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Using Chase UR points instead of Bonvoy travel package

Quilter

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I haven't gotten a travel package since all the changes in the Bonvoy system last year.

We were looking to find a January winter escape. I found a couple Florida hotels. Both were Cat. 6. A 5 night travel package with 100K miles is 390K Bonvoy points. Standard room.

However, I was able to find an upgraded room at same properties through Chase travel. I ended up choosing the RI Treasure Island. 100K UR points for the upgrade to a 1 bedroom suite. Bonvoy points would have been 210K, or 390K if I chose a travel package with 110K United miles.

To get the 390K Bonvoy points I would have had to transfer 206K UR points to Bonvoy. By booking through Chase I only needed 100K UR points and I still have 100K+ UR points that transfer to airlines 1:1. If I had transferred UR points to Bonvoy at 1:1 and gotten the travel package I would have been paying 290K points for 110K miles since the room only cost 100K points.

Over the years we've gotten 25-30 travel packages. They were fun but I believe those days are long gone.

Now I still have 184K Bonvoy points to use. However, it doesn't make sense to add 200K more points to that just to get 100K miles.
 

VacationForever

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I agree. Travel Packages value is no longer there after the merger. I will use our Bonvoy points for hotel redemption only. We are sitting on 750k Bonvoy points and growing due to the credit cards use, with some 5-night certificates still sitting in my account.
 

mdurette

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I had been working on saving Points for a cat 5 package and 100k southwest points. In the end the trip I planned to use it on didn’t work out as I needed multiple days at 4 different hotels. I ended up turning 240k in to get the 100k SW points, Booked 3 nights with points, 2 nights with credit card certs and one night with chase UR points.

the only issue I have had in the past with using chase for marriott is not getting nights for the stay and once status wasn’t recognized.
 

CalGalTraveler

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SPG was a great program. Bonvoy flushed that down the tubes. I used 240k points before the devaluation (80k SPG points) for a 5 night stay in Europe.

The points required now for the same stay is almost double that, and the hotel has now put restrictions on cancellation 60 days in advance or we would be charged $8500 for the entire stay if we don't show the first night!

The good news is that I received a lot of value for those SPG/Bonvoy points by staying at an expensive hotel during peak season. The bad news is that I now must buy travel insurance of $500+ to cover the cancellation fee if we become ill and must cancel...so much for a free stay...

Note of caution. Watch for draconian cancellation clauses on points stays. This is a growing trend at Marriott hotels.

I am now burning down our SPG points and earning points on Chase Rewards.

Chase portal often has great deals not only on hotels but airlines. If you can't find the property on Chase Portal or by calling in, you also can rent the property for the best cash price on priceline, Redweek etc. and then redeem chase points for cash 1:1 to cover the cost as a way to pay with points. We did this last summer for several activites we booked in Hawaii as a way to get them for free. Saved us $1000 cash. Not as lucrative as the 1 to 1.5 on travel booked directly via the portal with CSV, but points are free vs. paying net cash for a stay.
 
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Quilter

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I had been working on saving Points for a cat 5 package and 100k southwest points. In the end the trip I planned to use it on didn’t work out as I needed multiple days at 4 different hotels. I ended up turning 240k in to get the 100k SW points, Booked 3 nights with points, 2 nights with credit card certs and one night with chase UR points.

the only issue I have had in the past with using chase for marriott is not getting nights for the stay and once status wasn’t recognized.

I thought about the status thing. Since we're Lifetime with Bonvoy the nights aren't a concern. I already reserved an upgraded room type so status won't matter either. Maybe the hotel will recognize it and maybe not. Lounge access with RI isn't a an issue either and everyone gets free breakie.
 

Big Matt

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FWIW, that's a great location and property. One of the real good RIs.
 

rickandcindy23

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Yes, it's a ridiculous amount of points for anything in Bonvoy. The portal is just so great for booking most hotel rooms. I have seen such deals, including Universal Studios Florida hotels. We will be staying in January with our son and daughter-in-law. The dollar price for the hotels is crazy. We want to get the Universal Express and have to book the top three to get that benefit.

I kept the Bonvoy card for the free hotel night each year, and we have our points still in that program. I did use the free hotel stay at the Marriott new the Maui airport, right across from Costco. That was a bargain for our free night because 2/7 was going to be $400 with taxes, but it was our free night. We just got better airfare flying to Maui one day early. Then we got a night at the Ritz Carlton in Kapalua, Maui, for our last night because, again, we got better airfare going home on Sunday. So that was 60K points.
 
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