alxir

Yes, they are very accommodating (no pun intended). I've done it many times. The customer service rep puts it in their calendar at or near the end of the quarter to switch you from the promotion you're signed up for to the one you want.

jls886

Thanks for the quick response...that is what I figured but wanted to get another opinion. I'm going to request to change to the 2 stays = certificate bonus instead so I can focus on maximizing the MegaMiles.

CHaus21

Does anyone know if all of the miles earned on the mega miles promotion for 1/1-4/30 will count towards "Companion Pass Status" on Southwest airlines?

I wasn't sure if just the normal 600 points will count towards it, or if all of the bonus points will qualify as well. Thanks!

alxir

Only the 600 base points per stay count towards the companion pass. The 2000 bonus points do NOT count towards getting the companion pass.

gibraltar87

I got the 2 nights free CAT 4 cert promo and I am wondering if switching to the 40K is better?

VickiSoCal

Only you can decide that. I prefer points- more flexible and they don't expire.

jls886

I'm fairly sure they actually do. I qualified last year around August and didn't qualify for A-List+ until the very end of December. I can only figure that all of my bonus points earned from Marriott's MegaMiles last year are what pushed me over the edge for CP. There was no other way I could have gotten to 110,000 points so quickly...when I didn't even get to 70,000 until December.

alxir

From the T&C: What are the Companion Pass Rules and Regulations?

Companion Pass status is based on taking 100 qualifying one-way flights or earning 110,000 Qualifying Points in a calendar year. A qualifying flight for Rapid Rewards Companion Pass status is a one-way revenue flight on Southwest Airlines from an origin city to a destination city, including any intermediate stops and/or connections on Southwest Airlines. Companion Pass Qualifying Points are earned from revenue flights, points issued on Southwest Airlines Rapid Rewards Credit Cards, and points earned from Rapid Rewards Partners. Purchased points and points earned from program enrollment, Tier bonuses, flight bonuses, and Partner bonuses do not count toward Companion Pass status.

jls886

I understand that is what it states, but from my experience last year I believe it did count toward my CPQP (though I now can't prove that as I can now only see Nov '11, Dec '11, 2012 points in my acct). That may have been a mistake, I don't know, and it may not happen again this year...but I'm hoping it does. I earned 37,800 in bonus points through last year's MegaMiles (not counting the 600 base points each stay) and there honestly is nothing else that could have gotten me that many extra points toward my CP. I was earning 600 points here and there for rental cars, but nowhere near enough points to boost my CP that early.

Oh, and when I was trying to get to the root of my large number of CPQP, I called the A-List phone number and was told that NO hotel or rental car points are CPQP...to which I stated the T&C and she told me that "Rapid Rewards Partners" simply means the RR Visa. So the whole thing is very ambiguous and no one seems to know exactly what is going on.

I plan to start the MegaMiles next week hopping each night, so I should have 8,000 SW bonus points at the end of next week. I'm hoping they'll be CPQP but not banking on it. I will be happy to report back and let everyone know what the result it.

VickiSoCal

Please discuss in MegaMiles thread.

wise2u

This is my situation, I referred my wife to the MR program and we each get a 2k bonus for her first 5 stays, I signed her up for the platinum challange which gives easy platinum for 18 days. She has 2 stays in Jan. for 10 nights, I dont care much for the miles option and wouldnt want to screw up the referral points for the first few stays...so Jan stays will just get us some points.
In Feb we have a 7 day stay and with the 2 stay for cert megabonus I am tempted to alternate reservations in each of our names (4 stays for me 3 for her). Do we have to check out completely? Will they let us keep the same room, or will it screw up the promo? This would be my only opportunity to get stays during the promo. (unfortunately we would give up the platinum perks while staying under my name)
I mean they should be able to figure out what is going on with 4 reservations for me and 3 for her in the same week (hard to hide it with the same last names) would you advise being honest and asking for same room? If they balk and we have to change rooms could they technically disqualify stays for us sharing the room, even if the name on the res changes?
It would be a pain but I will hotel hop if need be to get 7 stays that trip.
My wife then has 27 days in march, a one day stay would get her second cert on the mega bonus, then from what I read here she could change from certs to points bonus for the 25 nights. Is this the best way to do things?

Happy

Dont know about how it would work best for your wife's later stays. However for the mechanism of switching ressies between you and your wife, they will let you keep the same room but be careful in some properties they would automatically combine your reservations when asked to stay in the same room - Ko Olina did this to us a couple years ago and it really messed up things.

I would insist to do a formal check out then a formal check in later just to make the accounting clean. This is the only way to make sure each stay attaches to the account you choose.

In my experiences, hotels really dont care about you hotel hops or guest swaps to earn the promo as the promo is from the corporate, not from their own revenues. They could be annoyed by the extra accounting work but that is no more than 2 different guests check in / out.

jayer

If your priority is to keep it quick and clean Person 2 check back in under Name 2, then move the luggage, then Person 1 check out under Name 1. Other person don't even tag along to the desk.

Dig back through Flyer Talk long enough and you will find posts by couples who tried to stay put in the same room, often only with good intentions to give housekeeping a break, but confusion and frustration followed. Even a few posts about over-zealous desk clerks accusing them of fraud or deliberately merging the stays.

wise2u

Yeah, my concerns exactly, as there is no real safe way to feel out the desk people. I guess we will try the luggage moving, her having Plat late check out will help, but I'm concerned they may want me out on time and not have a room ready for her check in at 11am-noon.....if that happens it's either store the bags or spill the beans to the desk people.
I hope these certs are worth it. What are some of the best cat4 places to use these? It seems like a lot of hassle if I'm doing all this just for a few free nights at a courtyard property near an airport.
Between the business stays and possibly a credit card sign up she should have 150k+ MR points and Plat through next year....what is a high end redemption for marriott? Hilton has Bali and such, what does Marriott have to shoot for?

maggiew

Will my stays on a convention rate count towards this promotion? I will pay with my own credit card. But the rate is through the convention website.

I'm assuming I will get points for these too?

Maggie