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Lost in the Translation
The Travel Tightwad · May 5, 2002

Transferring frequent flier miles between programs can be like traveling to a foreign country. Something always seems to get lost in the translation.

At least that's how Catherine Mikkelsen sees it. She got docked the equivalent of two coach class airline tickets when she moved 80,000 American Express Membership Rewards points through Hilton to American Airlines recently. "And I only found out about it two days before I had to travel," she says.

When you send your miles through another program's matrix, it's easy to lose your way as Mikkelsen did. But if you bring a good translator, you can save money, not to mention miles. Mikkelsen called on me to help her sort out her mileage mess, so I contacted Hilton to see what had happened. Turns out they were already working on the problem.

"We have arranged with American Express to return her Membership Reward points," says Cindy Baker, the vice president of Hilton's HHonors customer service center. What had happened? Well, nothing. "The conversion rates for the transfer of points for the two programs are published, along with the points required from each program for various reward options. Once familiar with both, the customer opts to use points from either program, or to transfer them to the other if there is a more desirable reward," she told me.

The conversion rates are not point-for-point, so there can be a significant difference in reward options. Hilton (and American Express) were very generous to bend their rule of not allowing frequent travelers to reverse their transfers, but they helped Mikkelsen—and me—learn a valuable lesson.

When it comes to miles, one plus one is not always equal to two.

It's pointless to ask why or to lament over the fairness of it all. The only thing we can do, really, is to define this issue to make sure that it doesn't affect you on your next trip. Getting points lost in the translation can be a costly proposition, as we've just seen.

Talk to Karen Anderson about getting your wires crossed when you redeem miles, and you'll get an earful. She was trying to transfer points from Delta Air Lines to Hilton for a hotel award and, as she puts it, "Delta was a nightmare."

Why? "Delta was a particular problem since it sent a certificate, which then has to be sent to Hilton—more time, more clocks ticking," says Anderson. "Delta showed the points taken from her account but no certificate arrived. It took the customer service reps of both airlines and Hilton to get this package together. They finally agreed to transfer the miles without the certificate, but only because of the persistence of the Hilton representative."

So how to get around this? Here are a few thoughts:

• Read the matrix. The fine print can be confusing, even maddening, but if you don't pay attention to it, you could end up like Mikkelsen. Lucky for her, I had a few good friends at Hilton who could fix her problem, but I can't always guarantee a happy ending.
  
  
• Remember: There's no turning back. Once you transfer your miles, your decision is final. Few programs routinely allow you to shift points between accounts. And although it's not unheard of (Amex made an exception for us) you shouldn't expect it.
  
  
• If you want to keep all of your miles, stay within the program. It's simple, really. Transferring miles between accounts usually means that they'll lose some value. Sometimes, there's also a fee involved. The best way to optimize your rewards points is to stay put.
  
  
• It's never too soon to initiate a transfer. Translation woes aside, the process takes time. Lots of time. It isn't unheard of for transfers to take up to three months, depending on the type of request. So if you need the miles soon, initiate the transfer yesterday.

Christopher Elliott is a travel commentator based in Key Largo, Fla. All e-mailed questions may be edited, condensed or republished at the site's discretion.