How to Turn 18,667 SPG Points Into 31,250 United Miles

Through November 31, 2016, United MileagePlus is offering a transfer bonus when you move points over from a hotel loyalty program.

Transfer from most chain hotels earn a 25% bonus
Transfers from Club Carlson earn a 40% bonus
Transfers from Choice Privileges earn a 50% bonus

Since Marriott bought Starwood, one of the benefits the company has announced to members of both loyalty programs is the ability to transfer reward points between accounts.

[Last Chance] 50% Avios Transfer Bonus Means 21k Membership Rewards for Roundtrip to Hawaii

250 Membership Rewards will transfer to 300 British Airways Avios from now until 11:59 p.m. CT on October 10, 2016. The normal transfer rate is 250 Membership Rewards = 200 British Airways Avios, so this transfer bonus will get you 50% more Avios.

For only 25,000 Avios and $11, you can fly roundtrip on American Airlines or Alaska Airlines planes in economy from the West Coast to Hawaii.

Buy Avios for 1.45 Cents through Starpoint Sale & Avios Transfer Bonus

Until July 5, 2016, you can transfer 20,000 Starpoints to 33,750 British Airways Avios. The normal rate is 20,000 points to 25,000 Avios, but Avios is running a 35% bonus on transferring hotel points.

The only hotel-point transfer option with a decent rate is Starpoints.

 

If you don't have Starpoints, you can buy them right now for 2.45 cents each. The best number to buy would be 20,000 for $490 to maximize this promotion, since Starwood gives a bonus for every 20,000 Starpoints transferred to airlines.

30% Transfer Bonus Membership Rewards to Virgin Atlantic + Award Sale =10,000 Miles to Europe Year Round!

American Express is offering a 30% transfer bonus to Virgin Atlantic through May 31, 2016. For the next four weeks, 1,000 Membership Rewards will transfer to 1,300 Etihad Guest Miles.

 

This is huge news because there is also currently a 30% discount on Virgin Atlantic economy awards through May 11, 2016. Combining this transfer bonus with that sale means you can book awards from the Eastern United United States to London for 10,000 Membership Rewards plus $135 with great availability for the next 11 months if you act right now.

30% Transfer Bonus from Membership Rewards to Etihad Miles. These are the Best Deals!

American Express just added Etihad as a Membership Rewards transfer partner in April, and it is now offering a 30% transfer bonus through June 15, 2016.

 

For the next six weeks, 1,000 Membership Rewards will transfer to 1,300 Etihad Guest Miles.
Good Deal?
Using Etihad Miles for Etihad Flights
Etihad Guest Miles aren’t very good for booking First Class on the Etihad A380, which is a current obsession of mine.

For instance, Etihad would charge 88,022 Etihad miles + $175 to book Abu Dhabi to London in First Class on the Etihad A380.

59% Transfer Bonus from Starpoints to Aeroplan Miles!

Aeroplan has brought back its huge transfer bonuses that it last offered in April, August, and December 2015.

Right now 40k Starpoints plus taxes will get you a roundtrip economy class trip to Europe, 145k Starpoints will get you two roundtrip Business Class ticket to Europe, and 110k will get you two roundtrip First Class tickets to Hawaii.

Starpoints always transfer to dozens of airlines at a 1:1 rate with a bonus of 5,000 miles for every 20,000 Starpoints transferred.

Please Do Be Tempted by ThankYou Points/Virgin Atlantic Transfer Bonus

A recent post by View from the Wing said not "to be tempted" by the current 25% transfer bonus from Citi ThankYou Points to Virgin Atlantic miles. His argument was that there are so few good uses of Virgin Atlantic miles that he had to dig "deep in the barrel" to come up with any.

Well I dug for 15 seconds to find two great uses to South America and Europe.

50% Transfer Bonus AMEX to Virgin America Means 47k Roundtrip Flat Beds to Europe

Through March 10, 2016, American Express is offering a 50% transfer bonus from Membership Rewards to Virgin America Elevate Points.

The normal transfer ratio is 200 Membership Rewards to 100 Elevate Points, but for the next month, the ratio will be 200 Membership Rewards to 150 Elevate Points.

How Membership Rewards Work
As a quick refresher, there are two ways to use Membership Rewards:

The dumb way: use them like cash to purchase flights, car rentals, hotels, or cruises at a paltry rate of 1 cent per point
The smart way: transfer them to one of the 16 airline partners

16,000 Points to Europe, 40,000 in Business Class and No Fuel Surcharges

Until December 31, 2015, you can book American Airlines flights to Europe, Brazil, Argentina, or Chile for 16,000 ThankYou Points or Japan for 20,000 ThankYou Points each way with no fuel surcharges.

Etihad Guest's generous chart for American Airlines flights plus the current transfer bonus from ThankYou Points to Etihad miles combine for an unbeatable offer.

The Citi

25% Transfer Bonus AMEX to Hawaiian Miles; Cheap Partner Awards

Until December 21, 2015, there is a 25% transfer bonus from American Express Membership Rewards to Hawaiian Miles. One thousand Membership Rewards transfer to 1,250 Hawaiian Miles.

This is actually the third ongoing offer at the moment, with transfer bonuses to Iberia (and indirectly British Airways) Avios and Virgin America points that I have already covered.
Good Deals with Hawaiian Miles
Hawaiian Airlines is not a member of any alliance, but it has a number of partners.