AMEX Points redeemable at Harvey World Travel

[Flashware]

This exert from a HWT Newsletter I just received...

Originally Posted by HWT

Great news for American Express® Cardmembers enrolled in Membership RewardsTM. From Monday 1 September, you can book all your travel through Harvey World Travel and pay using your Membership RewardsTM points^. Use your points to travel anywhere, anytime and pay instantly in-store using your points or any combination of points plus a payment on your card.

[JohnK]

Although it gives people another redemption option it does not appear to be great value redeeming 10,000 Amex MR points for a $100 Harvey World Travel voucher. The same rate as Travelscene and Flight Centre vouchers.

[straitman]

Originally Posted by JohnK

Although it gives people another redemption option it does not appear to be great value redeeming 10,000 Amex MR points for a $100 Harvey World Travel voucher. The same rate as Travelscene and Flight Centre vouchers.

Certainly not happening here

[oz_mark]

Originally Posted by JohnK

Although it gives people another redemption option it does not appear to be great value redeeming 10,000 Amex MR points for a $100 Harvey World Travel voucher. The same rate as Travelscene and Flight Centre vouchers.

No reason to expect it to be any different to redemption options at other places. Seems pretty par for the course for this type of redemption, and I would expect that it would get used by a certain group of people.

[JohnK]

Originally Posted by oz_mark

No reason to expect it to be any different to redemption options at other places. Seems pretty par for the course for this type of redemption, and I would expect that it would get used by a certain group of people.

This is one I will never understand. Is it because some people are naive, lazy or desperate or a bit of everything? Don't they know that Amex has FF program partners and you get much better value for the points than using them as travel vouchers?

The classic example that comes to mind is an economy airfare to anywhere in Europe. Let's say that the airfare costs $2,500 return so that will require 250,000 Amex MR points. With Qantas, Virgin Atlantic, Singapore Airlines, Thai Airways or Cathay Pacific the most it will cost is 128,000 Amex MR points or 2 trips for the same number of Amex MR points. For that sort of saving I would be prepared to be a little more flexible with travel dates and I am almost certain that one of the FF programs would have availability on the dates I wanted.