Originally Posted by
mhdena
Looks like SPG Starpoints have the highest value and are the best one to use, if one wanted more AA miles.
2,500 StarpointsŪ = 2,500 AAdvantage miles + 25% bonus miles
For every 20,000 Starpoints transferred within the same transaction you'll earn 5,000 bonus Starpoints.
Marriott Hotel + Air Travel Package will convert 120,000 MR points (40,000 SPG points - you can transfer SPG to MR at 1 to 3) to 150,000 AAdvantage miles. That seems a bit better than a straight SPG to AAdvantage conversion.
FWIW, fine print does say 25% bonus applies to Travel Packages.
Note:
Hotel + Air Travel Packages (TPs) with 120K miles start at 270K MR points which
ALSO INCLUDES a 7-night (1 week) certificate at a category 1-5 hotel. It's a package that includes both miles AND a hotel certificate, hence the term "Package". My original paragraph above caused confusion and merely shows the exchange value for the points to miles portion. A full breakdown of the values of a category 1-5
Hotel + Air Travel Package are shown below:
150K MR points for 7-night hotel category 1-5 certificate
120K MR points for 150K AA miles
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270K MR points
For many of us who use TPs, hotel certs in a categroy 1-5 hotel are useless. We actually exchange points for higher category hotel TPs. In my case usually category 8 or 9; think London St. Pancras Renaissance or JW Grosvenor House, or Sydney Marriott. Yes, these higher category
Hotel + Air TPs require more points, 360K and 390K respectively for a TP that includes 120K miles and a 7-night hotel cert in a cat 8 or cat 9 hotel. A full breakdown of the valuations for the category 8 and 9
Hotel + Air TPs are shown below and also may be found on the Marriott.com page at the links provided:
Category 8 7-night hotel certificate with 120K AA miles + 25% bonus
240K MR points for 7-night hotel category 8 certificate
120K MR points for 150K AA miles
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360K MR points
Category 9 7-night hotel certificate with 120K AA miles + 25% bonus
270K MR points for 7-night hotel category 9 certificate
120K MR points for 150K AA miles
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390K MR points
I hope the additional information makes this post clearer.