Choice - Best value for expiring points?

How would you spend down Choice points?

  • Preferred hotels & resorts reward nights

    Votes: 0 0.0%
  • Amtrak Transfers

    Votes: 0 0.0%
  • Costco

    Votes: 0 0.0%

  • Total voters
    3

Voyaging Doc

Level 2 Member
I've got a little over 5k Choice points and am trying to brainstorm the best way to use them before expiry. Since they expire based on time of earning and I don't have any upcoming Choice stays, I figure transfers are the next best use. This is by no means an exhaustive list but rather the ones that stood out to me of best value

Transfer to Airlines:
  • AA 1:5
  • AS 1:5
  • AC 1:5
  • WN 1.8:6
  • UA 1:5
AARP membership cert 1 year: 5,000
Costco membership cert 1 year:16,000



I'd say AS miles are the hardest to obtain as they are not partnered with a flexible points program like UR/MR. If you have a lot of points then the Costco membership makes sense, but since I only have a few it seems that AS would be the smarter redemption. And if you're into MS'ing then the AARP membership would fetch you the biggest bang for your worthless Choice bucks (minus some sweetspot hotel redemptions & the Preferred hotel group stays). AARP 1 year = $16 retail value. 1000 AS miles = $7-12 OOP with easiest methods of MS'ing

What would you do?
 

smittytabb

Moderator
Staff member
Ha ha, I just got stranded at OHare airport this week and my flight got cancelled at 10 pm and I was able to use mine for the LAST room at a Choice hotel at OHare. All the other hotels were full and I got online and booked it with 16K points. Lifesaver for me and now I don't have to worry about that. It really was the last room, so it is interesting that as hard as it is to book with these points far ahead, you can get last night availability.
 

Voyaging Doc

Level 2 Member
I just got an email from Choice stating that if I make one stay all expiring points on Dec 31 will be redeposited in Jan 1. Seems like that gives another 2 year extension on those points!
 
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