysis:
This values the pts at a little more than 3c each (or a little less than 3c if you include the pts that you get for charging the transaction to your VX CC)
This is not a good deal if you use pts for domestic travel with VX (they are worth 2.2c each then) but it can be a good (not great) deal if you have a particular international partner award in mind, and there is availability
For example, you can fly roundtrip SFO - Asia (various destinations) on Singapore airlines for 40k (economy), 95k (business), or 130k (first) pts + $38 in fees.
You can't buy or receive more than 20k pts in a calendar year, before bonus (so, 34k after the bonus). I think that these are separate totals, so you could buy 20k for yourself (getting 34k) and have a friend gift you another 20k (paying with your credit card) for another 34k. Add in the pts you get for putting the transactions on your VX CC and that's 70k pts for $2080.
(purchase is processed by points.com, so you get 1 elevate pt per $ spent, not 3)
Nov 21, 2014, 11:50 am
#2
Join Date: Aug 2008
Location: San Francisco
Programs: AA EXP; Marriott BonVoy Titanium Elite, Marriott LT Plat.
Posts: 1,720
Interesting indeed!!! Was just looking at ways to grow my VX account now that I will be traveling to Asia a bit more these days.
The earn pts route on their partners going there isn't that appealing since they are at a reduced rate per mile traveled. But just might be worth it to just bank pts instead and redeem them later.
The earn pts route on their partners going there isn't that appealing since they are at a reduced rate per mile traveled. But just might be worth it to just bank pts instead and redeem them later.
Nov 30, 2014, 3:44 pm
#4
FlyerTalk Evangelist
Original Poster
Join Date: Oct 2014
Posts: 10,904
I think so. I'd call and ask to be sure, if it was important to me that I either do both or neither.
I actually think that during FTE, it's a better deal to just fly F to rack up pts. $5k of F fares purchased on the VX visa gets you 115k pts plus status bonus, and 50k status pts (gold next year). Not to mention, you get all those first class flights.
I actually think that during FTE, it's a better deal to just fly F to rack up pts. $5k of F fares purchased on the VX visa gets you 115k pts plus status bonus, and 50k status pts (gold next year). Not to mention, you get all those first class flights.