Personal Finance

What would you do with 200,000 AMEX Membership Rewards Points

  • Last Updated:
  • Jan 5th, 2016 12:27 pm
Tags:
None
Deal Addict
User avatar
Feb 19, 2014
3352 posts
2339 upvotes
Langley

What would you do with 200,000 AMEX Membership Rewards Points

I have about 200k AMEX MR points and my card is coming up for renewal in Feb 2016.

I don't use the AMEX as much anymore since I got my BMO Mastercard, so i'm thinking of getting rid of my AMEX since I don't want to pay the $150 annual fee.

Some other travel info:
I have about 150k Aeroplan points.
I will be planning an Asia or Europe trip in 2017 with my wife. What would be the best allocation of the AMEX MR points?

Thank you!
17 replies
Deal Fanatic
Feb 15, 2006
9183 posts
3861 upvotes
Toronto
You can transfer 1-1 Amex to aeropeso.

You can redeem for GC.

You can book travel and pay with those Amex points.

There are others, can look into their reward offering details to find out.
Sr. Member
User avatar
Apr 5, 2009
948 posts
334 upvotes
Toronto
You can sign up for another card of the same type and keep your points until you are ready to book your trip and know where you want to transfer them, since they have so many choices of airline and hotel programs to transfer to.

For example, you can sign up for the Business Gold Rewards card (self refer and get 10,000 points for doing nothing), fill out your existing card number on the application, and your two accounts will be linked. You can then cancel the old card and keep the new one for another year (it's FYF). Your points will be saved! If you are willing to give that new Amex card some use, the referral application is eligible for additional 40K points if you spend $5K on it in 3 months.
Deal Fanatic
User avatar
Oct 23, 2006
5313 posts
2518 upvotes
Winnipeg
jellytime wrote: I have about 200k AMEX MR points and my card is coming up for renewal in Feb 2016.

I don't use the AMEX as much anymore since I got my BMO Mastercard, so i'm thinking of getting rid of my AMEX since I don't want to pay the $150 annual fee.

Some other travel info:
I have about 150k Aeroplan points.
I will be planning an Asia or Europe trip in 2017 with my wife. What would be the best allocation of the AMEX MR points?

Thank you!
Perhaps a transfer to SPG? THat would net you 75,000 SPG.

I personally would send at least 80,000 MR to SPG

That would be 40,000 SPG. With the 5th night free (ongoing Promo using points), you can get great value, especially with the exchange rate where it is (also there is no added tax)

Check to see if any Starwood properties fit your Asia/Europe plans.

You could also transfer them to asia miles, if you have flights to book while travelling, but I am by no means any expert to ask about asia miles and availability
Deal Addict
User avatar
Aug 5, 2011
2313 posts
192 upvotes
YF
I like to use them towards travel purchases, better value than redeeming GC. I heard transferring to Avios (BA) is another good option when they are on sale.
Deal Addict
May 15, 2013
2048 posts
636 upvotes
Alberta
I'd share them with RFD fellow readers.
Deal Addict
User avatar
Feb 19, 2014
3352 posts
2339 upvotes
Langley
greenmoon wrote: You can sign up for another card of the same type and keep your points until you are ready to book your trip and know where you want to transfer them, since they have so many choices of airline and hotel programs to transfer to.

For example, you can sign up for the Business Gold Rewards card (self refer and get 10,000 points for doing nothing), fill out your existing card number on the application, and your two accounts will be linked. You can then cancel the old card and keep the new one for another year (it's FYF). Your points will be saved! If you are willing to give that new Amex card some use, the referral application is eligible for additional 40K points if you spend $5K on it in 3 months.
Man, I wonder why I never thought of that. The business gold card didn't even cross my mind, thanks!!! Though, I don't think I could spend $5k in 3months. Well, I couldn't spend that with my current expenses anyway.

Thanks for the tip, i'll likely self refer for the business gold!!!

So, when I apply, I just add my current regular amex gold card number on the application?
coleworld wrote: Perhaps a transfer to SPG? THat would net you 75,000 SPG.

I personally would send at least 80,000 MR to SPG

That would be 40,000 SPG. With the 5th night free (ongoing Promo using points), you can get great value, especially with the exchange rate where it is (also there is no added tax)

Check to see if any Starwood properties fit your Asia/Europe plans.

You could also transfer them to asia miles, if you have flights to book while travelling, but I am by no means any expert to ask about asia miles and availability
I was thinking about doing this, but for whatever reason, I feel that i'm losing out since its 2MR points for 1 SPG point. But, I did book a $800 room in March for 12k SPG points, so that's pretty good value right there. thanks!
iamthebest wrote: I'd share them with RFD fellow readers.
I don't think you can share MR points can you?
Deal Addict
User avatar
Apr 15, 2011
1484 posts
380 upvotes
jellytime wrote: I have about 200k AMEX MR points and my card is coming up for renewal in Feb 2016.

I don't use the AMEX as much anymore since I got my BMO Mastercard, so i'm thinking of getting rid of my AMEX since I don't want to pay the $150 annual fee.

Some other travel info:
I have about 150k Aeroplan points.
I will be planning an Asia or Europe trip in 2017 with my wife. What would be the best allocation of the AMEX MR points?

Thank you!
I would either transfer 1:1 to British Airways, so that I could have some good flexibility between frequent flier programs.
(IE) use Aeroplan to book the long-haul returns from Canada - Europe & then use Avios for inter-Europe flights.

Alternatively, as another poster suggests, transferring 2:1 to SPG I still find great value, and it would pretty much take care of all the hotel bills for your Europe vacation. (as long as you're comfortable with SPG properties... which are some of the best IMO.)
Deal Fanatic
Jul 10, 2003
8085 posts
3868 upvotes
I would have converted them all to BA Avios, when there was a 25% conversion bonus last year. I actually ended up doing that with all my points. I find Avios is the best program for intra North America/Europe/Asia flights.
Deal Addict
Nov 18, 2012
1733 posts
727 upvotes
Toronto
I will perfer
1st. Transfer to AEROPLAN, thus you could always use it esay.
2nd. Transfer to SPG, thus the point value is good when you could find a nice SPG hotel in your travel city, but keep in mind the SPG already sold to Marriott, so you dont know what will the loyalty program going to be.
Simple is the best.
Sr. Member
Dec 20, 2006
526 posts
48 upvotes
jellytime wrote: I have about 200k AMEX MR points and my card is coming up for renewal in Feb 2016.

I don't use the AMEX as much anymore since I got my BMO Mastercard, so i'm thinking of getting rid of my AMEX since I don't want to pay the $150 annual fee.

Some other travel info:
I have about 150k Aeroplan points.
I will be planning an Asia or Europe trip in 2017 with my wife. What would be the best allocation of the AMEX MR points?

Thank you!
I'm also wondering what to do with my MR points. Unfortunately unlike you, I don't anticipate any overseas trips in the next year or two.
Deal Addict
User avatar
Feb 19, 2014
3352 posts
2339 upvotes
Langley
LNahid2000 wrote: I would have converted them all to BA Avios, when there was a 25% conversion bonus last year. I actually ended up doing that with all my points. I find Avios is the best program for intra North America/Europe/Asia flights.
I know. I really wish I converted them at that time. I tried to convert them all actually, but the system didn't allow me, maybe because the amount was so high. It told me to call customer support and I got lazy and put it off. Fast forward and when I checked again, the promotion was over... I am a complete idiot, I know.
Deal Addict
Sep 20, 2014
1637 posts
852 upvotes
Toronto, ON, CA
Given how much points you racked up, one would assume you spent a crazy amount of money on the card. AmEx makes money off the residuals (interchange fees) on your transactions...see if you can get that fee waived or reduced.
Sr. Member
User avatar
Apr 5, 2009
948 posts
334 upvotes
Toronto
jellytime wrote: ...
Thanks for the tip, i'll likely self refer for the business gold!!!

So, when I apply, I just add my current regular amex gold card number on the application?
...
I was thinking about doing this, but for whatever reason, I feel that i'm losing out since its 2MR points for 1 SPG point. But, I did book a $800 room in March for 12k SPG points, so that's pretty good value right there. thanks!
...
You are correct! On the application it asks if you already have an Amex card, so you just put yours in. Simple as that.

SPG could still be a good choice, but since your planned trip is quite far away, it's probably better to wait to transfer later to find out how the acquisition by Marriott will affect the SPG program.
Deal Addict
User avatar
Nov 12, 2011
3039 posts
1529 upvotes
Markham
Ah just a tard too late...before last Dec you can exchange it to 200k Aeroplan miles and sell them easily for 3000 bucks because of the great redeeming rates on Asian routes (or you can redeem those route for you, your friends and family which yields even higher return). Now they "fixed" those by doubling the redeeming amount so the business is temporary (finger crossed) dead until another good route is found...
Deal Fanatic
User avatar
Feb 19, 2010
6237 posts
2992 upvotes
2009M5 wrote: Given how much points you racked up, one would assume you spent a crazy amount of money on the card. AmEx makes money off the residuals (interchange fees) on your transactions...see if you can get that fee waived or reduced.
You don't need to spend a lot to accumulate that many MR points. Churning the cards regularly, along with referral bonuses, was worth tens of thousands of points. Amex has since clamped down on the churning by disallowing the sign-up bonuses if you've had the card before. At 25 or 40 or 50K plus referrals, points added up fast.

Amex is also not know for showing any consideration towards waiving or reducing the annual fees, opting instead for some sort of gift card offers in some cases. Maybe they'd be more inclined to negotiate on fees now that they've nipped the churning but that remains to be seen.
Deal Addict
User avatar
Feb 19, 2014
3352 posts
2339 upvotes
Langley
2009M5 wrote: Given how much points you racked up, one would assume you spent a crazy amount of money on the card. AmEx makes money off the residuals (interchange fees) on your transactions...see if you can get that fee waived or reduced.
I didn't actually spend that much on the card, it was mostly from sign up bonuses and referrals. I had a significant amount of referrals.

Top