Based on speculations, rumors, and dark clouds on the horizon, it’s possible that the Ultimate Rewards program is going to take another huge step ahead of American Express Rewards points.
The rumor (that’s all it is) is that Delta is going to be switching to a revenue based award program. That means the amount of miles you need to book a trip is directly related to the cost of the ticket. You can read about the changes in detail if you click here or here.
I won’t talk in detail about why Ultimate Rewards are more valuable, but you can read about that here.
The bad news for American Express Rewards is that last year Aeroplan devalued their award chart and added fuel surcharges. That removed them from the list as a good transfer option.
That left Delta and British Airways as airlines I would consider using. (There are other decent options, just not ones that appeal to me right now.)
If Delta does make the changes, then that only leaves British Airways.
Here’s the good news:
Transfer American Express Rewards Points to British Airways for a 50% Transfer Bonus
The biggest advantage of the American Express Rewards program is that they often have transfer bonuses. Right now, they are offering a 50% mileage transfer bonus to British Airways.
My thinking is … if Delta does go and British Airways is the best remaining transfer option, then why not do it now when you know you can get a 50% transfer bonus.
Are BA miles good?
Back when British Airways adjusted their award redemption rates in 2011, a lot of online media said that the sky was falling. I said it was good because it opened up more opportunities for those of us with a diverse mileage portfolio.
Since that post, I’ve been able to buy tickets between Denver and Dallas for 4,500 BA miles and $2.50. I’ve bought round trip tickets between Toronto and Chicago for 9,000 (RT) and $55.
I was just looking at tickets between Sydney and Brisbane. Those tickets were 9,000 miles and $35 for roundtrip tickets.
There are some destinations that have CRAZY fuel surcharges.
You’ll probably never see me flying to Europe with my British Airways miles. When I checked a month or so ago, flights between Toronto and London had over $3,000 worth of fuel surcharges, taxes, and fees. For AWARD SEATS!
Flights from Quito to Toronto with BA points had a low mileage requirement – 17,500 each way, but over $1,000 in fees.
Moral of the story: It all depends where you are flying, but I’m seeing value in my BA miles, so I plan to take advantage of the 50% transfer bonus.
As always, if you have questions or comments, you can leave a comment or contact me by email, and I’d be glad to help you travel cheaply.
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About Craig Ford
Craig, I am with you on this one. Chase UR program just keeps bounding ahead of the AMEX program. Nice write up
One question, what is best way to use the BA miles to book some of the flites you mentioned in your article…can you be specific pls…the BA website? Which options do you need to select , etc.
I have had such difficulty in the past working/ using BA miles. The website was cumbersome. Assume these then up being American flights? Thanks for all your advice! We use your credit card links too!:)
Barb,
You can check on the BA.com website. If they don’t have it and you are looking specifically for American flights you can check at aa.com and look for the lowest level award rate availability. If you find it on aa.com you can call BA and ask them to book the tickets. Another option is using ExpertFlyer.com to search AA availability. They have a 5 day free trial.
If you looking for other OneWorld partner flights I’ve found Qantas.com to be the best site.
Once you have your ideal flights call BA and try and give them the flight information you’ve found.
Let me know if you need any help.