Best use for 200,000 DC points

[econgdon]

I am being bombarded with offers to transfer my 200,000 Diners reward points. They are equal to 1 to 1 Qantas ff point. I see Qantas next year will not accept them and Ill be stuck, but I suspect that this is a ploy by Qantas to sell points to gain more revenue that will take a while to be spent ( If thats how it works) Any suggestions as what to do with them? The Velocity transfer rate seems of low value seeing I reckon a V point is only worth half a Qff point. Is that correct?

[serfty]

Et Tu Diners?

Diners Club Rewards Program Changes

Qantas has announced that from 1 April 2009, Qantas Frequent Flyer points will no longer be a reward option in some credit and charge card reward programs. ...

Oh well ...

[simongr]

Personally I would transfer them to American Airlines AAdvantage program.

There are lots of posts about that program here.

Just to compare the possibilities for a First class Award to Singapore on BA.

200K Diners -> 200K QFF: Award cost 180K points plus around $500 in surcharges
200K Diners -> 100K AA: Award cost 90K points plus around $200 in surcharges

There is a straight cash saving. Also your 100K has contributed to your lifetime total on AA - 10% towards lifetime gold status (same as lifetime silver on QFF).

[kpc]

I would change them to SPG which is at 2:1 ie 2 DC = 1SPG (a good exchange rate). You can get some some amazing hotel awards (with no surcharges, taxes etc) for 100,000 SPG points!! I'm staying in a suite in Sheraton Krabi for 3 nites in 6 weeks' time for 22000 SPG ponits; each nite goes for at least AUD$300, probably more now as the AUD plunges

PS from SPG, you can still transfer them to AA at 1:1 ratio. Importantly, if you transfer in blocks of 20000 SPG points, you get 25000 AA points! So even if you want to transfer your 200000 DC points to AA, you should do it via SPG as you will (if done correctly) net an additional 25000 AA points cf to tranferring directly from DC to AA.

[serfty]

Going by the above posts:

• 200K Diners -> 100K SPG
• 100K SPG -> 125K AA (with 5 x 5K bonii)
• Therefore:
  • 200K Diners ---> 125K AAdvantage

[simongr]

Good points on that re the SPG transfer.

This is why I joined this site - think you know everything and someone can ehnance your knowledge

[lovetravellingoz]

Going by the above posts:

• 200K Diners -> 100K SPG
• 100K SPG -> 125K AA (with 5 x 5K bonii)
• Therefore:
  • 200K Diners ---> 125K AAdvantage

I don't have a Diners..but I do note:

Well for me it is the much maligned Diners club.You can redeem in 11 FF programs,all major hotel loyalty programs at rates that are often better than others-eg SPG 2 points=1SPG point.
Value is a problem if you have to pay for the card but i have an affinity card with no annual fee and 1.5 points per dollar spend.
Everyone goes on about acceptance but virtually all hotels,TAs,dept stores,supermarkets and petrol stations accept it and it is only very occas.that i pay a surcharge(and then only if it is no more than visa/mc).I can easily rack up over 100000 points per year.
So example
-I get 0.9375 AA miles per $A spend making it as good as having an american card.
I certainly also have a visa and mc for those occasions it cant be used.

So based on what Drron posted I assume that

200,000 would transfer directly as (200K *0.9375)/1.5 = 125,000

So it is better to not go through SPG.

[kpc]

I don't have a Diners..but I do note:

So based on what Drron posted I assume that

200,000 would transfer as (200K *0.9375)/1.5 = 125,000

You are correct! I have amended my post above. Serfty will need to do the same!

[mhen]

I logged in this morning intending to ask the question what to do with my 165K Diners points and lo and behold the answer was already there - transfer to SPG and then to AA. Thanks guys.

My next question is are there any other Aussie based credit cards that allow transfer to SPG and/or AA or should I stick with my Diners (which I was planning to cancel once I had redeemed all my points)? Inability to get call centre staff to understand let alone resolve an issue earlier this year meant I switched my 80K a year to another card but AA is not an option there.

[serfty]

What's a nominal $50 worth of points among friendly members ...

I have amended relevant posts so as not to confuse ...

*Actually, with the current value of the Roo against the greenback point/miles transfering CC to US based loyalty schemes and NOT to Qantas can vastly increase their value.

e.g. I spent 25K HHonours points for a stay at the Singapore Hilton in June, replacing a SGD280 booking I had. (Cheapest Flexible) - worth AUD216 at the time; today those same 25K HHonors points in lieu of an SGD280 stay would have been worth AUD315!