Whether you’re travelling with family or a close group of friends, many frequent flyer programs allow you pool points across multiple accounts for flight redemptions. This approach helps you combine balances faster, reduce the risk of points expiring, and makes it easier to book award flights together on a single reservation.

A single flight reservation makes changes simpler, streamlines check-in and seat selection, and ensures the entire travel group is treated as one party if any flight disruptions occur.

Once you set up family pooling, it’s essentially a ‘Set & Forget‘ arrangement, which is typically free. Each program has its own rules regarding how family pooling operates, including what constitutes a ‘family‘ and how often members can be added or removed.

Qantas Frequent Flyer

Qantas doesn’t provide any family pooling options, however you can easily transfer points between eligible family members. The only requirements are that each account is at least three months old and you transfer a minimum of 1,500 points. There’s no maximum limit, and best of all, it’s completely free, making it a simple way to combine your Qantas points for your next family trip on a single booking.

Velocity Virgin Australia

Velocity offers Family Pooling for up to six family members living at the same address, with a maximum of two adults and four children.

One member is designated as the beneficiary, and all points earned by other family members are automatically credited to their account. Points earned before joining the family pool are not transferred, but you can transfer points between family members up to four times per year, with a maximum of 125,000 points per transfer.

One unique feature of Velocity’s Family Pool offering is that Status Credits work the same way, meaning all family members’ earned Status Credits also flow into the beneficiary’s account. This makes it easier for families to work toward elite status together, in addition to building a larger points balance for flight redemptions.

KrisFlyer – Singapore Airlines

KrisFlyer lets families pool points, however their offering is very limited. You can only link children’s accounts aged 2 to 16 to an adult account. Each child can transfer up to 50,000 miles per year, with a fee of USD 5 or 500 miles for every 5,000 miles transferred.

Emirates Skywards

Emirates Skywards’ My Family allows up to eight members (the Family Head plus seven others) to pool future Skywards Miles into a shared account. Members aged 18 or older can use the shared account for flight redemptions or upgrades.

Emirates lets you decide what percentage of each family member’s points are contributed to the family account, from 0% to 100%. Each member keeps their individual account, and points earned before joining the family pool cannot be transferred. Conversely, once miles are contributed to the family account, they cannot be moved back to an individual account.

British Airways Executive Club

British Airways offers a Household Account, allowing you to pool Avios with up to six people who live at the same address. Unlike other Family Pooling programs, it lets you combine both past and future Avios to create a shared family balance. Flights can then be redeemed from this balance, with points deducted proportionally based on each member’s contribution to the household account.

British Airways’ Household Account offers unique perks that set it apart from other programs and can be ideal for many families, we recommend reviewing how the Household account operates to see if it could benefit your family when it comes to pooling your Avios points.

Cathay Pacific — Asia Miles

Cathay Pacific’s Asia Miles program offers a limited family pooling option, allowing minor accounts to be linked to an adult’s account. Miles from a child’s account can be transferred to the adult at no cost, up to 120,000 miles per membership year.

For adult accounts, there is no true points pooling option. The only way to move miles between adult accounts is through paid transfers, which carry a significant fee.

Qatar Airways — Privilege Club

Qatar Airways offers a straightforward, ‘set and forget’ family pooling program, allowing the Family Head to nominate up to nine family members. All Avios earned by family members are automatically credited to the Family Head’s account, making it easier to consolidate points for redemption. Any Avios earned before joining the family pooling program remain with the individual account holder.

Air Canada — Aeroplan

Aeroplan Family Sharing allows up to eight verified family members to combine their Aeroplan points into a shared balance managed by a Family Lead. Once the Family Pool is created up, all points, including existing balances and future points are added to the shared balance. The Family Lead can determine whether a family member can simply contribute points or both contribute and redeem from the shared balance.

For redemptions, points are proportionally deducted from each member’s account based on their contribution to the Family Pool. Aeroplan offers many benefits through family pooling program, we recommend reviewing the program to ensure it meets your family’s needs.

Virgin Atlantic — Flying Club

Virgin Atlantic’s Household Account family pooling offering is a ‘set & forget’ type program that lets Flying Club members combine points into a shared balance managed by a Household Leader. Up to nine people living at the same address (family or friends) can join.

Once linked, all points earned through Flying Club activities automatically pool into the Household Account, with the Household Leader as the only person who can make redemptions. Points earned before joining remain in each member’s personal account.

Etihad Guest

Etihad Guest offers a standard family pooling program called Family Membership, which allows the Family Head to nominate up to eight family members. All miles earned by participating family members automatically pool into the Family Head’s account.

When it comes to redemptions, the Family Head can use the pooled miles to book award flights or upgrades for any member of the family pool. Miles earned prior to joining the Family Membership remain in individual accounts.

American Airlines — AAdvantage

The American Airlines AAdvantage program doesn’t offer any family pooling options. While members can gift miles between accounts, a fee of $5 per 1,000 miles applies, and each account is limited to sending or receiving up to 200,000 miles per calendar year.

In the absence of pooling, you can still use your AAdvantage miles to book award travel for other people from your own account. However, this isn’t the same as true family pooling as seen with some other frequent flyer programs.

Delta — SkyMiles

Delta SkyMiles doesn’t offer any family pooling options, however you can transfer miles between accounts, each transfer comes with a fee of $0.01 per mile plus a $30 processing charge. Accounts can transfer up to 150,000 miles per year and receive up to 300,000 miles annually, making this option a costly transaction and typically not worth it.

Even without pooling, you can still use your SkyMiles to book award flights for friends or family directly from your account. However, this isn’t the same as true family pooling as other frequent flyer programs allow.

Alaska Airlines & Hawaiian Airlines — Atmos Rewards

Atmos Rewards doesn’t offer family pooling in the traditional sense. While points can be transferred between accounts, the process comes at a cost at $0.01 per point plus a $25 processing fee, with transfers limited to 30,000 points per transaction and a maximum of 100,000 points transferred in or out per year. Such transfer are costly and generally provide limited value.

One avenue to transfer points freely is by holding the Atmos Rewards Summit Visa Infinite card. This card enables points sharing with up to 10 other Atmos Rewards members, allowing transfers in both directions at no cost. While this option isn’t for everyone, it’s worth considering if Atmos Rewards is your primary frequent flyer account and you are eligible to apply for the card.

ANA Mileage Club

ANA Milage Club offers family pooling through its Family Account Service, there are several strict rules to be aware of. Only ANA accounts held outside of Japan are eligible for family pooling having up to 8 family members. Setting up the account requires a one-time fee of 1,000 miles, the registration process can take up to two weeks and potentially requiring proof of family relationships and confirmation of residency outside Japan.

All miles are pooled into a single account, with flights redemption or point upgrades being deducted directly from the pooled balance.

Japan Airlines – JAL Mileage Bank

JAL Mileage Bank offers family pooling through its JAL Family Club, but there are several rules to be aware of before applying. Only JAL accounts held outside of Japan are eligible, and a family account can include up to 8 members. Setting up the account requires a one-time fee of 1,000 miles, and the registration process typically takes 1–3 weeks, often requiring proof of family relationships and confirmation of residency outside Japan. Additionally, a renewal fee of 1,000 miles is deducted every five years, and enrolling additional family members after setup incurs a fee of 1,000 miles per member.

All miles earned by family members are pooled into a single account, with award flight redemptions or point upgrades being deducted directly from the pooled balance.

Air France-KLM – Flying Blue

Flying Blue Family allows you to share miles between family members, with a maximum of 2 adults and 6 children per family account. One member is designated as the Family Leader, who can transfer all or part of the miles from other family members’ accounts into their own. Each family member continues to earn miles in their individual account, but once transferred—which cannot be reversed—the miles can be used by the Family Leader for flight redemptions or upgrades.

Iberia Plus

Iberia Club allows family pooling through the creation of an Iberia Club Family Account, offering a flexible policy that lets up to 7 friends or family members share their Avios balances. Iberia takes a liberal approach, with no relationship restrictions — any member with an active Iberia Club account can join.

The shared Avios balance allows any member of the Family Account to redeem miles for flights or upgrades. When a redemption is made, the required Avios are deducted proportionally from each member’s individual balance based on their contribution to the shared pool.

Thai Airways — Royal Orchid Plus

Royal Orchid Plus does not offer family pooling and does not allow points to be transferred between member accounts, making it an outlier among frequent flyer programs in terms of family‑friendly options.

You can redeem miles for flight awards on behalf of up to 5 nominated friends or family members listed in your account. While there is no true family pooling, the program still provides some flexibility to use miles to book a family trip.

Malaysia Airlines — Enrich

Malaysia Airlines’ frequent flyer program, Enrich, offers Enrich Points Pool, which separates members into a Beneficiary and Contributors. Each Beneficiary can link up to eight Contributors, with all future points earned by Contributors automatically flowing into a shared points pool.

To join an Enrich Points Pool, Malaysia Airlines requires a copy of each member’s passport, regardless of whether the Contributor is a family member or a friend. When it comes to flight redemptions, only the Beneficiary can access the Enrich Points Pool and make bookings.

United Airlines — MileagePlus

United Airlines’ MileagePlus miles pooling lets any member create or join a shared pool of up to five participants (one leader plus four others), including family or friends.

Members can contribute miles to the pool at no cost and without limits. Pooled miles can be redeemed for award flights on United either by the pool leader or by any participating member if the leader grants them redemption access.

Air New Zealand – Koru

Air New Zealand’s Koru program offers SharePoints, a points‑pooling feature available exclusively to New Zealand members only that allows up to ten participants, including friends or family, to combine their Airpoints Dollars for redemptions.

Within a SharePoints account, the owner can assign roles to members, designating Spenders, who can use the shared balance for flights or other reward redemptions, and Non‑Spenders, who can contribute points but do not have spending access.

Each frequent flyer program has it’s own take on family pooling with many offering it’s members the ability to pool points with family members sometimes even friends at no cost. Pooling points is an powerful way to consolidate point balances, making it easier to book redemption flights while reducing the risk of small, unused balances going to waste or expiring because they aren’t enough for a full redemption.

When it comes to points pooling, it’s essential to understand the rules of each frequent flyer program. You should know who is eligible to join, how to add or remove members from the pool, and who manages flight redemptions. Some programs restrict participation to family members or set age limits, while others may require documentation to verify relationships and can take several weeks to set up.

By taking the time to set up accounts correctly, you can maximise the benefits of points pooling, eliminating any guesswork about how points are contributed to the pool and how flight redemptions can be made for all family members.

The post Combine, Share, Redeem: A Guide to Airline Miles Family Pooling appeared first on Points Advisor.

Watching your points balance grow over time toward your next flight redemption can sometimes be interrupted by unexpected point expirations. Each frequent flyer program has its own rules for how long points remain valid and points expiration dates exist for the following reasons:-

• Encouraging Active Participation
  Airlines design frequent flyer programs to reward loyalty and ongoing engagement. By setting expiration dates, they motivate members to continue booking flights, earning points, and redeeming rewards regularly, making this approach taking a long term view on fostering loyalty and repeat business.
  
• Managing Financial Liabilities
  Points sitting in members’ accounts represent a potential future financial obligation for airlines. Expiring points allow airlines to limit these liabilities and better manage their financial risk.
  

The Different Ways Frequent Flyer Points Can Expire

Generally, frequent flyer programs fall into one of three categories based on how they manage point expiration policies.

In the event that your points expire, several Frequent flyer programs offer you the opportunity to earn your points back by completing specific challenges, such as booking a flight or paying a fee to temporarily extend the validity of your points.

Additionally, certain Frequent flyer programs will pause the expiration of points if you hold elite status, hold specific credit card, or pause your membership due a child being born or adopted all providing protection for your points.

Alaska Airlines & Hawaiian Airlines — Atmos Rewards

No Expiry

Even though your points don’t expire your Atmos Rewards may be placed on hold if there is no activity on your account in a two years period. This is purely a security measure, a call to customer service team to confirm your identity will restore access with your full points balance unchanged.

Virgin Atlantic — Flying Club

No expiry

Delta — SkyMiles

No expiry

United Airlines — MileagePlus

No Expiry

Qatar Airways — Privilege Club

Rolling Expiry – Points expire after 36 months of no qualifying activity

Transferring Avios between partner airlines wont’t reset or extent your Avios expiry date. Platinum members Avios don’t expire for all other members you can reinstate your Avios for USD 0.015 per Avios.

British Airways Executive Club

Rolling Expiry – Points expire after 36 months of no qualifying activity

Transferring Avios between partner airlines wont’t reset or extent your Avios expiry date.

Iberia Plus

Rolling Expiry – Points expire after 36 months of no qualifying activity

Transferring Avios between partner airlines wont’t reset or extent your Avios expiry date.

Velocity Virgin Australia

Rolling Expiry – Points expire after 24 months of no qualifying activity

Family Points Transfers and earning Status Credits won’t stop your Points from expiring. Transferring Velocity Points to KrisFlyer Miles will restart your points validity, providing 36 months of extra time.

American Airlines — AAdvantage

Rolling Expiry – Points expire after 24 months of no qualifying activity

AAdvantage miles do not expire if you hold an AAdvantage credit card or if you are under 21 years of age. Expired miles can also be reactivated within 24 months for a fee, up to a maximum of 500,000 miles.

Air France-KLM – Flying Blue

Rolling Expiry – Points expire after 24 months of no qualifying activity if the account holder is over 18 years old

If you hold a Flying Blue co-branded credit card or Silver status or higher, your points wont’ expire.

Qantas Frequent Flyer

Rolling Expiry – Points expire after 18 months of no qualifying activity

Family Transfers and Qantas Business Rewards transfers don’t reset expiry. Qantas sometimes allows expired points to be reinstated when you contact them and completing a reinstatement challenge.

Cathay Pacific — Asia Miles

Rolling Expiry – Points expire after 18 months of no qualifying activity

Air Canada — Aeroplan

Rolling Expiry – Points expire after 18 months of no qualifying activity

Aeroplan allows you to reinstate expired miles by paying a fee, or by taking an Air Canada flight within six months of your points expiring.

Etihad Guest

Rolling Expiry – Points expire after 18 months of no qualifying activity

Platinum and Diamond members Etihad Guest points don’t expire. 

Finnair Plus

Rolling Expiry – Points expire after 18 months of no qualifying activity

Transferring Avios between partner airlines wont’t reset or extent your Avios expiry date. Holding top-tier status, such as Platinum or Platinum Lumo, your points won’t expire.

Air New Zealand – Koru

Strict Expiry – Airpoints expire four years after they’re earned and are removed from your account on your Koru membership anniversary month.

If you hold an Airpoints earning credit card or maintain Air New Zealand Gold status or higher, your Airpoints will not expire.

KrisFlyer – Singapore Airlines

Strict Expiry – Points expire after 36 months at the end of the equivalent month in which they were earned

Holding top-tier status such as PPS Club and Solitaire PPS Club members enjoy no points expiry. KrisFlyer miles that are due to expire, members can extend them once for six months for a fee of USD 12 per block of 10,000 miles, if you hold status with KrisFlyer you can extent once for up to one year.

Transferring KrisFlyer Miles to Velocity Points restarts the clock on their validity, providing

Emirates Skywards

Strict Expiry – Points expire after 36 months, specifically on the last day of your birthday month on the third year.

Skywards Miles set to expire within the next three months can be extended for an additional 12 months at a cost of USD 20 per 1,000 miles, with a maximum of 50,000 miles eligible for reinstatement per calendar year.

ANA Mileage Club

Strict Expiry – Points expire after 36 months at the end of the equivalent month in which they were earned

If you hold Diamond or ANA Lifetime Miles status your points won’t expire.

Japan Airlines – JAL Mileage Bank

Strict Expiry – Points expire after 36 months at the end of the equivalent month in which they were earned

If you hold JMB Diamond or JGC Premier status, your points won’t expire.

Thai Airways — Royal Orchid Plus

Strict Expiry – Points expire 36 months after earning, at the end of the third calendar year on 31 December points will be removed from your account

Malaysia Airlines — Enrich

Strict Expiry – Points expire after 36 months at the end of the equivalent month in which they were earned

Enrich Points can be extended for MYR 0.085 per point at least three months before their expiry date. Extensions will increase their validity by an additional 12 months.

Each frequent flyer program has its own approach to managing points expiry. Some allow extensions for a fee, while others offer protections through elite status or co-branded credit cards.

A key point to remember is, if you cancel an award flight booked with points that are close to expiring, the points returned to your account do not reset the expiry clock and will typically expire on their original schedule.

By familiarising yourself with each program’s expiry policies and planning ahead especially for programs with strict expiry rules, you can avoid unnecessary reductions in your points balance.

The post Do Your Airline Points Expire? Smart Ways to Keep Your Points Alive appeared first on Points Advisor.

Redeeming points for premium award flights can feel like a race against the clock—Business and First Class reward seats are in high demand and often disappear quickly, especially during peak holiday periods. The challenge becomes even greater when you’re transferring points from one or more credit cards, as transfers aren’t always instant and may take hours or even days to process.

This is where award holds come in. Offered by select frequent flyer programs, this little-known feature lets you temporarily reserve award seats while your points are being transferred, ensuring you don’t miss out on your preferred flights.

How to Hold Cathay Pacific Asia Miles Award Flights

Asia Miles is a popular transfer partner for several Australian issued credit cards, Asia Miles program lets you hold awards seats for up to three days and can arranged by calling.

How to Hold Emirates Skywards Award Flights

Transferring your American Express Membership Rewards points to Emirates Skywards is a popular option, as the airline offers numerous flights from major Australian capital cities to the Middle East and beyond. The good news is you can hold award seats for up to one day simply by giving Emirates a call.

How to Hold Singapore Airlines KrisFlyer Award Flights

Singapore Airlines flies from most major Australian capital cities, making it a popular choice for points redemptions. Many Australian credit cards also allow transfers to KrisFlyer, adding to its appeal.

Holding award seats requires a phone call and typically is for one day, however not every phone agent is able to place award seats on hold, so it may take a few attempts before becoming successful—that extra effort can be well worth it, giving you the chance to lock in your dream cabin instead of missing out.

How to Hold Virgin Atlantic Flying Club Award Flights

Transferring your American Express Membership Rewards points to Virgin Atlantic Flying Club unlocks a range of flight options. Award seat holds can be requested by phone and typically last for 24–48 hours, giving you time for you points to be transferred.

How to Hold Award Flights with Other Airlines

Several other frequent flyer programs are also known to offer phone-based award holds, include:

• Air France-KLM Flying Club
• ANA Mileage Club
• American AAdvantage
• EVA Air Infinity MileageLands
• Lufthansa Miles & More
• Turkish Airlines Miles & Smiles

At this time, these programs don’t offer transfers options from Australian credit cards.

Award Holds Tips

• Be prepared with your exact flight number, cabin class, and the route you want to hold.
• Call early in the day when phone agents are likely less busy and be polite but persistent; not all agents are aware of the award hold seat process.
• If the first agent can’t place a hold, try again—sometimes another agent or a manager will have the necessary access.
• Ask if there is a hold fee, whether the hold is guaranteed, and how long it will last.
• Time your credit card points transfer so it arrives within the hold window, and ensure the name on your credit card matches your frequent flyer account to avoid manual reviews.
• Some credit cards allow you to pre-link your accounts, allowing for a smoother transfer of your points.

Award Seat Holds Frequently Asked Questions

Securing an award hold can take a bit of extra time and persistence, but it’s well worth the effort—most frequent flyer programs offer holds free of charge or for a small fee. Without a hold, your points may not transfer quickly enough, and those coveted award seats could vanish, leaving you missing out on your dream flight.

Master Your Points. Unlock Extraordinary Travel.

Want to master earning and redeeming points for award flights around the world? Our Points Mastery Courses are perfect for Aussie travellers of all levels, whether you’re just starting out or already a Frequent Flyer Pro. Learn how to earn points efficiently on everyday spending and book premium award flights with step-by-step strategies from seasoned points experts—turning your points into unforgettable trips at a fraction of what you’d pay for cash tickets.

The post How to Lock in Award Seat Holds (Cathay, Emirates, Singapore & More) appeared first on Points Advisor.

Devaluation of points

There will be changes to the transfer ratios for Emirates Skywards and KrisFlyer loyalty programs from American Express. Effective October 4, the transfer ratio for these two programs will be adjusted from the current rate of 2:1 to 3:1.

This change has an impact on the earning rate of American Express (Amex) cards for these platforms. It is important to note that this adjustment could potentially make other non-Amex cards a more favorable option for earning points.

What does this mean to me?
This devaluation of transfer ratio would mean you will yield 33% less points than before. This could mean the difference of travelling in business class and first class with the same amount of Amex points.

What should I do?

It is advisable to assess whether you are likely to make redemptions on either the Emirates Skywards or KrisFlyer platforms in the next three years. If you anticipate utilizing these programs, it would be wise to consider making a bulk transfer of your points prior to October 4th to take advantage of the current transfer ratio.

However, it is important to diversify your points and not rely solely on one platform. And miles in Skyward or Krisflyer will expire in three years. When deciding where to transfer your points, it is essential to consider your travel destinations, preferred redemption partners and award flights availability. By doing so, you can avoid transferring points into programs that you do not frequently use or that may not align with your travel goals and preferences.

Taking these factors into account will help ensure that you make the most of your points and have a higher chance of redeeming them for the experiences you desire. If you need assistance in evaluating your options or making informed decisions, our team at Points Advisor is available to provide personalized advice tailored to your specific needs.

The post Amex Reduces Conversion Rates for Singapore Airlines, Krisflyer and Emirates Skyward Points appeared first on Points Advisor.

American Express has recently formed partnerships with Qatar Airways and Hawaiian Airlines in Australia, bringing two fantastic opportunities for cardholders to enhance their travel experiences.

With this new collaboration, American Express cardholders can now convert their Membership Rewards points to Avios with Qatar Airways at a rate of 2 MR to 1 Avios, and to Hawaiian miles at a rate of 2 MR to 1 Hawaiian mile. This means that you have even more options to explore and reach your desired destinations using your American Express points.

The Qatar Airways deal is already in effect, starting from August, while the partnership with Hawaiian Airlines will come into effect in October. These partnerships provide a wonderful opportunity for travelers to maximize the value of their American Express points and unlock a world of possibilities.

Whether you dream of exploring the vibrant cities and cultural gems served by Qatar Airways, or you’re longing for a tropical getaway to the beautiful Hawaiian Islands with Hawaiian Airlines, these partnerships offer you the chance to make your travel aspirations a reality.

So, with American Express points, you now have the ability to reach more destinations than ever before. Start planning your next adventure and take advantage of these incredible opportunities to make the most of your points.

Qatar Promotional Transfer

Until the 18th of August, American Express cardholders can enjoy a fantastic promotion when transferring their points to Qatar Airways. During this limited-time offer, you will receive a 20% bonus on Avios for points transferred to the newly partnered Qatar Airlines.

This promotion presents an incredible opportunity for those planning to use Avios for travel within Europe, the Middle East, and beyond. With the bonus Avios, you’ll have even more value to explore the diverse destinations and cultures that Qatar Airways serves.

Don’t miss out on this exclusive offer. Transfer your American Express points to Avios and unlock a world of possibilities for your upcoming travels within Europe, the Middle East, and beyond. Start planning your journey today and take advantage of this incredible opportunity. Safe travels!

The post New Airline Partners for American Express: Qatar & Hawaiian Airlines appeared first on Points Advisor.

This is on Australia Domestic flights (except Christmas Island and Cocos Island) operated by Virgin Australia with a VA flight number. The request can be made online any time after you have purchased until a few hours prior to the scheduled flight departure time.

If there are no upgrades available when you request you might be able to go on a waitlist.

For more details, you can check here.

For Qantas domestic flights, we can upgrade Classic Flight Reward,  Discount Economy and Flexible Economy flights.
a) Discount Economy includes Red e-Deal fares booked in M, L, V, S, N, Q, O and E classes, and Group fares booked in G class; and
b) Flexible Economy includes Flex fares booked in Y, B, H and K classes.

For Qantas international flights, we can upgrade Classic Flight Reward, Economy and Flexible Economy flights.
a) Economy includes classes G, K, L, M, S and V; and
b) Flexible Economy includes classes B, H and Y.

 For more details, you can check here.

The post Can I Use Reward Points for Upgrading My Domestic Flights to Business Class on Virgin and Qantas? appeared first on Points Advisor.

There’s no doubt the choices for redeeming your American Express points are plentiful from flights to fashion. Yet with so many options and some offer low value for redeemed points, we’ve rounded up the best ways for you to maximize your Amex membership rewards.

We’ve based this on Amex cards issued in Australia and this may vary in other countries but the principle applies to most countries. The points required are approximate and the cash price an average.

Redeeming American Express Points at Retailers

While you can use your membership reward points at these retailers, read on to see why we don’t recommend it.

Retailers offer as little as 0.5 cents per Amex point which is incredibly low when compared to using them for flights.

Redeeming Points with Hotel Brands

American Express has joined forces with Hilton Hotels and Marriott Bonvoy Hotels, both of which have their own points rewards system. Each Amex point converts to 0.667 Marriott points or 0.5 Hilton points and the value of 0.667 Mariott points is usually between 0.5 Australian cents and 1 cent higher than the value of 0.5 Hilton points. The value varies depending on the properties, seasons, occupancy, etc. Compared to the retailers, converting your Amex points to these two hotel brands will give you more value but there are better things waiting for your Amex points.

You can get more miles out of your points if you use them for some ‘experiences’ on Marriott ‘Moments‘. Bidding against other Marriott Bonvoy rewards members you can land experiences such as two tickets plus an invite to the after-party for the American Music Award which is currently on auction for 50,000 Marriott points (which requires 75,000 Amex points, it might well go up), compared to the ticket prices on this site, starting at US$3,990 for two people including after-party access. Then it’s worth using Amex points.

We recommend any redemption when 100 Amex points in Australia is worth more than AU$1. In this case, it’s worth US$5.32, which is almost AUD$7.5 with the current exchange rate. Even if the bid doubles, it’s still well worth redeeming your Amex points for it.
But, at the end of the day, it also depends on how much you value the experience and if the tickets are available to the general public.

Redeeming Points for First or Business Class Tickets

However, our favorite way to redeem Amex points is to transfer them over to an airline.

For example, when you transfer 340,000 American Express points to Asia Miles, it converts to 170,000 Asian Miles which can get you a return flight in business class from Sydney to London with Cathay Pacific, valued at approximately AUD$6,000 (excluding taxes), in which case 100 Amex points is worth AU$1.76.  If you transfer 652,000 American Express points to Krisflyer, it converts to 326,000 Krisflyer Miles which can get you a return flight in first class from Sydney to London with Singapore Airlines, valued at approximately AUD$13,000 (excluding taxes), in which case 100 Amex points is worth AU$2!

The post What You’re Doing Wrong with your American Express Points and How to Maximise Them appeared first on Points Advisor.

For the first time, you can pay to extend the validity of your Skywards Miles for up to a year beyond the original expiry date.

If any of your Skywards Miles are expiring soon, you can extend their validity for up to 12 months. For just USD 20 per 1,000 Skywards Miles, you can purchase the extension 3 months prior to the date of expiry, and you can extend up to 50,000 Skywards Miles in a year.

If any of your Skywards Miles have expired in the past 6 months, you can reactivate them so that they are added back into your account. It costs just USD 20 per 1,000 Miles and you can reclaim up to 50,000 Skywards Miles in a year.

The post Now you can extend the validity of your Skywards Miles appeared first on Points Advisor.