I got an email from United MileagePlus today offering a 25 percent bonus when I convert points from other hotel and rental car programs into MileagePlus miles.

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I normally shy away from such offers, because I think they are a terrible value. The conversion ratios are almost always unfavorable. Of course, the SPG points that transfer 1 to 1 to some frequent flyer programs are an exception to this. That said, there are times when offers like these make sense. For example, I have a whopping 5,200 Hyatt points in my account, a number that is not likely to increase anytime soon. For example, I recently completed my first Hyatt stay in 12 years. Nothing against Hyatt, it’s just my travel patterns standing between us.

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It just so happens that Hyatt is a transfer partner with United MileagePlus (and other airlines), and I do have a near term use for MileagePlus miles. No, not a new camera! So, I went for it and converted 5,000 Hyatt points I’ll likely never use, into 2,000 MileagePlus miles plus I will use. And that’s one of the few times that I think it’s OK to conduct one of these types of transfers. Click here to register and check out the terms and conditions. The promotion period runs from October 18, 2013 and November 30, 2013. You can even earn a 25 percent bonus if you transfer at least 5,000 miles into MileagePlus.

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Just my opinion, and as always, YMMV.

-MJ, October 18, 2013