Honeymoon Strategy - Boston, MA to Maldives
Sep 22, 2016, 12:08 pm
#1
Original Poster
Join Date: Sep 2016
Posts: 5
Honeymoon Strategy - Boston, MA to Maldives
We're planning to have our honeymoon in the Maldives in 2017 or 2018.
Our strategy is as follows:
Airfare Strategy: Target collecting points on JAL and use them to fly Emirates business class for 100k miles + $78 for the round-trip through their partnership program.
How:
Hotel Strategy: Target collecting Marriott Rewards points and Marriott Vacation Club to be used at the W or St.Regis maldives properties once the merger is complete. Current MW balance is around 100k points vs. SPG is 0 so we plan to build on MW assuming they will be able to be used on SPG properties in the future
How:
Risks:
Any advice or critique on our strategy?
Thanks
Our strategy is as follows:
Airfare Strategy: Target collecting points on JAL and use them to fly Emirates business class for 100k miles + $78 for the round-trip through their partnership program.
How:
- We plan to collect 25k points by signing up for the personal SPG card
- Wait for a 25k - 30k business SPG card promotion
- Churn business card promotion one year later for another 25k points
- Use Marriott Rewards and Hilton Hhonors to earn miles instead of hotel pts (~10k)
- General spending on personal SPG card for another 15k points
Hotel Strategy: Target collecting Marriott Rewards points and Marriott Vacation Club to be used at the W or St.Regis maldives properties once the merger is complete. Current MW balance is around 100k points vs. SPG is 0 so we plan to build on MW assuming they will be able to be used on SPG properties in the future
How:
- Sign up for MW Chase Visa for 80k points
- Take advantage of any timeshare presentations for reward points 20k per presentation (40k total)
- Use Marriott Vacation Club points once the program opens up to SPG properties
- Pay for the rest of the nights in cash (~$850/night)
Risks:
- Starwood is merging with Marriott and could potentially end the transferability of points to JAL
- Timing is not ideal for SPG sign-up bonuses as only the personal card has an offering of 25k points right now and given the merger, they may not bother investing in a valuable signup bonus on the business side
- This is a trip that all occur in the next 12-24 months meaning that JAL could change their partnership with Emirates resulting in significant devaluation (see Alaska Airlines recent devaluation)
- Marriott vacation club points may not open up to SPG properties in time, they only recently added the Ritz and still don't have a lot of properties available within the Marriott network yet
- MW points may end up being ineligible to be used at certain properties
Any advice or critique on our strategy?
Thanks
Sep 22, 2016, 2:26 pm
#2
FlyerTalk Evangelist
Join Date: Dec 2003
Location: Benicia, California, USA
Programs: AA PLT,AS,UA PP,J6,FB,EY,LH,SQ,HH Dmd,Hyatt Glbl,Marriott Plat,IHG Plat,Accor Gold
Posts: 10,820
Congratulations!
I think you'd be better of doing this:
1. Drop the Marriott/SPG hotel strategy. Too many uncertainties.
2. You each get the Chase Hyatt card. Once you meet some minimal spending, that gets you two free nights at any Hyatt in the world, including the one in the Maldives. Time it, though, for your meeting that spending target within a year of when you'd go to the Maldives, since I believe you must use those free nights within a year (but double check this).
3. Focus on getting the appropriate Chase, Citi and Amex cards (see the relevant credit card forums here at FT), which get you big points bonuses for initial spending. Like the SPG points, you can then convert all of those to SQ miles for use on an airline that has superb J and F products. (Also, I believe the Chase points convert to Hyatt, for extra award nights at its Maldives hotel.)
Hope this helps. Good luck!
I think you'd be better of doing this:
1. Drop the Marriott/SPG hotel strategy. Too many uncertainties.
2. You each get the Chase Hyatt card. Once you meet some minimal spending, that gets you two free nights at any Hyatt in the world, including the one in the Maldives. Time it, though, for your meeting that spending target within a year of when you'd go to the Maldives, since I believe you must use those free nights within a year (but double check this).
3. Focus on getting the appropriate Chase, Citi and Amex cards (see the relevant credit card forums here at FT), which get you big points bonuses for initial spending. Like the SPG points, you can then convert all of those to SQ miles for use on an airline that has superb J and F products. (Also, I believe the Chase points convert to Hyatt, for extra award nights at its Maldives hotel.)
Hope this helps. Good luck!
Sep 25, 2016, 5:05 am
#3
Original Poster
Join Date: Sep 2016
Posts: 5
Congratulations!
I think you'd be better of doing this:
1. Drop the Marriott/SPG hotel strategy. Too many uncertainties.
2. You each get the Chase Hyatt card. Once you meet some minimal spending, that gets you two free nights at any Hyatt in the world, including the one in the Maldives. Time it, though, for your meeting that spending target within a year of when you'd go to the Maldives, since I believe you must use those free nights within a year (but double check this).
3. Focus on getting the appropriate Chase, Citi and Amex cards (see the relevant credit card forums here at FT), which get you big points bonuses for initial spending. Like the SPG points, you can then convert all of those to SQ miles for use on an airline that has superb J and F products. (Also, I believe the Chase points convert to Hyatt, for extra award nights at its Maldives hotel.)
Hope this helps. Good luck!
I think you'd be better of doing this:
1. Drop the Marriott/SPG hotel strategy. Too many uncertainties.
2. You each get the Chase Hyatt card. Once you meet some minimal spending, that gets you two free nights at any Hyatt in the world, including the one in the Maldives. Time it, though, for your meeting that spending target within a year of when you'd go to the Maldives, since I believe you must use those free nights within a year (but double check this).
3. Focus on getting the appropriate Chase, Citi and Amex cards (see the relevant credit card forums here at FT), which get you big points bonuses for initial spending. Like the SPG points, you can then convert all of those to SQ miles for use on an airline that has superb J and F products. (Also, I believe the Chase points convert to Hyatt, for extra award nights at its Maldives hotel.)
Hope this helps. Good luck!
Sep 25, 2016, 6:22 am
#4
Suspended
Join Date: Mar 2002
Location: Canada, USA, Europe
Programs: UA 1K
Posts: 31,452
I feel that it is probably worth saying that you might want to make room for some expectations management here. Trying to co-ordinate hotel and airline points availability, particularly for luxury properties and premium cabins, can be very tricky, particularly since you are not the only person trying to get shave something off the cost of a far-away place that is expensive, where everyone is on their honeymoon and wants to travel in business or first, and where leisure makes up 100% of customers.
Sep 25, 2016, 3:21 pm
#5
Join Date: Jul 2013
Location: IAH
Posts: 488
I really wouldn't try to do this. You are locked into a very specific date range with very specific restrictions (overwater villa only) to a location that has not a huge amount of flight routing to.
You also will be trying to plan a wedding, get through the stress of the day/weeks leading up to it and potentially won't have a honeymoon booked/will be checking for availability everyday.
I would book a cheapish honeymoon somewhere straight after the wedding, then book another one six months later with points to the Maldives, when you can be flexible with timing.
Also, you're getting a really good deal doing this on points. Co-pay for the Hyatt to get the water villas, or as mentioned earlier adjust your expectations (either about what you get or about paying cash).
You also will be trying to plan a wedding, get through the stress of the day/weeks leading up to it and potentially won't have a honeymoon booked/will be checking for availability everyday.
I would book a cheapish honeymoon somewhere straight after the wedding, then book another one six months later with points to the Maldives, when you can be flexible with timing.
Also, you're getting a really good deal doing this on points. Co-pay for the Hyatt to get the water villas, or as mentioned earlier adjust your expectations (either about what you get or about paying cash).
Sep 26, 2016, 12:01 pm
#6
Original Poster
Join Date: Sep 2016
Posts: 5
We have 12 to 24 months to plan, so I'd say that is a large window to work with in terms of planning and point accumulation. Most airlines/hotels don't even let you book out that far.
We wil likely do a mini-moon locally then plan for the honeymoon to be later so we can time it for optimal pricing and seasonality.
I did find out that I can co-pay at both the Park Hyatt and Conrad, so I'm considering planning the trip so that we can stay at both properties while we're in the Maldives.
We can get 2 nights free at any hyatt with the Hyatt Credit Card (4 once she signs up too) + pay additional to upgrade to a water villa
We can get 2 weekend nights free at most Hiltons (Conrad Maldives is on the list) + pay additional to upgrade to a water villa
We can also amass Hhonors points over the next 12 months with a few 50k to 75k card signups that will take care of some of the other nights (~75k a night for a standard room)
I've already called Japan airlines and confirmed that they do have several all business class or all first class legs available to them on Emirates over the next year from BOS to MLE
I don't expect this strategy to work flawlessly as there are too many unknowns, however we are more than willing to use cash to fill-in the gaps where necessary.
We wil likely do a mini-moon locally then plan for the honeymoon to be later so we can time it for optimal pricing and seasonality.
I did find out that I can co-pay at both the Park Hyatt and Conrad, so I'm considering planning the trip so that we can stay at both properties while we're in the Maldives.
We can get 2 nights free at any hyatt with the Hyatt Credit Card (4 once she signs up too) + pay additional to upgrade to a water villa
We can get 2 weekend nights free at most Hiltons (Conrad Maldives is on the list) + pay additional to upgrade to a water villa
We can also amass Hhonors points over the next 12 months with a few 50k to 75k card signups that will take care of some of the other nights (~75k a night for a standard room)
I've already called Japan airlines and confirmed that they do have several all business class or all first class legs available to them on Emirates over the next year from BOS to MLE
I don't expect this strategy to work flawlessly as there are too many unknowns, however we are more than willing to use cash to fill-in the gaps where necessary.
Sep 26, 2016, 12:34 pm
#7
FlyerTalk Evangelist
Join Date: Dec 2003
Location: Benicia, California, USA
Programs: AA PLT,AS,UA PP,J6,FB,EY,LH,SQ,HH Dmd,Hyatt Glbl,Marriott Plat,IHG Plat,Accor Gold
Posts: 10,820
Sounds like you've definitely done your homework. That's a great start!
Still, a couple of notes of caution:
1. Citi has a new rule that they just instituted recently. It's something like this: you can only sign up for one Citi credit card in given family of affiliate cards (certainly AA, but I believe this applies to Hilton also) within a 24 month period...or something like that. Please check the relevant Citi credit card thread for details: here at FT for details.
2. Even though I suggested staying at both the Hyatt and Hilton, be aware that moving between the two of them could be an expensive hassle. Perhaps you can make other arrangements, but you'll probably have to fly back to Male from one hotel and then on from Male to another hotel (and/or a speedboat ride might be involved as well). Each flight will likely cost several hundred dollars per person.
3. Probably the best credit card deal going right now that could help you in terms of either Hyatt or some airlines is the Chase Sapphire Reserve Card, which gets you 100K each after a certain level of spending. It's $450 annual fee, but if you research that you'll find that it basically pays for itself with the various perks it provides. Be aware with Chase, though, that it now has a rule that you can't qualify for a most new Chase cares, including the Reserve, if you've already gotten five cards from any combo of cc issuers within the past 24 months.
Despite these cautions I'm offering, you seem organized and adaptable enough to make this all work out. Good luck!
Still, a couple of notes of caution:
1. Citi has a new rule that they just instituted recently. It's something like this: you can only sign up for one Citi credit card in given family of affiliate cards (certainly AA, but I believe this applies to Hilton also) within a 24 month period...or something like that. Please check the relevant Citi credit card thread for details: here at FT for details.
2. Even though I suggested staying at both the Hyatt and Hilton, be aware that moving between the two of them could be an expensive hassle. Perhaps you can make other arrangements, but you'll probably have to fly back to Male from one hotel and then on from Male to another hotel (and/or a speedboat ride might be involved as well). Each flight will likely cost several hundred dollars per person.
3. Probably the best credit card deal going right now that could help you in terms of either Hyatt or some airlines is the Chase Sapphire Reserve Card, which gets you 100K each after a certain level of spending. It's $450 annual fee, but if you research that you'll find that it basically pays for itself with the various perks it provides. Be aware with Chase, though, that it now has a rule that you can't qualify for a most new Chase cares, including the Reserve, if you've already gotten five cards from any combo of cc issuers within the past 24 months.
Despite these cautions I'm offering, you seem organized and adaptable enough to make this all work out. Good luck!