Hotel Points to Miles Conversion rates for Aeroplan Bonus

Aeroplan has a bonus miles offer for hotel points-to-miles transfers from March 14 through April 30, 2011. Aeroplan promotion registration is required for this offer.

There are 10 hotel programs participating in this offer. A maximum of 5,000 bonus miles from Aeroplan can be earned per hotel program with transfers during the promotion period.

Best Western International® – Best Western Rewards® 

Carlson(SM) Hotels Worldwide – Goldpoints PlusSM 

Choice Hotels® – Choice Privileges® 

Coast Hotels & Resorts – Coast Rewards 

Hilton Worldwide® – Hilton HHonors™ 

Hyatt Hotels & Resorts® – Hyatt Gold Passport™ 

InterContinental® Hotels Group – Priority Club® Rewards 

Marriott® International – Marriott Rewards® 

Starwood Hotels & Resorts – Starwood Preferred Guest® 

Wyndham® Worldwide – Wyndham Rewards® 

I created a table of hotel points to airline miles exchange rates correlated to the base spend earn rate for each program. This table shows the amount of hotel spend needed to earn the points for the 5,000 miles, 10,000 miles and 25,000 miles required for each Aeroplan bonus level.

The base spend levels illustrate the variability of points-to-miles exchange rates across hotel loyalty programs. In three posts I have read on this promotion from The Points Guy, One Mile at a Time, and View from the Wing, each focused only on Starwood Preferred Guest point transfers.

This table shows that Wyndham Rewards actually has the best points-to-miles transfer rate for this promotion when correlated to the amount of base spend needed to earn the points. (I’ll have to look into the Hainan Airlines upgrade option Gary mentioned in View from the Wing as a good value use of Wyndham Rewards points.) In fairness though, SPG elite status will reduce the base spend level by 33% and make the SPG elite earn rate about the same as Wyndham. Wyndham does not have elite levels or elite bonus points. Top elite members of Marriott Rewards and Carlson goldpoints have the best points-to-miles exchange rates overall when correlated to hotel spend base points.

The table also shows Hyatt has the same points-to-miles exchange rate as Starwood when correlated to base spend.

The real value of SPG as a points-to-miles program is primarily for American Express cardmembers. The ability to earn 25,000 miles (20,000 SPG points) for $20,000 in card spend makes the SPG card the best of credit card options if miles are your preference.

If your SPG points are earned primarily by Starwood hotel stays, then other programs have better exchange rates for points-to-miles transfers as illustrated in this Loyalty Traveler table comparing the exchange rates of different hotel programs into Aeroplan miles.

In past articles I have pointed out that Marriott Rewards, Carlson goldpoints plus and Wyndham Rewards are the top tier points-to-miles transfer programs with the best exchange rates.

Hyatt Gold Passport and Starwood Preferred Guest are second tier.

Best Western Rewards, Choice Privileges and IHG Priority Club are third tier.

Hilton HHonors has a poor points-to-miles exchange rate for most frequent flyer programs.

And forget about the primarily Canadian hotel chain Coast Rewards. It only takes 1,750 points for a free hotel night with Coast Rewards and using points for miles is a real waste.