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Like many of our readers, back in 2016 I signed up for Merrill+ Visa Signature card. I won’t go into all the details, since the offer hasn’t been available for sometime. Basically, the biggest appeal of the program is the ability to redeem 25k points towards a $500 flight. You can also just cash them out for $250 instead, but I would obviously prefer the former option.
I did use my husband’s bonus towards my mom’s flight from Belarus to US last year. And I finally burned my points for a stopover in Hawaii on the way to Japan, planned for 2020. I don’t have to tell you how that turned out. I had a chance to refund the cost of the flight into Alaska Air Travel Bank, but chose the Merrill points instead. And I’m glad I did because the Alaska funds would have probably expired by now.
I can’t believe I still have this sign-up bonus five years later, yet here we are. But I thought that may finally change soon. As I’ve written last week, I’m currently in the midst of planning a family reunion in Kotor, Montenegro. There are lots of unknowns, but it’s quite clear that I will have to purchase my relatives’ flights with cash.
At $400 apiece, this would be a perfect opportunity to cover two tickets with my Merrill points. So, I logged on Bank of America to check my options and was in for a rude awakening.
Merrill travel center is now (mostly) garbage
It used to be that you could see the results similar to what you would find on Orbitz, but not anymore. You now get very limited flight options, and some airlines are not listed at all. For example, the flight I need is on Turkish Airlines, and that option just isn’t there. Minsk airport is listed, but the only way to fly to Montenegro is via LOT Polish, at $2k apiece. No thanks.
A few days ago my mom called me and said that there maybe an opportunity for her to apply for visa to US in January of 2022. She seriously had to pull some strings, as this is something extremely hard to arrange in Belarus right now. Anyway, since US doesn’t allow airlines to sell tickets from Belarus to USA, she would have to fly here from Moscow. It’s not ideal, but we don’t have a choice.
So, out of curiosity, I checked Merrill+ portal and guess what? Moscow isn’t even listed. Instead it pulls up PUW (Moscow airport in the state of Washington). Nope, that won’t work, I’m afraid. I tried doing a search by putting in DME (Domodedovo airport) to no avail. It’s like Moscow was erased from the map.
So, two possible options for burning the points were a no go. I knew from past experience that if the flight isn’t listed on the web, Merrill travel center agents can’t do much about it. But I wanted to check anyway, figuring it would be helpful to readers who are also sitting on these points. As I suspected, the rep told me she can’t see any flights from Moscow either. Basically, you get what you get on the website, and that’s that.
A major consideration in case things go wrong
Since we are in the midst of the pandemic, it’s wise to think of the worst case scenario. Obviously, buying a cash ticket carries tremendous drawbacks if you are forced to cancel. That’s especially true when it comes to international itineraries. I fully understand the risks, and would be willing to roll the dice by purchasing my family’s tickets closer to the date of the flight.
But going through Merrill center can definitely complicate things. Last year we had to cut my parents’ visit short due to EU closing the borders. Plus, one of their flights was cancelled. I was able to log into Lufthansa and find their ticket locator. I then cancelled the flight and was promised a portion of a refund at a later date.
I waited a few months and then called Lufthansa. I was then referred to Merrill travel agency since it handled the original ticket. That’s where the runaround began. First, I was put on hold for literally hours and then disconnected. I tried again a few times, to no avail.
I did finally speak to someone who promised to take it up with Lufthansa. She even gave me her email address, which was helpful. Unfortunately, three months later, there was no refund in sight. Finally, I sent her a polite email stating that I will file a complaint with BBB, and that got things moving. She responded and said that she escalated the matter with her supervisor and the refund would be processed within a week. And indeed, ten days later I got a check for $375. Was it worth the rigamarole? You be the judge.
But I’m just showing you what you may have to deal with in case things go south. Any time you involve a middle man, there is a potential for nuisance. If you have a choice, buying tickets directly through airline is always best.
For me, resolving this issue was a matter of principle. And let’s face it, $375 is not exactly chump change. It looks like they got the refund from Lufthansa, and simply decided to keep it. I don’t have proof, obviously, but that’s the most logical conclusion.
What to do with points?
Circling back to the title, I’m on the fence as to what to do with the Merrill points. On the one hand, I hate cashing them out at 1 cent apiece when I can potentially get closer to 2 cents on flights. On the other hand, it’s clear that the travel center mostly sells garbage flights I wouldn’t be interested in anyway. Sure, maybe the stars will align at some point and I will find the exact flight I need for $500. But I doubt it.
I could book two $500 flights on Alaska Air or Jet Blue and then refund them into a Travel Bank in a respective program. Then again, those funds will have an expiration date, and that makes me feel uneasy. This pandemic has shown all of us that flexibility is key. That’s why I prefer to use miles in programs that offer full refund, not travel funds. I don’t mind losing $5 in taxes here and there, but not $1k.
Right now I have 53k points that I can turn into $530. One of my concerns is Bank of America canceling the card without my approval, and potentially losing all the points. I do try to put a $1 charge on it now and again, but I’m not sure it’s sufficient.
The expression “a bird in the hand is worth two in the bush” has never applied more. Decisions, decisions…
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Author: Leana
Leana is the founder of Miles For Family. She enjoys beach vacations and visiting her family in Europe. Originally from Belarus, Leana resides in central Florida with her husband and two children.
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I used my SUB from Merrill+ card three years ago. I keep the card since it is a Chip+Pin card which I do not have otherwise.
Is there a reason why you never used this SUB? Is it because you were drowning in points and miles and didn’t get to use this stash yet? Or is it because you could never find a good redemption for this stash of points?
If it is reason #1 I would think about if you can use it for a future redemption in the not so far away future realistically.
If it is reason #2 and things are not likely to change (as this post has illustrated) I’d just cash out now and invest it. The stock market YTD has gone up 20%, bonds are as high as 7%. What has this stash of points done for you lately?
@winni3 Very well put comment! I want my points to work for me instead of just sitting there for years. That’s why I’m not a fan of hoarding.
Honestly, I’ve tried to use these points to my advantage. I finally burned them on Alaska flight to Hawaii, but that plan fell apart last year. With us hopefully going to Europe next May, and then planning Japan for 2023, I’m not sure there will be room for Hawaii. We might plan a trip to Argentina next fall, so perhaps there is a way to somehow utilize the points there. But with no end to pandemic in sight, I’m reluctant to book any revenue flights.
I will probably wait a bit before cashing out. I’ve waited five years, what’s another six months or so. Either way, it’s first world problems.
Don’t forget that the ML card gives you free access to Museums on Us program through B of A. That is the main reason I am keeping my card. I didn’t rack up as many points as you apparently did and was able to book one ticket in the high 400’s range in 2019. Belarus is a tough one though. Good luck (My grandparents came from Belarus years ago).
@LauraPDX BoA museum program is a good one. Though we live in a rural town, so unfortunately haven’t been able to take advantage of it so far. Most of my points came from the sign up bonus, it has been a “sock drawer” card since.
Belarus is indeed a tough one for flights, especially since new sanctions have been imposed. I do hope you get to visit it one day due to your heritage (when things improve). There are some cool places to visit, as at one time modern-day Belarus was the founding member of Grand Duchy of Lithuania, a European powerhouse. One of the highlights to me was booking a night in a real castle at an amazing rate https://milesforfamily.com/2018/01/18/magical-overnight-stay-nesvizh-castle-belarus-plus-visit-mir/
So glad you addressed this!
Both my husband and I have about 53000 points.
At this juncture, I think I’d take the cash!
How do I do that?
@Katherine When you click on “redeem rewards”, you will see tab “cash” at the top. Click on it, and this is what pops up:
“Redeem points for cash back into a Merrill Lynch CMA®, Bank of America® checking or savings account or statement credit.
Call 1.800.419.0000 to redeem”
If I remember correctly, there was no option to get a check in the mail. So, if you get a statement credit, you will need to put a $530 charge to erase it. If you don’t, BoA will send you a check, though it may take a few months.
I’m definitely not saying that everyone should cash out the points. As commenter Seth has pointed out, he is seeing lots of options that would work for his situation. Definitely YMMV kind of thing. You can redeem points towards many $500 flights in US, and then cancel them later. Most airlines allow to hold tickets’ value these days. Some (like Jet Blue) even allow you to use the funds for other people. But you have to be OK with the expiring nature of the travel funds. Also, make sure to avoid basic fare etc. Read the fine print!
I still haven’t decided what to do, but I’m leaning towards cashing out. That doesn’t mean everyone should do the same.
have you tried calling the travel center perhaps to see if live agents can pull up specific flights?
@Danny Yes, I did call just to make sure. Unfortunately, same result as the website.
Hi Leana,
Really interesting post – we’re in the same position.
We were happy to book ~$500 tickets to Iceland in 2020, but the points were refunded when our trip was canceled. These points have been our “ace in the hole” for the right situation (e.g. expensive flights where other miles don’t work)….but they’ve sat around for a while as we’ve waited for that situation.
Due to the pandemic we have some expiring points/credits that we’ll prioritize for upcoming bookings – so these points will probably stick around for a while longer.
It’s good to know the travel center has gone downhill – but that may only apply to specific/niche markets.
I tested several itineraries we’d consider such as Hawaii and Israel and saw the same price as Kayak.
So I’ll probably keep rolling the dice and wait for the opportunity to come along…
@Seth Yup, as long as BoA doesn’t cancel the card for inactivity, I suppose it makes sense to hang onto the points. There are definitely situations where the pricing and availability is similar to what you can find on Expedia. I imagine that’s the case for many domestic itineraries. My issue is that I have a ton of Southwest and Jet Blue points for those. And I can get a full refund in case things go wrong, minus maybe a few dollars in taxes. So there is a very real opportunity cost.
I might hang onto Merrill points for another six months or so, and try to utilize them towards flights within Europe or maybe back to US. But I’m leaning towards cashing out and saying adios to Merrill card.