3xMiles or points
Oct 13, 2010, 4:02 pm
#1
Original Poster
Join Date: Oct 2010
Posts: 4
3xMiles or points
Hey guys,
Let me begin by I have been following this site for a while and it has been a big help.
I had a question about MR. I have been collecting miles till now (taking advantage of the delta 5k per stay promo as well)
I have noticed the points vs miles discussion. and the travel packages concept has made me want to start collection points from now on.
But now I am in another mix. MR has a new promo with which we can get 3xMiles for a $ spent. As such I am considering if I should keep racking up miles till this promo finishes and then move to points.
What do you guys suggest, 3xmiles or points?
Let me begin by I have been following this site for a while and it has been a big help.
I had a question about MR. I have been collecting miles till now (taking advantage of the delta 5k per stay promo as well)
I have noticed the points vs miles discussion. and the travel packages concept has made me want to start collection points from now on.
But now I am in another mix. MR has a new promo with which we can get 3xMiles for a $ spent. As such I am considering if I should keep racking up miles till this promo finishes and then move to points.
What do you guys suggest, 3xmiles or points?
Oct 13, 2010, 6:41 pm
#2
Join Date: Nov 2007
Location: PHX
Posts: 4,787
If you think you're going to accumulate towards a travel package, I'd stick with rewards points, especially if you're elite. 10, 12 or 15 points per dollar is better than even triple miles if you think you can get to a travel package. My math might be off, but this is the way I think about it:
A travel package for the category 1 to 5 cert gives you 1.2 miles for each 2.7 marriott rewards points (e.g., 120k miles for 270k marriott points). Even if you don't want to use the 7-day cert, if you're going for a travel package you should only forego marriott rewards points if you can do better than a ratio of 1.2/2.7 -- or .444 -- that is, even if you're willing to discount entirely the 7-day cert, you'd want to earn at least .444 x the amount of marriot rewards points you could earn for the same stay.
So, if you earn 10 points per dollar (as a non-elite), you'd want to earn at least 4.4 miles per dollar before choosing miles. If you earn 12 points per dollar (silver), you'd want to earn at least 5.2 miles per dollar before choosing miles. Etc. So, 3 miles per dollar just isn't good enough for me, if I'm working toward a travel package. Also, you have to take into account that you only get to 3x miles starting on your second stay -- so that further reduces the value of the promo. For example, if you have 4 stays during the promo period where you'll spend $250 each, you will only get 1x miles for the first stay and 3x for the next 3. So, that's 2500 miles total, for a $1000 spend, for an effective total of 2.5 miles per dollar. Even as a non-elite you could have earned 10,000 marriot rewards points. The more stays you have planned in the promo period, the more the effect of the 1x miles for the first stay is reduced.
Even with a 3x miles promo, I personally would only choose miles if (1) I had an immediate need for a mileage reward and was close, (2) there was some other special promo. For example, I recently changed my earning preference at marriott to miles for 2 "hits" on the USAirways "grand slam" promo, because they were relatively inexpensive stays and I'm at a point in that promo where a "hit" has an effective return of 5,000 extra miles.
A travel package for the category 1 to 5 cert gives you 1.2 miles for each 2.7 marriott rewards points (e.g., 120k miles for 270k marriott points). Even if you don't want to use the 7-day cert, if you're going for a travel package you should only forego marriott rewards points if you can do better than a ratio of 1.2/2.7 -- or .444 -- that is, even if you're willing to discount entirely the 7-day cert, you'd want to earn at least .444 x the amount of marriot rewards points you could earn for the same stay.
So, if you earn 10 points per dollar (as a non-elite), you'd want to earn at least 4.4 miles per dollar before choosing miles. If you earn 12 points per dollar (silver), you'd want to earn at least 5.2 miles per dollar before choosing miles. Etc. So, 3 miles per dollar just isn't good enough for me, if I'm working toward a travel package. Also, you have to take into account that you only get to 3x miles starting on your second stay -- so that further reduces the value of the promo. For example, if you have 4 stays during the promo period where you'll spend $250 each, you will only get 1x miles for the first stay and 3x for the next 3. So, that's 2500 miles total, for a $1000 spend, for an effective total of 2.5 miles per dollar. Even as a non-elite you could have earned 10,000 marriot rewards points. The more stays you have planned in the promo period, the more the effect of the 1x miles for the first stay is reduced.
Even with a 3x miles promo, I personally would only choose miles if (1) I had an immediate need for a mileage reward and was close, (2) there was some other special promo. For example, I recently changed my earning preference at marriott to miles for 2 "hits" on the USAirways "grand slam" promo, because they were relatively inexpensive stays and I'm at a point in that promo where a "hit" has an effective return of 5,000 extra miles.
Oct 14, 2010, 6:23 am
#3
Join Date: Apr 2010
Location: CLT
Programs: DL GM, Marriott Plat
Posts: 298
If you think you're going to accumulate towards a travel package, I'd stick with rewards points, especially if you're elite. 10, 12 or 15 points per dollar is better than even triple miles if you think you can get to a travel package. My math might be off, but this is the way I think about it:
A travel package for the category 1 to 5 cert gives you 1.2 miles for each 2.7 marriott rewards points (e.g., 120k miles for 270k marriott points). Even if you don't want to use the 7-day cert, if you're going for a travel package you should only forego marriott rewards points if you can do better than a ratio of 1.2/2.7 -- or .444 -- that is, even if you're willing to discount entirely the 7-day cert, you'd want to earn at least .444 x the amount of marriot rewards points you could earn for the same stay.
So, if you earn 10 points per dollar (as a non-elite), you'd want to earn at least 4.4 miles per dollar before choosing miles. If you earn 12 points per dollar (silver), you'd want to earn at least 5.2 miles per dollar before choosing miles. Etc. So, 3 miles per dollar just isn't good enough for me, if I'm working toward a travel package. Also, you have to take into account that you only get to 3x miles starting on your second stay -- so that further reduces the value of the promo. For example, if you have 4 stays during the promo period where you'll spend $250 each, you will only get 1x miles for the first stay and 3x for the next 3. So, that's 2500 miles total, for a $1000 spend, for an effective total of 2.5 miles per dollar. Even as a non-elite you could have earned 10,000 marriot rewards points. The more stays you have planned in the promo period, the more the effect of the 1x miles for the first stay is reduced.
Even with a 3x miles promo, I personally would only choose miles if (1) I had an immediate need for a mileage reward and was close, (2) there was some other special promo. For example, I recently changed my earning preference at marriott to miles for 2 "hits" on the USAirways "grand slam" promo, because they were relatively inexpensive stays and I'm at a point in that promo where a "hit" has an effective return of 5,000 extra miles.
A travel package for the category 1 to 5 cert gives you 1.2 miles for each 2.7 marriott rewards points (e.g., 120k miles for 270k marriott points). Even if you don't want to use the 7-day cert, if you're going for a travel package you should only forego marriott rewards points if you can do better than a ratio of 1.2/2.7 -- or .444 -- that is, even if you're willing to discount entirely the 7-day cert, you'd want to earn at least .444 x the amount of marriot rewards points you could earn for the same stay.
So, if you earn 10 points per dollar (as a non-elite), you'd want to earn at least 4.4 miles per dollar before choosing miles. If you earn 12 points per dollar (silver), you'd want to earn at least 5.2 miles per dollar before choosing miles. Etc. So, 3 miles per dollar just isn't good enough for me, if I'm working toward a travel package. Also, you have to take into account that you only get to 3x miles starting on your second stay -- so that further reduces the value of the promo. For example, if you have 4 stays during the promo period where you'll spend $250 each, you will only get 1x miles for the first stay and 3x for the next 3. So, that's 2500 miles total, for a $1000 spend, for an effective total of 2.5 miles per dollar. Even as a non-elite you could have earned 10,000 marriot rewards points. The more stays you have planned in the promo period, the more the effect of the 1x miles for the first stay is reduced.
Even with a 3x miles promo, I personally would only choose miles if (1) I had an immediate need for a mileage reward and was close, (2) there was some other special promo. For example, I recently changed my earning preference at marriott to miles for 2 "hits" on the USAirways "grand slam" promo, because they were relatively inexpensive stays and I'm at a point in that promo where a "hit" has an effective return of 5,000 extra miles.
Oct 15, 2010, 7:06 am
#4
Join Date: Feb 2010
Posts: 958
Where do you sign up for the 3x miles promo? I can't find it anywhere on the MR page.
Oct 15, 2010, 11:49 am
#5
Join Date: Apr 2010
Location: CLT
Programs: DL GM, Marriott Plat
Posts: 298
Oct 15, 2010, 12:05 pm
#6
Join Date: Feb 2010
Posts: 958
Continental
British Airways
Cathay Pacific
Air Canada
Jet Airways
Marriott promos pail in comparison to Hhonors. Right now, Hhonors is letting me combine 3 promos at once (DL MQM, Q4 double points, Diamond rentention). MR needs step up their game if they want my business.