Best use of Amex Membership Rewards

[Pennglock]

I have been using Amex cards since starting college about 10 years ago, never really paying much attention to the rewards program. As a result, I am approaching a million points!

Are any of you experts on how to make these points go the furthest? I have done a bit of research into getting airline miles, and it seems like no deal at all. Spend $60,000 and get a paltry domestic business class ticket on Delta? Surely there must be better redemption opportunities...

 

[Flambeur]

Originally Posted by Pennglock

I have been using Amex cards since starting college about 10 years ago, never really paying much attention to the rewards program. As a result, I am approaching a million points!

Are any of you experts on how to make these points go the furthest? I have done a bit of research into getting airline miles, and it seems like no deal at all. Spend $60,000 and get a paltry domestic business class ticket on Delta? Surely there must be better redemption opportunities...

Saks, Bloomies, BB giftcards?

With 1,000,000 points you should get $10,000 in gift cards. That's a lot of RTW junk.

 

[Joffrey]

What of international first/business class? I am too lazy to look up the AMex rewards catalog, maybe I'll do that when I get home...

 

[dshin]

I used the award pts on 2 occasions. Once for Les Mis tickets a few yrs back. And then a couple months ago i got a northface denali jacket. I would just pick out cool things here and there. Dont use it up just b/c you have it. I recall seeing the i-pod with the touch screen recently for 30 or 40K pts.

 

[Tarmac]

a million points? really?

 

[A Harris]

Buy Home Depot gift cards, sell them on ebay. There are rules as to how many you can sell at a time though.

 

[dfagdfsh]

macbook pro

 

[thekunk07]

air travel hands dfown. my biz partner hasn't paid for a flight in 5 years.

 

[Pennglock]

Researched the gift card route. Its seems the going rate is about 100 points per $1, which would get me about $8k. That's pretty disappointing. I thought I might at least come away from this with a couple of first class vacations.

 

[Joffrey]

I have only ever spent my points on airfare.

 

[montyharding]

Me too. The problem is, that over this side of the pond many vendors are extraordinarily reluctant to take Amex because of the high commission. I get substantial Air Miles on top of the regular rewards on my Amex, but the problem is finding people who I regularly spend with who take Amex. The two tech vendors I use most and spend probably $200K a year with just for personal stuff don't take Amex for example.

Personally, I spend everything on flights - and the reason I got a BA-branded Amex was for that reason.

 

[whusurdadi]

I got a Blue Cash AMEX - so once a year, on my anniversary of when I opened the account I get a credit off my bill - it's usually a nice amount - plus after I spend $7k a year they bump up my rewards to 1.5% on everything and 5% on gas/drugs/supermarkets...

 

[dragon8]

Sell your points or ask people what they want and then name your price.

 

[bdeuce22]

IWC Portuguese Automatic Chrono

772,100 points

 

[bdeuce22]

or just get an insane amount of restaurant gift cards and take your sig. other out every weekend to a great meal.

you could probably eat out for free for an entire year with that many points