Transfer Marriott Points to Miles
Marriott’s probably loving the attention right now. Here’s just a bit of what’s swirling: upcoming mid-range credit cards, a possibly refreshed and more expensive Brilliant card, and people aghast at the superfluous B’s in card names. With all this current fuss, I wondered if an old, reliable redemption option was still around – one that I’ve never used. Can Bonvoy members still transfer Marriott points to miles? If so, how easy is the process these days? And do members still get those 5k bonus miles by transferring certain amounts?
Is Transferring Marriott Points to Miles A Good Idea?
As with many situations, the answer is, “it depends.” Back in the day, earning most any airline mile at an effective 1.25x rate with the SPG card was considered solid. Card issuers have since inflated bonus category (and normal) earning rates to higher levels, though, and this transfer makes less sense for many. And this redemption method was devalued in conjunction with the SPG move and Bonvoy program rollout. Here are just a few examples of when transferring Marriott points to miles still may make sense.
- You need to top off your mileage account to redeem for a specific award. Marriott lets you do this precisely. There’s no requirement to transfer in multiples of a thousand points, for instance. You can identify the exact amount of points (and, indirectly, miles) to reach just the right mileage balance for a redemption.
- Also, you may want to take advantage of a partner redemption sweet spot. While options may be decreasing, avid hunters can find huge value transferring miles to niche programs for lucrative redemptions (admittedly, I’m far from an expert here).
- You may find that 5k bonus appealing. Some miles are just tough to earn otherwise, so any kind of bonus makes this type of transfer worth considering.
How To Transfer Marriott Points to Miles
Step #1: Review and Consider Your Options
Again, a great part of this SPG (now Marriott) capability has been members’ option to transfer to a variety of airline programs. Consider all of your options in the table here. The ratio for most all transfers is three Marriott points to one airline mile, with a few exceptions. Also, note the other highlights of the program (pictured above).
Step #2: Begin the Transfer
Log in to your Bonvoy account and click Transfer Points from the above link.
Step #3: Add Your Info
Fill out the airline info and points amount you’d like to convert to miles. Remember that you will receive 5k bonus miles for every 60k Marriott points you transfer. But interestingly, this isn’t reflected on this screen. Have no fear, they will appear. Click Continue.
Step #4: Review and Submit the Transfer
Carefully review the transfer information (pictured above). Again, you’ll see nothing about the 5k bonus miles here – not to worry.
Step #5: Check Your Airline Account
Check your airline account to confirm the miles have arrived. Transfer times vary. Domestic airlines post the miles within 24 hours, predominantly. Foreign carriers can take up to several days.
If you transferred in multiples of 60k points, you should have also received the 5k (or 10k, etc) bonus miles. I’ve heard from multiple MtM Diamond members that the bonus miles still reliably post as part of the transfer.
Conclusion
Will I ever transfer Marriott points to miles? I have no plans to do so. But it’s nice to know I still can fairly easily, if the need ever arises. With all that’s changing in our hobby, it’s nice to know an old, reliable transfer method still lives on, even if it’s been devalued a bit. Have you converted Marriott points to miles recently? Why did it make sense for you?
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In my limited experience with airbnb,
1. Their customer service is horrendous. Lot of hat, no cattle.
2. They are always overpriced on everything that is available on other sites. They are usually ok on things you can’t find on other sites but that’s because you have nothing to compare.
3. I feel airbnb prices have started to converge to what you would find for hotels of similarly quality.
All that to say, keep/use your hotel points for stays.