I know it may have already been covered, but what's the verdict about collecting MR points or frequent flyer miles ? I've been having my Marriott stays going directly to NW WP for a while now, but am I better off letting the points build up ? Opinions please.

Once or twice:
http://www.flyertalk.com/forum/Forum63/HTML/001843.html http://www.flyertalk.com/forum/Forum63/HTML/001772.html http://www.flyertalk.com/forum/Forum63/HTML/001291.html http://www.flyertalk.com/forum/Forum63/HTML/001210.html http://www.flyertalk.com/forum/Forum63/HTML/001125.html

oops

In general, the consensus is that points are better than miles.

Assume you spend $25,000 with Marriott. If you take points, you will end with 250,000 points with no bonuses at all (not a likely scenario, but a conservative one for this comparison). If you take miles, you will get 75,000 miles in the airline of your choice at a rate of 3 miles per dollar (note that some Marriott brands only pay 1 mile per dollar).

For 250,000 MR points, you can cash an award that will yield 7 nights at any Marriott worldwide plus 100,000 miles on the airline of your choice. Even with this conservative scenario, points are better.

Typically, you can acheive 250,000 points quicker through various bonuses. If you are platinum and use the Marriott Visa for your stays, you will accrue 16 points per dollar spent. Using these permanent bonuses you reach the 250,000 point level by spending $15,625. Other normal bonuses will get you to 250,000 points even quicker.

Points of course!

Points...hands down!

I believe points work better.

Of course, it depends on what you cash them in for.

My wife and I like to stay at Camelback in Scottsdale.

Right now, you can get a room for $149 per night, or $209 per night including breakfast and spa admission.

During the winter, you would pay $400 - $600 per night for the same room.

So we pay for the summer stays with cash (credit card) and use points for winter stays.

On a similar note, it depends on what you use your miles for.

United "charges" 25,000 miles for a domestic coach ticket. I calculate that the miles are worth 2.5 cents each. So a domestic coach ticket would "cost" $625 if you used your miles. Why "spend" $625 in miles if you can buy a coach ticket for $200 - $300??

On the other hand, international first class costs 125,000 miles of $3125. An international FC ticket would cost $7000 - $9000. So it's a good deal to take $3125 worth of miles and use them for a $9000 ticket.

From Marriott, take the points and use them for some expensive property, not the Fairfield Inn in Coralville, IA.

One aspect that seems to be covered only very obliquely in a few of the referenced threads concerns people who will rarely again, if ever, stay at a Marriott.

For instance, if you are going to a five-day convention, and may not stay again for years.

In that case, it seems better to take the miles.

Great analysis BillMorrow!!!

Could be. Seems likely, at any rate.

However, that's the way I started (a four-day convention over five years ago). Took points, which don't expire if you have activity at least once every 24 months, stayed at Marriott properties as third choice (after Hilton and Starwood chains) so I kept the account alive.

Then I was required to stay pretty regularly for a five-month period in an area with no Hilton or Starwood presence, and stayed in a nice Marriott long enough to make Platinum that year and this. Now I have over 220,000 MR points. They do add up.

If one is going to spend only $1000, here are two possible outcomes:

Miles: 3,000

Points: 10,000

Convertible to:
One night, Category Two Hotel (Code 012)
One night, Cat. One Hotel (Code 011) 7,500 pts.
2,000 frequent flyer miles (Code 788)



[This message has been edited by SPN Lifer (edited 09-25-2002).]