mike_b12

Just wondering which credit card do you use. I have built up alot of miles with AA. Now I am collecting hotel points. I did just find out that you can book hotel rooms with AA miles
also. Just looking for different opinions on this topic.
Thanks

mrwunrfl

I think using miles for a hotel room is probably a bad idea unless you have tons of miles.

May 28, for 1 night at Sheraton Downwown L.A.
31,000 AA miles or
$129 or
10000 starwood points or
4000 pointa + $60

There is a way to combine AA miles with $ to pay for a room, but I don't know what that is like.

If you get 2 miles per $ charged then you would have to spend $15,000 to get that room.

For the SPG Amex, you would have to spend $10,000 for the points to get the free room.

Or you could spend $4000 for points with the amex and pay $60. In this case the 4000 points saves you $69.

At 10,000 points for a free room, the first 4000 saves you $69 and the next 6,000 saves you $60.

spirobulldog

I always try to get the longest flight I possibly can for my miles as those are usally the least expensive. And that is also a good time to use the smaller airports as those are usually the most expensive.

mike_b12

mrwunrfl,
I have seen on AA rooms that were not as many miles as points for the same hotel.

mrwunrfl

Well, you can get the 3-star Wilshire Grand that night for 12,700 miles, or a 4-star Hyatt for 25,700 miles.

Looks like using AA miles for a hotel can be a good idea. The one important fact is that you have a lot of hotel choices with miles.

The SPG Amex points limit you to Starwaood properties.

My impression that it was a bad idea was based on my knowledge of using United MP miles for hotels. I'll have to take another look there.

mrwunrfl

Oh, wow! I do have a selection of lots of hotels to book with United miles. I did not know about this. I guess the last time I looked at using MP miles for hotels was through their "Choices" program which really sucked.

That Sheraton is 30,900 United miles for the same night. Wilshire Grand is 13,650.