A common question from readers of this blog is point conversion. How do you convert points from one airline to another? ATA and Southwest just made it a little easier.

In most cases, point conversion is a losing proposition, if it’s possible at all. (Try moving miles out of your Delta account! I dare you!)

As I’ve posted before, you’ll almost always lose points in a transfer, either through a clearinghouse like Points.com, or by moving balances from one account to another to another to another. (See Webflyer’s conversion guide to see what sort of hopscotch your points would need to play.)

So having an option for easy transfer is good news for ATA’s customers. The airline already works closely with Southwest by codesharing. Now, ATA customers can cash in 7,250 Travel Awards Points for 16 Southwest Rapid Rewards credits, which equates to one Southwest Airlines roundtrip. No partial conversions.

But is it a good deal? A roundtrip on ATA costs only 6,000 points.

In contrast, Southwest Rapid Rewards customers have been able to cash in their points on ATA for some time, at the same rate (16 credits) as redeeming points for an all-Southwest trip. (Flights to Hawaii cost double.)

So ATA customers are being charged a 20.83% premium. For that premium, they’re freeing their points from capacity controls — the “limited seats available” jargon which most airlines use for their frequent flyer programs, but which Southwest eschews. For some folks, that premium may still be worth paying.

Related:
- Reader mail: Can I transfer points from one airline to another?

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