Twists in the game: Transferring points for hotels, a companion mileage run, a Wells transfer advantage, and more [Week in Review]

This week has included a number of fun twists in the miles and points game: Alaska and Hawaiian’s merger has moved forward at lightspeed, but not without providing a little suspense when transfers from Amex to Hawaiian suddenly broke (though seemingly only for dramatic effect given that things returned to normal a day later). The excitement there has me considering a mileage run, which until now had mostly seemed like a relic of the past. Meanwhile, Wells Fargo adds a transfer partner we all expected, but with an unexpected strength since they are allowing transfers of exact numbers of points (starting with just 1 point) so you can top off perfectly for an award. All that and more in this Frequent Miler week in review.

This week on the Frequent Miler blog…

Alaska / Hawaiian Airlines mileage transfers are now live

And just like that, mileage transfers between Alaska Airlines Mileage Plan and Hawaiian Miles are a go. I don’t think any of us would have predicted the speed with which this merger is moving along, but it’s great for members that it is now possible to move miles from Hawaiian to Alaska (or vice versa) at a 1:1 ratio. This makes it possible for cardholders to easily combine miles on the Hawaiian side and send them back to Alaska for good value. We did have a moment of panic where it seemed like transfers from Amex to Hawaiian might be dead, but all returned to business as usual soon enough, meaning that you can indeed complete a backdoor transfer from Amex to Alaska via Hawaiian.

Contemplating an Alaska Hawaiian mileage run

Thanks to the merger between Alaska Airlines and Hawaiian Airlines, I am soon to find myself within striking distance of the first level of elite status in Alaska’s program. While I’m not terribly interested in Alaska elite status for the sake of flying on Alaska Airlines, I do like the idea of earning more redeemable miles when crediting flights to Alaska and I always enjoy the opportunity to play an angle. In this case, the angle that has my eye is the chance to use an Alaska Companion Certificate so that two of us could earn more than 6,800 elite qualifying miles from a single itinerary for a little over three hundred bucks each (or maybe less?). This one is less about getting a monster value and more about playing along for the love of the game.

Hotels via transferable points: it’s a new game

Speaking of the love of the game, you have to love how the game has changed when it comes to booking hotels with major reward currencies. For a long time, we didn’t recommend sending transferable points to hotel programs since most hotel programs offer poor value per point in comparison to airline programs. However, tides are turning. In this post, Greg outlines a number of newer opportunities to get solid valuer out of transferable points toward hotel stays — in some cases at very high-end places.

How long does it take to transfer points to airline and hotel programs?

If the talk of using transferable points for booking hotels and the current limited-time transfer bonuses have your eye, you might wonder how long a transfer will take. It can be a nerve-wracking moment when you have to hit the “transfer now” button to initiate that movement of points to your chosen airline or hotel program. However, this post was put together to take some of the pressure off by showing the typical transfer time from each of the major transferable currencies to each of their targets. Keep in mind that there is always some chance of a temporary glitch or a transfer that gets held up out of fraud concern or an information mismatch, but by and large the times you see here are what you should expect.

Podcast: Citi’s transfer bonus to Leading Hotels of the World | Coffee Break Ep27 | 9-24-24

One hotel program that has really caught Greg’s eye in more recent times is Leading Hotels of the World. The current point transfer bonus from Citi ThankYou points to Leading Hotels of the World provides a chance to get very good value out of Citi points toward unique / boutique hotels. What I especially like about Leading Hotels of the World is the opportunity to get great value not only toward base rooms, but also toward suites. That makes this transfer bonus especially appealing for both those who like luxury hotels and those who like luxury hotels and need some extra space.

Aspire resort credit-eligible hotel list shrinks

Unfortunately, it’s not all sunshine and roses in hotel news this week. I’m including this short post just to alert cardholders to the fact that options for this credit have dwindled somewhat. The list is still quite long and there are still places that you may not have thought about as a “resort”, but if you’re counting on a place that has worked in the past to work again, don’t forget to check it against the (new) list before you make that qualifying charge.

How To Use IHG Free Night Certificates

IHG Free night certificates come in several varieties and this post is full of some nuggets of wisdom that are worth knowing if you’ve got a card that offers a free night certificate. For instance, I was surprised a year or two ago when I was able to book a property with a free night certificate that wasn’t available using points. Some certs can be topped off with points and others can’t. See this post for all the key stuff to know.

Podcast: Citi tires of throupling. Will AA & Citi go exclusive? | Card Talk Ep7 | 9-26-24

Word on the street is that Citi and American Airlines want to kick Barclays to the curb and go exclusive. Will it happen? When? What should we do in the meantime? On this week’s Card Talk, Greg and I make predictions and talk through what we think makes sense in terms of an AA card strategy if you think this is going to come to pass.

How to find and book JAL’s new A350 first class

On the way home from our Flying by the Seat of Our Points challenge this summer, I flew the old First Class on Japan Airlines and enjoyed high-end champagne, a very spacious seat, and excellent service. However, the new first class is said to be even better, but it isn’t available on all routes, nor is it even available on all A350s. This guide should help you figure out how to find and book what looks like a terrific first class experience with Japan Airlines.

Wells Fargo has added Virgin Atlantic as a new transfer partner; transfers start at 1 point

Wells Fargo is still only just beginning to make a splash in the transferable currency pool, but it’s good to see them add Virgin (both Virgin Atlantic and Virgin Red) as that makes the points even more compatible with your existing stashes in other programs. I find it super interesting that Wells Fargo has no minimum transfer, meaning that you can transfer exactly the number of points you need for a redemption, which is great for anyone sitting on an odd number of points from past redemptions and/or flights credited to Virgin.

That’s it for this week at Frequent Miler. Keep an eye out for this week’s month-ending last chance deals and grab them before they’re gone.

Want to learn more about miles and points? Subscribe to email updates or check out our podcast on your favorite podcast platform.