I have 200k Marriott points and I'm not sure what to do

[lisilv]

Hello Tuggers...

I have been able to accumulate 200k Marriott points but I'm not sure what to do. I was looking at the options and I found interesting the Europe sampler that they have where I can split between 3 hotels in Europe. To me would be either the Europe (150k) or one week in Hawaii, probably Maui, I would love to use the points to stay at MOC, but I know it's impossible to get a point package for this place. Does anyone have other hotel/island recommendations? I've read many times that exchanging points per hotel nights is not the best deal, but I would like to hear your opinions on this topic as I'm sure some of you probably had to make the same decision at one point. Thanks for the replies.

 

[Dave M]

I've read many times that exchanging points per hotel nights is not the best deal....

That's for sure!

As you suggest, you can stay for a week in any Marriott hotel or do the Hawaii or Europe 3-hotel sampler for 150,000 points. However, for 200K, you can get a category 7 Travel Package and stay for a week at any Marriott hotel and get 50,000 FF miles. And additional FF miles (in increments of 20K, 50K or 70K FF miles) cost only one MR point per FF mile. Since FF miles are almost universally regarded as having more value than Marriott Reward points, that's a bargain.

Thus, assuming you will be accumulating more points, my strong vote would be to wait and maximize your value by getting as many FF miles as you can with your award.

My only qualification is that Marriott has been devaluing its points program over the years and for inflationary reasons, will continue to do so. (See the “Devaluation Example” at this link.) Since there was a significant devaluation this year, it's not likely (based on the history of changes over the last nine years) that there will be significant changes next year, but anything is possible.

Thus, should you get what you can now or wait until you can get more value? I would wait.

Also, if you obtained your points from trading the use of a Marriott timeshare for points, you can't use those points for an award stay at a Marriott timeshare.

 

[pwrshift]

You have excellent advice from Dave. The only thing I might change would be buy more points from marriott to get up to 270,000 MR points and get the Cat 7 pkg with 120,000 FF miles ... or to 250,000 MR points for the Cat 6 pkg with 120k FF. My reasoning is that you'll never get the FF miles that cheap even if you have to buy additional MR points to get them.

You didn't say how you got the 200k MR points. If this is an ongoing process, or if you can turn your week in for 120,000 MR points one year when you take a 'points' trip you might be able to get a lot further ahead faster. Also, if you think points points points and get the premium MARRIOTT VISA card you'll even earn points at any store.

I like the 150,000 3 Europe resort special, although I haven't tried it yet -- but I assume you don't have to use it over 7 consecutive nights. Imagine flying to Paris for a 3 night stay at the Marriott Champs Elysses, then driving overland to Marriott Monaco for a 2 night stay and on to Marriott Milan for another 2 night stay before flying home...stopping off for a night here and there in Nice, Cannes, Italian Riviera, etc. You could spread your 7 nights into 2 weeks and really see the countries.

Or if you want Italy by itself, you could spend 2 nights in Milan, 3 nights in Rome Grand Flora (difficult to get a week there), and 2 nights in Capri. I think you could split it 3 nights in Rome, 2 nights in Capri, and back to Rome for 2 nights too. UK has a similar package for 3 stays.

Saving more MR points for a while and marry up the above 3 hotel reward with a Cat 7 hotel pkg with 120k FF miles and stay for a week at London County Hall right on the Thames at Westminster Bridge and Big Ben.

You can buy up to 50,000 MR points per calendar year ... so you could do it in Dec this year and Jan next year for a quick 100,000 MR points to add to your total.

Here's the link to buy: http://www.marriott.com/rewards/usepoints/tranpurc.mi

The best way to take a trip of a lifetime, I feel, is to get to the 540,000 MR point level and cash in for TWO Cat 7 hotel with 120k FF packages. That's enough for 2 BUSINESS CLASS tickets to Europe worth 4 times as much as economy if paying cash but you get lie flat beds, lounge treatment, great (?) food, priority service, etc. A great second honeymoon. On such a trip, the airlines will allow you one stopover ... such as flight to Heathrow for a week in London - then flight to Paris for a week - then flight home from Paris. And you'd have enough miles left for about 2 domestic business class flights.

As Dave says, time may be running out somewhat on maximizing point use, but I agree there is probably some breathing time for you to build your point levels...and really see the true value of this benefit. Takes lots of planning, and about 330 days ahead for bookings, but it's such great fun.

Brian

 

[RLG]

If you're doing a 7 day Marriott stay, a travel package with maximum miles is the best way to maximize the value of marriott points. If you don't have enough MR points to do that now, you could wait until you do, or you could do one of two things to capture that value without having to wait:

1) buy additional points from Marriott at 1.25 cents/point and transfer them to your frequent flyer accout; or
2) split the award with someone who has Marriott points and is willing to give you a favorable split in order to transfer *his* marriott points to his frequent flyer program.

Option 1 allows you to buy additional miles in your frequent flyer account for 1.25 cents/mile. The specifics of Option 2 would be negotiated with the person you're splitting with. For example, you might get the 7 day hotel stay for 130k marriott points and they get the FF miles for 140k points.

You should choose whichever of Options 1 or 2, or waiting has better economics to you.

I would not recommend that you wait to use your marriott points if you have to pay cash for a hotel stay in the meantime.

BTW, the post from pwrshift doesn't make clear that several of his travel ideas are *not* compatible with the travel packages. The travel package must for 7 consecutive days (or less) at the same hotel - the europe and hawaii samplers aren't eligible. Also, there's absolutely no benefit from waiting until you have 540k points to do 2 simultaneous travel packages, versus doing one package now and one package later.

 

[wegottago]

Travel Pkg for 2 people

From Dave: "However, for 200K, you can get a category 7 Travel Package and stay for a week at any Marriott hotel and get 50,000 FF miles. "

I've seen some discussions about this but not the question. We also have more than 200,000 points. Is this just for 1 person? I guess for the hotel 2 people would stay in it, but how would the FF work for your spouse? Please explain further how 2 people would get/use this travel package.

Thanks!

 

[Dave M]

The hotel certificate is for a room - thus, for either one or two people. The FF miles are yours to do with as you please. On most airlines, 50,000 FF miles will get you two free economy tickets between any two cities in the continental U.S. (and, for some airlines, between the U.S. and Canada). Also, you are free to combine those FF miles with other FF miles that you already have in your airline FF account to get two (or more) first class plane tickets or international plane tickets at a cost of more than those 50,000 FF miles.

However, as Brian and I both suggested, the real bargain is to earn or buy additional Marriott Rewards points to get enough to spend 270,000 points for a travel package that comes with 120,000 FF miles.

 

[pwrshift]

RLG - Thanks for adding your opinions to the thread, but I respectfully disagree with your points.

If it costs more to 'buy' the points, or in the 'value' of the points, than it would to pay cash for your hotel stay, I consider that a bad use of MR points which could be put towards an air+hotel package as described.

The air+hotel travel packages have two separate components ... a hotel certificate AND air miles that do not have to be used on the same trip(s). You could use the miles from this pkg towards flights to Europe and use the hotel 7 nite certificate in NYC if you wanted at a different time.

The Hotel Sampler Package is different (for Elite members) and does not come with miles for the 150,000 MR points -- but could easily be used in conjunction with the components of the air+hotel packages. The Sampler pkg, as clearly detailed on the MR site, consists of 3 separate certificates - one for 3 nights and two for 2 nights each valid at all Marriott brands throughout Europe. As they are separate certificates they can be used at 3 different hotels or all at the same hotel on a space available basis. So, as I illustrated, you could travel between different points and spread out your 3 stays with other non-Marriott hotels in between. You could also use the air+hotel pkg 7 nite hotel certificate in London for a week, followed by use of a hotel sampler pkg in Europe.

Details here: http://www.marriott.com/rewards/moreRewardDetail.mi?marrRewardCode=14EH&points=150,000

Finally, the benefit of saving for and using 540k MR points for 2 air+hotel pkgs is to fly business class for a special event like a second honeymoon. Business class flights to Europe can cost as much as $5,000 each - add two weeks in Cat 7 hotels and you've added another $6,000 in 'value' for a trip worth perhaps $16,000 for your 540,000 pts...and you'd still have FF miles left over. But, if you prefer being crammed into an economy seat with other people snoring next to you, that's your choice.

Brian

...I would not recommend that you wait to use your marriott points if you have to pay cash for a hotel stay in the meantime.

BTW, the post from pwrshift doesn't make clear that several of his travel ideas are *not* compatible with the travel packages. The travel package must for 7 consecutive days (or less) at the same hotel - the europe and hawaii samplers aren't eligible. Also, there's absolutely no benefit from waiting until you have 540k points to do 2 simultaneous travel packages, versus doing one package now and one package later.

 

[thinze3]

........The best way to take a trip of a lifetime, I feel, is to get to the 540,000 MR point level and cash in for TWO Cat 7 hotel with 120k FF packages. That's enough for 2 BUSINESS CLASS tickets to Europe worth 4 times as much as economy if paying cash but you get lie flat beds, lounge treatment, great (?) food, priority service, etc. A great second honeymoon. On such a trip, the airlines will allow you one stopover ... such as flight to Heathrow for a week in London - then flight to Paris for a week - then flight home from Paris. And you'd have enough miles left for about 2 domestic business class flights......

Brian,
I am soon going to be planning a similar "second honeymoon" type trip. Continental Airlines charges 250K FF miles for EACH RT business/first class seat to Europe - 500K FF miles for two people. I do understand to check alternate dates, etc.. I was pricing Houston to London outbound and Rome to Houston inbound during May 2008.

I would be combining Marriott rewards (400K), Continental miles (70K) and Amex rewards (140K - which convert 1 to 1 miles). I am wanting to do 10-14 days in Europe either next year or in '09.

Even if I bought MR points and purchased TWO 091 travel packages I would only get 240K FF miles. Also, in Italy I would prefer the 14EH package to stay in 3 different hotels, and they can't be combined with air.


My question is: are other airlines cheaper to travle with FF miles? If not I may have to wait a couple more years for the points to accumualte.

 

[Dave M]

Using CO standard awards, your cost would be 100,000 FF miles per first/ business class seat. You could also use CO miles for business class seats on DL, one of CO's partner airlines, and the cost would be 90,000 FF miles per business class seat. That's about the same as for most airlines.

Obviously, finding standard award seats (versus the EasyPass seats indicated by the numbers in your post) won't be easy if you need to travel in the peak summer travel period.

 

[thinze3]

Using CO standard awards, your cost would be 100,000 FF miles per first/ business class seat. You could also use CO miles for business class seats on DL, one of CO's partner airlines, and the cost would be 90,000 FF miles per business class seat. That's about the same as for most airlines.

Obviously, finding standard award seats (versus the EasyPass seats indicated by the numbers in your post) won't be easy if you need to travel in the peak summer travel period.

You pretty much have to travel in the dead of winter to get this two week trip with Standard rewards. The weather in Europe is terrible in the winter - who wants to go then?

I am just stating that all the talk above about traveling first class to Europe and having points left over for domestic flights after purchasing TWO travel packages with RW points just isn't plausible for most people.

I have been looking and am willing to see someone else's itinerary.

 

[Dave M]

I don't think the discussion has been oriented to first class as much as business class. Brian, I and others here fly regularly in April-May and September-October in business class with the lower-cost awards, although I don't know that anyone here uses CO for such awards. I typically use UA and Brian flies from Canada.

Part of the problem might be that CO has relatively few flights to Europe relative to its passenger traffic compared to some of its competitors. Same issue as US Air and the relatively few flights it has to Hawaii. Tough to get seats!

 

[thinze3]

I don't think the discussion has been oriented to first class as much as business class. Brian, I and others here fly regularly in April-May and September-October in business class with the lower-cost awards, although I don't know that anyone here uses CO for such awards. I typically use UA and Brian flies from Canada.

OK I left the word "business" out of busines/first class. That was a question I asked above - what airlines...?

Theoretically, I could join UA's FF program and have Marriott deposit the miles with them. Does UA offer consistant travel to London and Rome business/first using "standard" rewards?

 

[Dave M]

I think trying to get FF seats to Europe on any of the airlines using the saver-type awards is a coin flip, even in the shoulder seasons. No guarantees. That's the risk of taking Marriott Rewards points and converting them to FF miles in any particular program. There is no guarantee you will be able to use them for your intended dates.

Some airlines (e.g., American) allow (or have allowed) you to reserve FF award seats and put a two-week hold on them while getting the necessary FF miles in your FF account.

 

[RLG]

RLG - Thanks for adding your opinions to the thread, but I respectfully disagree with your points.

I don't understand what pwrshift disagrees with, so I'll try to explain more clearly.

Assumptions:
1) the OP is planning a vacation that has 7 days or more in marriott(s)
2) the OP has 200k marriott points currently.

Options:
1) redeem a 200k cat 6 or 7 travel package giving 7 consecutive nights in a marriott hotel plus 50k [cat 7] or 70k [cat 6] frequent flyer miles.

2) reserve the 7 day hotel award as per option 1, but wait to redeem the travel package until earn more MR points to get more frequent flyer miles. [i believe this is what DaveM suggested]

3) the same as option 2, but pay cash for the 7 day hotel if don't accumulate enough MR points for maximum travel package in time.

4) buy MR points for 1.25 cents each and redeem a travel package with more airline miles. [this was pwrshift's suggestion]

5) split the travel package with someone who has the MR points to maximize the frequent flyer miles thereby getting the 7 night hotel stay for 130k MR points. [this was my suggestion]

6) redeem a europe or hawaii sampler award for 150k

7) wait until have 540k MR points to redeem two travel packages and either pay cash or don't vacation in the meantime.


Options 2, 4 and 5 are all potentially better than option 1 in terms of maximizing the value of MR points. If the OP already has frequent flyer miles to book his air, then option 2 looks pretty good. If not, then he risks losing frequent flyer availability while he waits and options 3 or 4 look better. The choice between options 3 and 4 depends on how the OP values frequent flyer miles and his willingness to spend cash.

It's virtually certain that Option 3 will not be the best option. It is theoretically true that the OP should compare the cash cost to the value of the MR points. However, in today's economy I feel confident that the hotel price will never be so low that options 1,2,4,5 or 6 are all worse than paying cash.

Option 6 is the best if the OP doesn't actually want to stay in the same place for 7 days. However, it's not as high a "value" redemption as the travel packages that include miles. The relative value doesn't change by redeeming both. (Note also, that he doesn't have the points to redeem both.)

Option 7 is silly. A 270k redemption is the highest "value" that can be obtained. The OP loses nothing by doing that redemption once he has the MR points and want to use the 7 day stay. If he wants to save his airline miles until he has enough for first class, that's a completely separate decision has nothing to do with the timing of redeeming Marriott awards.

 

[RLG]

Brian,
Continental Airlines charges 250K FF miles for EACH RT business/first class seat to Europe....

My question is: are other airlines cheaper to travle with FF miles?

Yes, other airlines are better. I quickly checked AA, for example, and I think your trip will work there for only 90k each way. Continental miles are worth far less than AA because they are one of the worst airlines for frequent flyer availability.

DO NOT transfer your marriott points unless you have a frequent flyer ticket on "hold". It would be a disaster to use up all your points and then have to pay cash for the airline portion because there's no award availability.


Note to moderator: Wouldn't the posts about how to use CO miles for a trip to europe be better as their own thread? They don't seem to have much to do with the OP's topic.

 

[pwrshift]

I suggest you join both AA and UA as well as their idine 'dining' partner to earn miles for eating out and keeping your accounts active even if you don't fly with them. Or just buy your spouse some flowers once in a while with FTD.

UA is 80,000 FF miles to Europe while AA is 90,000 ... a 20,000 FF mile difference for two. That may be OK if AA comes up with the flights you want and it's relatively easy to check that online with their site, while UA is in the dark ages. Neither will allow you to check 'partner' flights online and AA has some partner restrictions with BA and perhaps others.

Once you have the flights and dates figured out, you need to check the hotels before you book the flights. AA will let you hold the flights, but UA won't, not even for 3 days anymore unless you have the points in your account. AA sometimes has 'FF specials' that might save you some points but probably only in low season.

You need to look 331 days ahead for the best chances ... any less and you take your chances as the FlyerTalk guys know the ropes.

If you are going to fly economy you might not want to use up FF miles on seats that might cost you less cash than the points are worth. I am sending my daughter to Rome in Nov for $752 return economy ... to buy the miles would have cost $1100. In addition, she earned 8000+ miles for the purchase. My feeling is save your FF miles for business class - that's where the value is about $3800 on Expedia per seat, sometimes a lot more. Add to that the value of two weeks of Cat7 hotels and you're way up there. Nice second honeymoon!

You should be able to do it all for 270,000 MR points for 120k FF miles with a 7 nite stay in London (and buy 40k more miles to get the biz class if you want) plus another 150,000 MR points for the Europe sampler where you can purchase another 20,000 MR points to get the 420k MR you need to star the process now without waiting to earn them.

Planning is part of the fun ... just not sure if it's the good part. If you need more help, email me.

Brian

Brian,
...I am soon going to be planning a similar "second honeymoon" type trip.

...Even if I bought MR points and purchased TWO 091 travel packages I would only get 240K FF miles. Also, in Italy I would prefer the 14EH package to stay in 3 different hotels, and they can't be combined with air.

...My question is: are other airlines cheaper to travle with FF miles? If not I may have to wait a couple more years for the points to accumualte.

 

[lisilv]

Thank you

Hello everyone and thank you for all the replies. You guys really know this stuff. Since Brian was kind enough to offer help via email, I would like to know where can I write. I have a few questions. Thanks

 

[pwrshift]

Just click on my 'handle' on this message and click on sending a private message.

Brian

Hello everyone and thank you for all the replies. You guys really know this stuff. Since Brian was kind enough to offer help via email, I would like to know where can I write. I have a few questions. Thanks

 

[KEN WEBSTER]

I have 200k Marriott Points.

I have a reservation for 5 days at the Marriott Paris Champs-Elysees in September and have obtained a Hotel certificate for 130k Marriott points.
After reading all th previous comments,I am wondering if I should have used a travel package instead.
I originally had 520 k Marriott points and normally use them for stays at Cat.6 or 7 hotels inthe US or Europe.I can see the value of travel packages particularly if travelling business class.
I usually travel to the US 2 or 3 times a year,and can usually obtain a special offer economy fare in the shoulder or winter season.
My 520k points will allow me to stay at 4 Cat.6/7 hotels or 2 travel packages.
Is there any point in obtaining Travel Packages if not intending to fly business class?

 

[pwrshift]

Hi Ken ... if you would have preferred a 7 night stay then I would have said yes, if it was available. If it is, Marriott might take back your 5 night certificate and allow a 'package' purchase instead ... then you could use the FF miles for a US trip as they don't have to be used at the same time ... and you could probably drive to Paris.

Getting 120k FF miles with the package is the real incentive of this deal especially if you want to fly biz class and enjoy such a long flight, maybe in lie flat beds! But if you were taking 3 family members or more it might be better to fly economy, earn points and save for that 'special' occassion that would normally cost a small fortune to buy. I've found that buying economy tickets on special sometimes is cheaper than the value of using FF miles for economy tickets.

btw..in Paris there's a new Renaissance hotel opening next April. A very nice place, good reputatation (Sofitel Demeure hotel) in a good location...and good Tripadvisor comments. I'll be in Paris next Fall and hope to book into it for a week.

http://www.marriott.com/hotels/trave...ocadero-paris/

Brian

...I have a reservation for 5 days at the Marriott Paris Champs-Elysees in September and have obtained a Hotel certificate for 130k Marriott points.
After reading all th previous comments,I am wondering if I should have used a travel package instead.

...
Is there any point in obtaining Travel Packages if not intending to fly business class?