Transfering Delta Skymiles to AGR points

[Ispolkom]

Thanks to the Northwest/Delta merger, I found myself with 22k quickly depreciating Delta Skymiles. I have no plans to fly again on Delta until perhaps Xmas 2010, so I wanted to use these miles somehow before they became even more worthless. Unfortunately, Delta it's difficult to move exchange Skymiles for a currency that AGR will take.

I just found a way to do it.

I used points.com gpx (global points exchange), which appears to be a clearing house for swapping airline frequent flyer miles.

I accepted one of the exchanges offered, and traded 21k Delta Skymiles for 20k Continental Onepass miles, which I can now transfer to AGR.

The pluses: I will soon have 20k more AGR points, and I don't have to think about orphaned frequent flyer miles.

The minuses: There was a $240 fee to make the exchange. This works out to 1.2 cents per AGR point, which is still cheaper than buying the AGR points.

 

[sechs]

There were probably some crappy redemption options that would have been better than basically paying points.com for points.

If you had been stuffing those miles into Onepass, you could have transferred them straight across....

 

[Ispolkom]

There were probably some crappy redemption options that would have been better than basically paying points.com for points.
If you had been stuffing those miles into Onepass, you could have transferred them straight across....

Not really. You have to be a Medallion member to redeem miles for non-Delta products (gift cards, etc.), so it was this or magazine subscriptions. As far as your second point, it's my eternal lament: it seemed like a good idea at the time.

 

[Shanghai]

Is it possible to transfer United Airlines miles to AGR?

 

[jackal]

Is it possible to transfer United Airlines miles to AGR?

United ceased to partner with AGR a few years ago.

That said, there are sometimes some roundabout ways you can transfer miles. Unfortunately, in the process, you usually lose tons of value.

The mileage converter at http://www.webflyer.com/programs/mileage_converter/ can help. I'm not sure why, but unfortunately, it doesn't show United as one of the options to select "from." However, for example purposes, you can select "from AGR" and "to United," which comes up with the following options, ranging from mediocre to downright horrible:

Amtrak Guest Rewards converts to (starting) 50,000 * Choice Hotels Choice Privileges (at a ratio of 5000:15000) converts to 150,000United Mileage Plus (at a ratio of 5:1)Total: 30,000* Click here to read important information related to this transfer option >>>

Path #2Miles/PointsAmtrak Guest Rewards converts to (starting) 50,000 * Choice Hotels Choice Privileges (at a ratio of 5000:15000) converts to 150,000Mexicana Frecuenta (at a ratio of 5:1) converts to 30,000 * Hilton HHonors (at a ratio of 1:2) converts to 60,000United Mileage Plus (at a ratio of 10000:1000)Total: 6,000* Click here to read important information related to this transfer option >>>

Path #3Miles/PointsAmtrak Guest Rewards converts to (starting) 50,000 * Choice Hotels Choice Privileges (at a ratio of 5000:15000) converts to 150,000American AAdvantage (at a ratio of 5:1) converts to 30,000Hilton HHonors (at a ratio of 1:2) converts to 60,000United Mileage Plus (at a ratio of 10000:1000)Total: 6,000* Click here to read important information related to this transfer option >>>

Path #4Miles/PointsAmtrak Guest Rewards converts to (starting) 50,000 * Hilton HHonors (at a ratio of 1:2) converts to 50,000United Mileage Plus (at a ratio of 10000:1000)Total: 5,000* Click here to read important information related to this transfer option >>>

Path #5Miles/PointsAmtrak Guest Rewards converts to (starting) 50,000 * Choice Hotels Choice Privileges (at a ratio of 5000:15000) converts to 150,000American AAdvantage (at a ratio of 5:1) converts to 30,000 * Diners Club Club Rewards (at a ratio of 2:1) converts to 15,000Starwood Preferred Guest (at a ratio of 1250:750) converts to 9,000 * United Mileage Plus (at a ratio of 2:1)Total: 3,750

I'm not sure if any of these transfers work in reverse, but even if they do, don't assume that you'll gain miles by going backwards (i.e. 30,000 UA miles becomes 50,000 AGR points). You'll probably lose just as much--if not more--going the other way!

 

[PRR 60]

I'm not sure if any of these transfers work in reverse, but even if they do, don't assume that you'll gain miles by going backwards (i.e. 30,000 UA miles becomes 50,000 AGR points). You'll probably lose just as much--if not more--going the other way!

I think the problem with the reverse direction - Mileage Plus to AGR - is that I am not aware of any transfer out options from MP. Unlike AGR which has direct conversion of points to hotel points, MP awards for hotel stays are in the form of free stay certificates, not points. So, unless there is a MP partner that has conversion of MP miles to that program's points, MP miles are isolated from other programs.

 

[Ispolkom]

Is it possible to transfer United Airlines miles to AGR?

United ceased to partner with AGR a few years ago.

That said, there are sometimes some roundabout ways you can transfer miles. Unfortunately, in the process, you usually lose tons of value.

The mileage converter at http://www.webflyer.com/programs/mileage_converter/ can help. I'm not sure why, but unfortunately, it doesn't show United as one of the options to select "from."

My impression is that if you can't select from, you can't transfer from that program. That's certainly the case for Delta, hence my less than optimal transfer. As airlines depreciate the value of miles in their frequent flyer programs, I think they are making it harder to move points/miles out of them.