Hotel Transfer Partners Best Value

Citylights18 · ‎04-20-2020

Right now the value of airline transfer partners is dubious at best. How about the hotels though? People will be back using those before getting into back into going to the airport.

A couple of common examples.

Chase->Hyatt

AMEX->Hilton

Some are saying that its hard to reedem Membership Rewards but I've seen transfer rates of 1:3 to Hilton. Even at a 0.6 valuation of Hilton miles that is still a 1.8 multiplier on your membership rewards.

For those who are still wanting to build points and miles the time may be to invest in a hotel earning system IMO.

Anonymous · ‎04-20-2020

TBH, Hotels are just as bad as Airports and Airplanes for germs. Both are going to need the traveler to bring a sufficient supply of sani-wipes.

And I blieve once we 're all able to travel again, you will find some really good deals on flights.

Hotel redemtions are hit or miss on value.

notmyrealname23 · ‎04-20-2020

Chase is reasonable value for Hyatt at 1:1, I am not sure I would be doing AMEX->Hilton at 1:2 though (which is the typical transfer ratio), or AMEX->Marriott at 1:1.

I use a value of about 1.7 cents per point for MR or UR, 1.5 for Hyatt, 0.7 for Marriott, 0.5 for Hilton... so you see where there's some leakage if you do 1 Amex: 2 Hilton or 1 AMEX: 1 Marriott.

Right now I'm chugging through a SUB for the Hilton no-AF AMEX (80k if you go off the Hilton page). For 1k in spend over 6 months, $400 in value for hotel points (good for at least one night through most of the system, not too hard to turn it into 2-3 on lower end hotels) on a no-AF card is pretty good, and this also gives you a reasonable no-AF grocery or gas card at over 2% (5x in those categories, so in effect 2.5% back for spend in these categories on top of the SUB). The Surpass and Aspire are also reasonably decent cards for the benefit packages they give you- my plan is to try and get SUBs on all three cards, while keeping the no-AF card, then double-dip with upgrade offers on the no-AF card after I get the lifetime SUBs, if they'll let me.

AMEX did just buy a billion dollars worth of Hilton points...

Citylights18 · ‎04-20-2020

Yes there will be great prices on flights when they open back up but there is going to be limited route availability. So you'll have to take whatever airline you can get.

https://thepointsguy.com/news/jetblue-spirit-rejected-by-dot-on-nearly-all-bailout-waiver-requests/

Hotels however will be there in every market once you arrive at your destination. While the redemption rates in some cases may not be optimal it is an outlet for using surplus points.

The airline cards at the $95 dollar price point require at least one trip per year to recover AF. Free bags for one person R/T and seat upgrades will probably do that for you. The hotel cards in some cases with free night awards annually can be worth several hundred dollars. Plus other perks associated with having a card such as late checkout and high bonus points per dollar on hotel purchases.

While I question the value proposition of the individual airlines in the future, I find it very difficult to get value out of any of the airline card offerings on a consistent enough basis. Particularly once you get beyond one airline card for something that is a 2nd or 3rd flying option.

notmyrealname23 · ‎04-20-2020

@Citylights18 wrote:
Yes there will be great prices on flights when they open back up but there is going to be limited route availability. So you'll have to take whatever airline you can get.

That's why I prefer keeping most of my AMEX in MR at the moment (I topped up my Hilton account though, using the 1 MR: 3 Hilton bonus so I'll have a six digit balance once my SUB is done, plus some ongoing grocery/gas spend). That way once the dust settles I'll figure out where the MR balances go. If I'm lucky there might be a fat Cathay transfer balance bonus at some point, though BA, Aeroplan or Avianca could work out too.

I don't find the AMEX Delta cards nearly as attractive as the AMEX Hilton ones, like you say; I agree benefits are better for the hotel cards (especially for my travel style; I only check luggage when bringing back exotic booze, thanks to the TSA War On Duty Free, and I value spend bonuses, and airline cards generally suck for spend bonus compared to AMEX native). The no-fee Delta card is not a very attrative SUB, spend bonus or benefit package to blow a 5/24 slot on... the Hilton no-AF card was much better for that.

Citylights18 · ‎04-30-2020

The big hotel chains Marriot, Hilton and now Hyatt are going state of the art with cleaning rooms.

https://thepointsguy.com/news/hyatt-plans-fight-coronavirus/?utm_source=Coronavirus%20Newsletter%208...

There are other congolomerates like IHG and Choice that I'm sure are plannig the same. They will all have a big advantage over airb&b and vacation rentals where they don't have the capital for deep cleaning.

KJinNC · ‎04-30-2020

How are you going to get to a Hilton that you want to stay in without flying?

I mean, it can happen (drive 3 hours to the beach or mountains or to go to somebody's wedding or whatever), but it's not the standard way you'd reach a significant destination.

IMO, travel will all come back together, as an ecosystem including airlines/airports and hotels.

I do not know which hotel card/point system is the best value. I use Hilton, but, that's just because I decided to pick one and that's the one I picked. I have been happy with Hilton and the Aspire card. With airlines, I got the Delta Platinum when they had the 100k SkyMiles welcome offer. That card is always a good value IMO if you fly Delta, but the welcome offer made it a REALLY good value.

For now, though, I would rather just stockpile MRs. JMO!

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notmyrealname23 · ‎04-30-2020

@KJinNC wrote:
How are you going to get to a Hilton that you want to stay in without flying?

I do three hour drives to neighboring cities for weekend vacations, where I'd stay at a Hilton as a potential hotel I'd pick, all the time.

I agree on stockpiling transferrable points over concentrating in a single loyalty program, save for the "there's a sweet SUB" or "I have specific spend reasons/plans why this actually makes sense" cases.

wasCB14 · ‎04-30-2020

Five years ago I stayed at a Fairfield Inn (Marriott Cat 8 in NYC) where management didn't enforce the no-smoking policy. I'm dubious about how long it will take for ALL properties to adopt effective cleaning practices...especially when most people will have a hard time knowing what additional covid-related cleaning was actually done.

Personal spend: Amex Gold, Amex Schwab Plat., BofA PR+CCR(x2), Costco
Business use: Amex Bus. Plat., BBP, Lowes Amex AU, CFU AU
Perks: Delta Plat., United Explorer, IHG49, Hyatt, "Old SPG"
Mostly SD: Freedom Flex, Freedom, Arrival
Upgrade/Downgrade games: ED, BCE
SUB chasing: AA Platinum Select

Citylights18 · ‎04-30-2020

@wasCB14 wrote:
Five years ago I stayed at a Fairfield Inn (Marriott Cat 8 in NYC) where management didn't enforce the no-smoking policy. I'm dubious about how long it will take for ALL properties to adopt effective cleaning practices...especially when most people will have a hard time knowing what additional covid-related cleaning was actually done.

If you're skeptical with Marriot about this where does it leave RCI? They've got to be finished.

Airlines will never be the same value proposition as they were before. It makes no sense to pick up a priority pass card anytime soon.

What are you left with if you want a point system? Pretty much leaves a AMEX Gold or Green, CSP or the hotel cards thinking that you may buy some hotels.

I've got funerals to go to out of town once the pandemic is over and guess what its going to require a hotel stay. I drive out to grocery store past hotels and guess what they have cars parked at them. My excess Chase points need somwhere to go.