Rewards Hack: Convert Hotel Points to Airline Miles

Do you have hotel points but don’t know how to use them?

Maybe you don’t stay in hotels often but found yourself racking up points from an out-of-town wedding or a business trip. Perhaps you’ve got points that are about to expire and no trips planned.

Have you thought about transferring them into airline rewards?

Most major airlines have hotel partners that will allow you to transfer hotel points to their airline loyalty rewards program. Your conversion may not be the best, but it certainly beats letting points go to waste.

Or, if you’re looking to book a ticket and need that points bump to reach the rewards required, this might be a good option. Regardless, there are some things to keep in mind:

Not all programs are equal. Conversion rates will vary. Do your research before converting. For example:

• 5,000 Best Western Rewards points = 1,000 AAdvantage miles

• 10,000 IHG Rewards Club points = 2,000 AAdvantage miles

• 30,000 Marriott Reward points = 10,000 Delta SkyMiles

Look for bonuses. Marriott Rewards adds 15,000 bonus points for every 60,000 you transfer to one of its 40 airline partners.

Check for minimums. Some programs, like IHG Rewards, may require at least 10,000 points to convert, whereas others, like Radisson Rewards, work with very small points increments. Ten Radisson Rewards points convert to 1 Delta SkyMile.

Bottom line: There’s no good reason to let any of your points expire. Make them work for your travel goals.

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