Last chance to transfer your hotel points to Avios for a 25% bonus

Here is a final reminder that Tuesday October 15th is the last day to initiate a transfer of hotel points to British Airways Avios points to receive a 25% bonus.

Here is a quick reminder of the promotion, outlined here at ba.com.

Rule 1:  You must convert your hotel points to Avios (at ba.com, not avios.com) before 15th October.  15th October is the date by which the points must leave your hotel account, not arrive at ba.com

Rule 2:  Only transfers from the following hotel programmes count:

• Club Carlson
• Hilton HHonors
• Hyatt Gold Passport
• IHG Rewards Club
• Marriott Rewards
• Shangri-La Golden Circle
• Starwood Preferred Guest

Rule 3:  There are minimum transfer requirements.  These are generally the same as the lowest possible transfer out of that programme, except for Starwood Preferred Guest.

The rules say that you must transfer 2,500 SPG points to qualify for the bonus.  However, Gold and Platinum SPG members are allowed by SPG to transfer lower amounts (1,500 and 1 respectively).  It is not clear if transferring less than 2,500 means you forfeit the bonus, but I would assume it does.

Rule 4:  Only lump sum transfers of existing points get the bonus.  Points earned directly from stays (ie 500 Avios for a stay at a Hilton property) do not attract the bonus as they would fall under the minimum transfer threshold.

Rule 5:  You can make multiple transfers from multiple programmes and, based on past experience, all will attract the bonus.

So, is this a good deal or not?

In general, a 25 per cent bonus is not enough – for any promotion – to make a bad deal a great deal.  50 per cent, yes. 25 per cent is rarely a game changer.

In general, hotel points are best redeemed for hotel stays.  Let’s look at the points needed for a top category redemption, say £250 a night.  The Avios conversion does not include the 25 per cent bonus.

Hilton – 80,000 points = 8,000 Avios

Hyatt – 22,000 points = 5,500 Avios

Marriott – 45,000 points = 12,000 Avios 

IHG Rewards Club – 50,000 points = 10,000 Avios

Carlson – 50,000 points = 5,000 Avios

Starwood – 30,000 points = 35,000 Avios

Apart from Starwood, who have a very good conversion ratio, you are clearly better leaving large stashes of hotel points where they are.

However, for a small amount, it is a different game. A couple of years ago I tidied up some of my small hotel balances by converting a lot to Avios, often topping up first from Amex Membership Rewards, and didn’t regret it. If you will never earn enough for a free room, you might as well convert and a 25 per cent bonus is a good excuse.

The other thing to remember is that the hotel chains convert to many airline programmes, often over 20. You may get a 25 per cent bonus via Avios, but perhaps topping off another account may be more useful?

If you had a huge volume of hotel points, you may be able to get enough points from scratch in, say, the American Airlines programme for a tax-free UK to US redemption.  It may also reset the expiry date of some airline miles which are about to expire.  Avios are not always the answer.

Final thought. You can transfer IHG Rewards Club points to someone else for $5 per 1000, Hilton points for $25 per 10,000 and SPG and Carlson points for free if you share an address.  Hyatt points can be pooled if you ring and redeem them immediately.  Perhaps a transfer to a friend who can use a larger total for a hotel room is a better deal than Avios, even with the bonus.

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Hotel offers update – April 2024:

Want to earn more hotel points?  Click here to see our complete list of promotions from the major hotel chains or use the ‘Hotel Offers’ link in the menu bar at the top of the page.

Want to buy hotel points?

• Hilton Honors is offering a 100% bonus when you buy points by 14th May 2024. Click here.