We have already written about the changes coming to Hilton Honors program effective today, the primary one being members will not be able to earn airmiles for hotel stays as a double dip. While members can no longer receive airmiles on stays, the ability to transfer Hilton Honors points to airmiles stays.
Effective April 2, 2018, Hilton has dropped 11 airline partners and added nine new ones. Here is a detailed list of the same.
Discontinued Airline Transfer Partners:
- Air Baltic (PINS)
- Air China (Pheonix Miles)
- China Southern (Sky Pearl Club Miles)
- Air Berlin (TOP Bonus Miles)
- Czech Airlines (Ok Plus Miles)
- Gulf Air (Falconflyer Miles)
- JetBlue (TrueBlue Miles)
- Multiplus (Multiplus Points)
- OK Cashbag (Cashbag Points)
- SriLankan Airlines (Srilankan Airline FlySmiles)
- Thai Airways (Royal Orchid Plus Miles)
Air Baltic is discontinuing as an airline transfer partner
On the other hand, nine new airlines are joining as transfer partners.
Newly Added Airline Transfer Partners & Conversion Rates:
- Air Asia (10,000 Hilton points = 2,000 Air Asia Big Points)
- Asiana Airlines (10,000 Hilton points = 1,000 Asiana Club Miles)
- China Eastern (10,000 Hilton points = 1,000 China Eastern Miles)
- Emirates Skywards (10,000 Hilton points = 1,000 Emirates Miles)
- Eva Air (1,000 Hilton points = 100 Eva Bonus miles)
- FinnairPlus (5,000 Hilton points = 1,000 FinnairPlus Miles)
- Garuda Indonesia (10,000 Hilton points = 1,000 GarudaMiles)
- SAS EuroBonus (8,000 Hilton points = 1,000 EuroBonus points)
- Turkish Airlines (10,000 Hilton points = 1,000 Miles & Smiles Miles)
Emirates is being added as a Hilton Honors transfer partner
A silver lining to this change is the improved conversion/earning rates by Lufthansa Miles & More, Singapore Airlines Krisflyer and Air New Zealand Airpoints.
- Miles & More: 5,000 Hilton points = 625 Miles & More miles which was 500 miles earlier.
- Singapore Airlines KrisFlyer: 4,000 Hilton points = 500 KrisFlyer miles which were 400 miles earlier
- Air New Zealand Airpoints: 10,000 Honors = 20 Airpoints (the ratio remains the same, transfer starts at 5,000 Honors to 10 Airpoints)
Bottomline
Hilton discarded Points and Miles for stays, saying that fewer than 1% of their members took advantage of this benefit. While none of these newly added transfer ratios is appealing, it is always nice to have the transfer option.
Do you convert hotel points into airmiles?
Hilton Honors blows buckets. It’s not a loyalty program in any sense.