This program is one of the most talked about topics I hear. Is it a good deal? Should I join? In short, here is my answer and opinion on points.com…

Katy and I have each been members for over 6 years. We joined early in our frequent flyer quest and used them improperly at first. They are a valuable tool in any frequent flyers toolbox, BUT only for certain things.

The program, in general, allows you to swap points from one program to another. You register all your frequent flyer programs, hotel points, and other rewards networks with them and they keep track and update your balances in each program. It is a nice feature which is provided free of charge.

Their main thrust is transfer though, and to be honest, the conversion ratios are very bad. It is not uncommon to take a 90% hit when transferring points out of one program into another. BUT, the good things are:

1. When you join you get free miles or points as a sign up bonus. And you get to pick the program you want the FREE Bonus in.
2. It is free to join. Take the base membership only.
3. The program is invaluable when you have forgotten to perform an activity and your miles or points are about to expire for lack of use. (This is our main reason for having a membership).A quick transfer can save you thousands of points that may have otherwise expired.
4. It can be a vehicle to “top off” an account balance that is just short of an award level. Here is an example: Suppose you need to go to Boston next week and all the airlines where you have enough points for a free trip are full and have no award availability. But your Continental Airlines account is just a few points shy of what you need to redeem an award? Do a swap of points from another enrolled program for just enough Continental miles to get you on the flight you need. Remember, you take a very big hit in the conversion and make sure it is worthwhile for your personal circumstances.
5. You can buy miles to “top off” an account.
6. You can shop using your miles and points instead of cash. Watch the rate and value you are receiving for your miles or points.
7. When airlines have “Partner Promotions” a small points.com transfer often counts as a qualifying partner transaction. Points.com has such a good redemption tool, several airlines use their program to handle in house transfers.

Again, it is free to join and every member of your family should have a free account. You may not use it for quite some time, but if you need it to qualify for a quick trip or hotel stay, or more importantly to prevent the expiration of your hard earned points and miles, you’ll be glad you have the account set up. Keep the account ID and Password in a safe place for later use. Use the right sidebar for signup, and remember the frugal guy if the time comes, you need it in a hurry.