Starwood Preferred Guest has announced that they’ve added Avianca LifeMiles as a transfer partner. You’ll be able to transfer your Starwood’s Preferred Guest points to  Avianca LifeMiles at a rate of 1:1. As always, if you transfer 20,000 or more SPG points at a time you’ll receive an additional 5,000 points (effectively making the transfer rate 1:1.25).
You’ll also earn double SPG points at participating SPG properties in Latin America and the Caribbean between September 15th and December 15th, 2016 when you stay two nights or more.
The timing of this is interesting given that Marriott’s acquisition of SPG is due to close on the 23rd finally. Personally I find SPG points much more valuable than airline miles so I don’t get too excited to see these new transfer partners, but any added extra flexibility is obviously only a good thing so no complaints here.
I take this as a positive if only because it represents some continued “independent life” of the SPG program. Doubt they would be adding a new partner if they were in the midst of transition plans that involved folding up shop and merging it with Marriott Rewards in the near future.
FYI – https://www.reddit.com/r/churning/comments/53xogz/new_spg_offer/
Do you actually use SPG points for hotel stays?
I find transfer to miles a better value.
With the current 30% transfer bonus to AeroPlan it’s an excellent value.
I use mine for hotel stays (well I did when I had some). I have lots of airline miles and not really any hotel points.
Weren’t we supposed to see an increased SPG bonus today?
Rumor now is it’s pushed off until October 5, I think