TPG - The Points Guy - What Points and Mileage are Worth

[duke]

The Points Guy has just posted his valuations for December.

http://thepointsguy.com/2016/12/december-2016-monthly-valuations/

 

[DavidnRobin]

The Points Guy has just posted his valuations for December.

http://thepointsguy.com/2016/12/december-2016-monthly-valuations/

So... it looks like my 30-35% discount offer from SPG is a bargain! {<sarcasm}

I am a TPG fan - but to accept that was once valued at 2.25c/SP has increased to 2.7c/SP because of the 3:1 MR-SP conversion? A ~20% change in SP value?

At 2.7c/SP: 10K SP = $270. This will get a SPG 4* Cat hotel room (or MR Level 6) based on advertised values - w/o the add-ons of 5 nite promo, etc. as not to complicate the math.

$270 for that level of hotel? nope... not buying it.
Scanning these prices (generally) - these categories are going for <$200/nite (SPG and MR sites)
And - Yes, I am aware that there are prices out there that are more...
(not that I could find quickly - but I am sure some will point out that in some other country this was a bargain for them...)

I am finding much better rates using the UR portal - and more selection.
As posted recently - standard example for us (YMMV) in NorCal
$172 cash
~12000 UR points (~$192)
12000 SP (~$320 at 2.7c/SP)
35000 MR (~$310 at 0.9c/MR)

This is pretty consistent across NorCal hotels of these levels.

IMO YMMV (and likely does... I know a few)

btw, love the avatar (and hat) - way too pull thru!

 

[duke]

btw, love the avatar (and hat) - way too pull thru!

Thanks Dave:
It's a photo of my son at 3 years old and his actual name is duke.

 

[dioxide45]

The value in MR points isn't in individual nightly point stays, it is really in the travel packages. Perhaps that is where he TPG is getting .9 for a MR point and thus translating it in to 2.7 for SPG. It seems he is putting more value on MR points than SPG.

 

[okwiater]

The value in MR points isn't in individual nightly point stays, it is really in the travel packages. Perhaps that is where he TPG is getting .9 for a MR point and thus translating it in to 2.7 for SPG. It seems he is putting more value on MR points than SPG.

Exactly. Because of the 3:1 no-strings SPG-MR conversion feature, TPG has to value SPG points at exactly 3x MR points, by definition. That means the SPG point value is the greater of (1) an SPG point's value as it can be redeemed in SPG; OR (2) 3x a MR point's value as it can be redeemed in MR. Not finding 2.7 cents worth of value in an SPG point doesn't make it "worth less" if an MR point can be redeemed for 0.9 cents worth of value (which TPG asserts is currently the case, up from a recent 0.7 cent valuation).

 

[Rsauer3473]

Exactly. Because of the 3:1 no-strings SPG-MR conversion feature, TPG has to value SPG points at exactly 3x MR points, by definition. That means the SPG point value is the greater of (1) an SPG point's value as it can be redeemed in SPG; OR (2) 3x a MR point's value as it can be redeemed in MR. Not finding 2.7 cents worth of value in an SPG point doesn't make it "worth less" if an MR point can be redeemed for 0.9 cents worth of value (which TPG asserts is currently the case, up from a recent 0.7 cent valuation).

I thought there would be no math on the Internet.

 

[DavidnRobin]

The value in MR points isn't in individual nightly point stays, it is really in the travel packages. Perhaps that is where he TPG is getting .9 for a MR point and thus translating it in to 2.7 for SPG. It seems he is putting more value on MR points than SPG.

An increase from 0.7 to 0.9 c/MR is large.
In my limited hotel searches (US based - since no plans to travel abroad) - neither valuation seems correct, but maybe just for our typical usage. Glad I have used up a good portion of our SPs.

 

[okwiater]

An increase from 0.7 to 0.9 c/MR is large.

I think so, too, but it may be a reflection of the current travel package redemptions. My guess is it will drop back down to 0.7-0.8 cents (and 2.1-2.4 cents for SPG) at some point in the not-too-distant future.