Best Value For Amex Gold Card Points

[smartboyalec]

Hello,

I have close to 100k membership points on my amex gold card – wondering what is the best redemption offer/way to maximise those points – any suggestions?

Thanks a lot.

[memesweeper]

Ignore all the non-travel redemption options.

That leaves travel: which begs the question where you want to go, when you want to travel, and what you want to do. For some types of trips hotel points are the best option, and for others it’s airlines. If you are stuck with school holidays, for instance, then airline miles may be much less attractive.

Also are you solo, couple or family group?

In terms of random inspiration, my standout redemptions which were fully/partly MR have been:

– Hilton Amsterdam — great upgrade for a few Euros on top of a points stay, at a classy hotel
– A couple of hotel 5-4-4s, the best being the Marriott in Costa Rica (Punta Islita)… absolutely crazy value per point
– A long-haul leg back from New York in First on BA

[smartboyalec]

Thanks – I am tempted by a trip to Marrakech or Dubai next year mid February as it happens to be the missus birthday 🙂 It would be the family – so 4 of us (2 adults and 2 kids) and would be during the feb half term hols – so what are my options then?

I reckon any of the e gift-card redemption options that Amex shows arent worth it in terms of value?

[NorthernLass]

A couple of people have posted that the Hilton option has disappeared from Amex, but Bonvoy 5 for 4 can be good value if you can find somewhere that hasn’t been well and truly “Bonvoyed” since the points devaluation! You need to look at Marriott hotels at your destination and see what 133k points would get (you get 2:3 for Amex transfers).
If you collect avios, 100k isn’t going to get your far in a premium cabin, BUT Dubai is now a RFS destination so you would get 2 economy returns for 100k avios plus £200 (though it might be more avios on peak dates). I don’t know if Marrakech falls into the RFS or long-haul bracket.
Some people would happily take a gift card but if you’re on here, I’m guessing that doesn’t float your boat!

[Bill_B]

smartboyalec wrote:

I reckon any of the e gift-card redemption options that Amex shows arent worth it in terms of value?

The gift cards only give 0.5p per point which is terrible value as you can get 0.8p via the Avios/Nectar route on Sainsbury’s/Argos/eBay. Avios redemptions should be around 1p per point but might be less in economy long haul depending on the cash price of alternative flights.

[NorthernLass]

You’re forgetting that some long haul economy flights are now RFS – if you pay 50k avios plus £100 for a flight to Dubai in the school holidays (especially in winter), you’re very likely going to be getting very good value.

[Bill_B]

NorthernLass wrote:

You’re forgetting that some long haul economy flights are now RFS – if you pay 50k avios plus £100 for a flight to Dubai in the school holidays (especially in winter), you’re very likely going to be getting very good value.

Sure, that’s why I said “might be”. But yes, maybe I should have been clearer that you can do a lot better than 1p per point with RFS.

[The Savage Squirrel]

I used to say Radisson was the rock solid redemption option here if you were staying where they had a presence like Scandinavia (or loads of choice, e.g. London). Getting at least 1p/point of direct cash saving was pretty much a given and far better was often achievable. It still is at this moment, although the major warning is that the scheme is about to be “upgraded” and we know how that always goes…. Still worth a look if you can convert and book something you wanted immediately.

[memesweeper]

UAE at half term? Well, if you can find RFS in economy it could work well. But availability might be tight. You should plan on not getting a reward flight.

If you have the right status, look at what a 5-4-4 would give you in a Hilton property. Ditto Marriott. 100k MR is 260k Hilton? Hilton Dubai Palm Jumeirah is 60k/night, so you could get a room for five nights there with some change. I’m not sure how the connecting rooms work with points bookings if the second room is cash, however. The cash alternative is over AED 7,500, so that would be £ 1,900 of value(-ish) for 100,000 MR. That’s a very good redemption IMO. Incidentally, I’m not recommending that hotel, it’s just an example.

Similar maths may work with the other two chains.

[smartboyalec]

Thanks a lot everyone for your responses, much appreciated. Apologies for not being able to come back earlier, been crazy busy at work lately 🙁

Pardon my ignorance, but when you guys say RFS did you mean Reward Flights using Avios or like with BA or something else? Similarly where am I looking for these hotels – is it on the Amex travel website, I thought those are usually more expensive then going direct or did I misunderstand it.

Thanks once again.

[BJ]

I think you’re coming at this backwards. I suggest that it would be smarter, and that you would ultimately be happier, if you first made a shortlist of the 2 or 3 things you wanted to do (you suggested Dubai and Marrakech) and then figured out how best to use your MR, Heathrow reward points etc to make it hsppen. Choosing a destination, hotel, airline etc mainly based on value obtained for the points or miles can lead to unsatifactory outcomes.