Originally Posted by
Flying for Fun
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Your ATH free night is an example of a good value for a one-night stay. I can counter with the St. Regis in Palma de Mallorca. I will be in PMI for three nights next Easter. A redemption is 346,000 points for three nights, 116,000, 118,000 & 118,000. The rate is €505 per night. If I could arrive a day earlier, I could top-up the 85K FNA with 11K miles for a free night. The rate that night is €305, less than what I paid for the FNA alone.
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Of my 83 EQNs to date, I have 27 paid nights. My total spend is $4,370 or $161.85 per night. If I didn't have the Brilliant, I would be at 73 EQNs. To be fair, I need to add in the $150 50K Brilliant FNA before the changes and the $89 Canadian Bonvoy 35K FNA as two award nights had a direct cost of aquisition. ($4,370 + $150 + $89) / (27 + 2) = $158.93. The cheap aquisition cost of the FNAs actually brought the average per stay down.
With an aquistion cost of $350 for the 85K FNA, the calculus changes. ($4,370 + $350 + $89) / (27 + 2) = $165.83. The costly FNA actually brings up your EQN average on paid stays.
If your average EQN stay is more than the cost of the FNA, you come out ahead, otherwise it is an additional cost in cash.
I also understand that there is an intrinsic value to some to be able to experience an "aspirational" property they otherwise couldn't. There is, however, a cost to do so. Credit Card FNAs are not Free nights.
For my stay patterns, the 85K FNA is a losing proposition. I can't value it at more than I am willing to pay for a stay. But once again, YMMV.
James
I agree with what you are saying. Indeed, when travelling on business, I stay in the best value Marriott hotels - such as Fairfield, Springhill Suites etc. Clean & quiet is all that I ask. On a business trip, I would not want to spend one night in a Ritz just to use the 85k FNA. But again, when the family is with me on a vacation, I expect to spend 3+ nights in a high-end hotel for which an 85k FNA will actually save me ~ $600+ real dollars.
I also recognize that of the remaining $350 cost for the card, there is some value for the card's other features. If all I really want is a card that will earn me plenty of Marriott points for stays at Marriott hotels, I think that I need to spend at least ~ $95 (US$). Some people who benefit from the platinum status would no doubt place some value on that, further reducing the "cost" of the 85k FNA. I figure that I am paying about $250 for that FNA. Plus, as previously mentioned, I have already earned a second 85k FNA. And a good chunk of the > $60k was spent on Marriott hotels so lots of points earned.
We have not really discussed the value of points but getting >= $0.01/point requires some patience but is very doable, particularly when redeeming for 4 nights, and getting 5. I do appreciate the 3 points per dollar on dining which I value at a total of 3% value per dollar spent.
I imagine that you may be considering closing or downgrading your card?