Bonvoy Points Value

[Biglou1228]

I have several certificates to purchase 330K points for $2275. Is this a good deal? Or should I pass? Thanks

 

[Fasttr]

The Points Guy values them at .85 of a cent....or $.0085 X 330,000 = $2,805.

Your value depends if you can get around that value per point....or better.

What are points and miles worth? TPG’s valuations for October 2024 - The Points Guy

Learn how points and miles from major loyalty programs stack up when it comes to value. Here's how TPG values points and miles from airline and hotel programs.

thepointsguy.com

 

[Hindsite]

If you have a reservation in mind then they can be excellent value. The rule of thumb about Bonvoy points is that they have a value of around $0.008/Bonvoy point and the certs you have are cheaper than that.
If you use Bonvoy points then they are decent to excellentvalue. If you don't think you will use them in the next 12 months, then pass.
If you do purchase them, still make sure that you are getting more than their cost for any specific booking, so you don't just waste them.

 

[mjm1]

I have several certificates to purchase 330K points for $2275. Is this a good deal? Or should I pass? Thanks

We had the same decision to make last year. We do use Bonvoy points and I always aim for $0.01 or better per point when making reservations. We opted to buy them and have found value.

The cost is $0.0069 per points. And if you buy them using a Marriott credit card you earn 6x points. $2,275 would earn 13,650 additional points. So 330k + 13,650= 343,650 per certificate or $0.0066 per point.

As others have shared, if you use them and focus on reservations that provide a good return, they can be a good value.

 

[rickandcindy23]

I have been pretty unsuccessful in getting the ~$700 value out of my Marriott 85K certificate. I felt fortunate to get a second one early this year with a small spend I had to make anyway, thanks to a TUG member that posted about the spend deal.

I think it was $4k spend for a 2nd 85K certificate. I paid Marriott maintenance fees ahead to spend the $4K.

Anyway, I am glad I had the Brilliant card to take advantage of the deal, but the hotel stay we are using tomorrow night was only 52K points or $280 + tax. I chose to use my certificate because I see no other opportunities before it expires to use it.

I wouldn't pay money for those points, personally. I check point values to dollars pretty often for our hotel stays.

 

[jwalk03]

I have been pretty unsuccessful in getting the ~$700 value out of my Marriott 85K certificate. I felt fortunate to get a second one early this year with a small spend I had to make anyway, thanks to a TUG member that posted about the spend deal.

I think it was $4k spend for a 2nd 85K certificate. I paid Marriott maintenance fees ahead to spend the $4K.

Anyway, I am glad I had the Brilliant card to take advantage of the deal, but the hotel stay we are using tomorrow night was only 52K points or $280 + tax. I chose to use my certificate because I see no other opportunities before it expires to use it.

I wouldn't pay money for those points, personally. I check point values to dollars pretty often for our hotel stays.

Points are more valuable than FNA certificates. The FNAs have an expiration date while points do not; and sometimes you end up burning a certificate that is worth more than any of the hotels you are staying at. That doesn't happen with pure points either.

It is fairly easy to get at least 0.008/pt. I typically only redeem when I can get a full penny per pt vs the cash rate.

 

[Dean]

I have several certificates to purchase 330K points for $2275. Is this a good deal? Or should I pass? Thanks

You can probably get marginal benefit if you put the effort in and are in a position to use the points to get value. Seems like a lot of hassle, aggravation and risk for a meager return. Unless you actually need and want the points anyway, I'd skip it.

 

[Sicnarf]

As I posted before, I am getting tremendous value out of those promo certs. I bought 30 of them before, and use them for trips to St Regis Maldives, Aspen, Waikiki and Maui Ritz Cartlon during holiday season. In Maldives, we got upgraded to a 2br beach villa that would have costs $30000+ for 5 nights, our cost 400,000 BV points or $2800! They are good for 6 years.

 

[daviator]

Marriott is devaluing Bonvoy points pretty much on a daily basis. So I would DEFINITELY not buy the points unless you have an immediate use for them that gets you better value than the price you are paying.

I have let several of these certificates expire over the years because I didn't have a short-term way to maximize the value of the points. I don't think buying Bonvoy points and just letting them sit in your account and lose value is a good use of cash, not when you can get an actual return on that cash elsewhere.

 

[tschwa2]

I rarely get more than $0.006 on the certs. (35K or 85k). I usually pay cash vs using points if I get less than $0.006. But even when I do use them I am probably at $0.007

 

[dj_drf]

I have several certificates to purchase 330K points for $2275. Is this a good deal? Or should I pass? Thanks

Can someone explain what these certificates are. I've been around Marriott enough to reach lifetime titanium elite, but am drawing a blank on this.

 

[GetawaysRus]

I have been pretty unsuccessful in getting the ~$700 value out of my Marriott 85K certificate. I felt fortunate to get a second one early this year with a small spend I had to make anyway, thanks to a TUG member that posted about the spend deal.

I think it was $4k spend for a 2nd 85K certificate. I paid Marriott maintenance fees ahead to spend the $4K.

Anyway, I am glad I had the Brilliant card to take advantage of the deal, but the hotel stay we are using tomorrow night was only 52K points or $280 + tax. I chose to use my certificate because I see no other opportunities before it expires to use it.

I wouldn't pay money for those points, personally. I check point values to dollars pretty often for our hotel stays.

We're a bit off topic, but you had to luck out with those certificates. We also took advantage of that 4K spend deal on the AmEx Brilliant. (I may have been the one who posted the deal?) With the two 85K certs, I found us 2 nights at a 58K point per night Autograph hotel in a location that interested us. My sweetheart had Nightly Upgrade Awards, so I applied them and only checked off the top upgrade choice we were offered. And I chose a mid-week stay, guessing that the odds of an upgrade might be better. We ended up in a very nice suite with a usual cash price of over $1100 per night. So we were lucky and had a lovely 2 night getaway. (Of course, there's no free lunch. We still had to pay the $40 daily parking fee plus some other fees.)

Anyway, back to the OPs question. That's a gamble. It might pay off, but you'd be putting a lot of $ at risk and I'd only consider it if I had a very good use for those points already mapped out.

Finally, here's a question for you Marriott aficionados. Our success at getting room upgrades on a points or certificate reservation is so-so at best despite Titanium status. I have the suspicion that the hotel knows it's a points/certificate reservation, and is less likely to upgrade us than a cash customer. Am I right, or just paranoid?

 

[gravityrules]

Although this thread has been Bonvoy specific, would it make sense to have a points/miles programs section on TUG? I know there are a number of good websites for this topic in general, but we have at least 3 points systems (Marriott Bonvoy, Hilton Honors, Wyndham Rewards) that have TS connections. It seems we have TUGers who do quite well earning and using these points! I'm just a novice in this area and enjoy reading these types of posts!

 

[davidvel]

Can someone explain what these certificates are. I've been around Marriott enough to reach lifetime titanium elite, but am drawing a blank on this.

My question exactly.

 

[Hindsite]

Can someone explain what these certificates are. I've been around Marriott enough to reach lifetime titanium elite, but am drawing a blank on this.

and @davidvel
When people buy direct from Sheraton or Westin one of the incentives is the ability to purchase blocks of Bonvoy points at a price that is generally below what your can buy them via your Bonvoy account. These are offered as certificates for a set number of Bonvoy points for a set price, that can be exercised within a set number of years. In this deal 330,000 Bonvoy points can be purchased for $2,275. People are often offered 6 or so of these certificates that are good for upto 6 years.
I've not seen or heard it being available for purchases of MVC ownership.

 

[davidvel]

and @davidvel
When people buy direct from Sheraton or Westin one of the incentives is the ability to purchase blocks of Bonvoy points at a price that is generally below what your can buy them via your Bonvoy account. These are offered as certificates for a set number of Bonvoy points for a set price, that can be exercised within a set number of years. In this deal 330,000 Bonvoy points can be purchased for $2,275. People are often offered 6 or so of these certificates that are good for upto 6 years.
I've not seen or heard it being available for purchases of MVC ownership.

Thanks for that info. I have little insight on Sheraton/Westin, but saw Bonvoy. I understand the integration. The times have certainly changed. When Marriott was selling weeks they would give 500,000+- MRP/Bonvoy points for a sale, no additional payment required.

 

[rickandcindy23]

@GetawaysRus It was definitely you who posted that deal. I remember it. I thanked you back then because I was able to add it to my Brilliant card. I wish they would do it every year.

 

[rickandcindy23]

Although this thread has been Bonvoy specific, would it make sense to have a points/miles programs section on TUG? I know there are a number of good websites for this topic in general, but we have at least 3 points systems (Marriott Bonvoy, Hilton Honors, Wyndham Rewards) that have TS connections. It seems we have TUGers who do quite well earning and using these points! I'm just a novice in this area and enjoy reading these types of posts!

I agree. We should have a forum for this topic. It would be interesting to see TUG members' take on the various point programs. I have ZERO interest in Wyndham rewards.

The Hilton credit card is another one we have that I am reconsidering currently. Maybe I would keep it, if I do buy some Hilton points.

 

[vacationtime1]

Although this thread has been Bonvoy specific, would it make sense to have a points/miles programs section on TUG? I know there are a number of good websites for this topic in general, but we have at least 3 points systems (Marriott Bonvoy, Hilton Honors, Wyndham Rewards) that have TS connections. It seems we have TUGers who do quite well earning and using these points! I'm just a novice in this area and enjoy reading these types of posts!

I don't think the information we would provide each other on such a forum would remotely compare with what's available on the various points/miles websites.

It's like when someone asks on TUG about cruises; many of us know that there is a ton of information on www.cruisecritic.com, so the standard response here is to look there.

That said, if TUG adds a point/miles forum, please include Hyatt.

 

[dioxide45]

I don't think the information we would provide each other on such a forum would remotely compare with what's available on the various points/miles websites.

It's like when someone asks on TUG about cruises; many of us know that there is a ton of information on www.cruisecritic.com, so the standard response here is to look there.

That said, if TUG adds a point/miles forum, please include Hyatt.

I think leaving this to sites like FlyerTalk is a better option.

 

[gravityrules]

We do have a cruise section on TUG now. The points/miles websites are good but there are TS specific subjects that would be more relevant here.

 

[jwalk03]

The discussions already happen here frequently. I don’t think a separate forum is necessary. If you want to know something about Bonvoy points just post in the Marriott forum, same with the others.

 

[dioxide45]

We do have a cruise section on TUG now. The points/miles websites are good but there are TS specific subjects that would be more relevant here.

While I agree. I don’t think additional forums are necessary. Especially not separate forums for each point system. Just posting in the applicable timeshare forum does the trick.

 

[Dean]

IMO I'd leave it like it is. Infrequent information but something that might be best for more MVC members to see it rather than a sub Board.

 

[daviator]

I wouldn't really want a whole new forum that I "needed" to check regularly. When discussions on points/miles come up, they are posted in the appropriate timeshare forum and I can read the ones which are relevant to me. Not that this is a democracy, but I vote no on any new forum for that purpose.