Made update for wiki, PCMIIW before I put it up. I didn't include transfer times, because alot of the info is outdated and things changed. Hopefully going forward people will wiki update with fresh info.
Q: Were can I transfer to, and at what ratio?
A:
https://www.starwoodhotels.com/preferredguest/account/starpoints/transfer/airline_partner_list.htmlQ: What's this transfer bonus I heard about?
A: Every 20K you transfer you will get a bonus 5K miles!
Q: If I transfer 80,000 do I get extra 20,000 bonus to make 100,000 or will I only get only 85,000? I.e, do I have to transfer in increments of 20,000 to maximize the bonus?
A: The former, SPG awards the 25% bonus for
EVERY 20k increment, so sending over 40,000 will net you 50,000 not 45,000. However, since only 79,999 can be transferred at a time,
therefore to maximize the bonus you do 60k every 24 hours, as you can only do 1 transfer per 24 hours.
Q: I am transferring in a few points to keep my account from expiring, will they be backdated to the date I initiated the transaction?
A: Yes, but next time don't wake up so late!
Q: Do names have to be matched?
Us First and Last can be different.
Delta much match
AA First & Last must match. Few reports of mismatched first names going through successfully. (Unsubstantiated speculation that it will go through with small transfers.)
Emirates Names do not have to match.
Lufthansa Last names must match.
Singapore Succesful transfer with mismatched first name.
British Airways Last names need to match.
Q: What happens if a transaction is rejected for mismatched names?
A: It should come back automatically, may take up to a month. If not, PUTPAC SPG.
Be warned: Transfers are far from instant! You can ask SPG to expedite for a fee.
If you are desperate you can transfer US MR>SPG at 3:1. Other countries will have different/better ratios.