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Originally Posted by vandesa
(Post 29952196)
I know I need some AA miles for a Fiji trip I am taking in 2020 that I want to use biz class rewards on, so I am wanting to get the points in place for that.
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I've flip-flopped many times on what I think would happen with the floating certificates. Marriott knew of the value of these, if not before announcing the 1:3 SPG transfer ratio, then directly after when every blogger talked about the amazing deal. Marriott had many opportunities to tweak this since then, as they have added 4pm check outs, removed carry-over nights, etc. For them to carry on this long and not change anything, only to slam anyone with a floater just seems against what I have been seeing from them. Not that they couldn't, it just seems off. I have to think the result will be advantageous enough that they don't want a further run on the certificates beyond what is occurring. I am eager to find out though!
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Originally Posted by joeags
(Post 29952854)
Not to be a nitpick (although I guess I am), 240k would actually generate 100k AA miles + 20k bonus (5k AA for every 60k Marriott). So you would be giving up 10k Marriott and 20k AA for the 7-night certificate in this situation.
This is equivalent to the current SPG system that transfers 1:1 on AA with a 5K bonus for each 20K transferred. The direct 60K MR -> 20K + 5K bonus is actually a better value than what is currently available in the Marriott Rewards Program. Currently MR requires 70K for a direct transfer to 25K AA Miles. With that in mind, the 60K MR -> 25K AA miles won't be available until after the August Changeover. James. |
Do we need to know the reward code for the package before we call? What is the reward code for the UA package 270,000 points to 132k miles? Thanks!
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Originally Posted by Flying for Fun
(Post 29953081)
Not to be a nitpick! ;) OP was correct. You do get a 5K AA miles bonus for each 60K MR. 60K MR converts to 20K AA miles so the total with the bonus is 25K for each 60K MR. 100K AA Miles = 240K MR.
This is equivalent to the current SPG system that transfers 1:1 on AA with a 5K bonus for each 20K transferred. The direct 60K MR -> 20K + 5K bonus is actually a better value than what is currently available in the Marriott Rewards Program. Currently MR requires 70K for a direct transfer to 25K AA Miles. With that in mind, the 60K MR -> 25K AA miles won't be available until after the August Changeover. James. |
I have 1 unattached cat1-5 hotel certificate (floater) and 270k MR points. I want to use my floater for a hotel that's currently cat6 and drops to cat4 in August, but I obviously can't book it until after the changes without using points I don't have to upgrade the cert, and that would be a waste knowing it will come down next month. I want to use my 270k MR points for VS miles. Since the post-merger rates require more MR points for a 100k miles TP and the post-merger points-to-miles rate would see 270k MR become 110k VS miles, I've decided I will redeem another TP pre-merger (120k VS and a second floater). I will use 1 floater for a current cat5 hotel that I would be fairly happy to go to if things don't work out with cancelling and moving it to the hotel I actually want, and I will roll the dice on what they give me for the unattached floater in August. If it's good I may detach the first floater, if it's 45k then I've not lost too much and I'll have to hope my attached cert can move to the other hotel which will be cat 4 in August, the same as the hotel I'll book this month as my second choice back-up option.
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App improvement - now showing TP CERT
I just notice that the Marriott APP actually lists and displays the 7-day TP Hotel Cert. Is it a a recent APP upgrade or was it always there? It is actually listed as “7 night travel package category 1-5 hotels” with the future ~1-year expiration date. So it is there black and white! How could Marriott just take it away and hand back 4500 points without any member consent? Just because they can so that they can get themselves an outrageous member community? Is that what they the big Marriott corporation wants for their publicity? I guess NOT If I were they! |
Originally Posted by lax2010
(Post 29954468)
I just notice that the Marriott APP actually lists and displays the 7-day TP Hotel Cert. Is it a a recent APP upgrade or was it always there? It is actually listed as “7 night travel package category 1-5 hotels” with the future ~1-year expiration date. So it is there black and white! How could Marriott just take it away and hand back 4500 points without any member consent? Just because they can so that they can get themselves an outrageous member community? Is that what they the big Marriott corporation wants for their publicity? I guess NOT If I were they! It's always there.. |
Absolute easiest would just be to change the certs to up to original points allowed. Cat 5 up to 25k, cat 9 up to 45k. Done.
Perhaps too simple and wishful thinking... |
Originally Posted by crimsona
(Post 29955009)
Absolute easiest would just be to change the certs to up to original points allowed. Cat 5 up to 25k, cat 9 up to 45k. Done.
Perhaps too simple and wishful thinking... |
I hate to tell you that but I have not ever seen a business class award availability on Fiji airline. On top of that, their seats are recliners not lie-flat.
Originally Posted by vandesa
(Post 29952196)
I know I need some AA miles for a Fiji trip I am taking in 2020 that I want to use biz class rewards on, so I am wanting to get the points in place for that. I do not necessarily need a Cat 1 - 5 7 night stay, but just doing the math it makes sense for me to "risk" having the cert converted at some horrible rate, how bad can that rate really be?
Not even going to 270K package, but just looking at were the two calculation methods (airline points + bonus VS TP package) are closest, 250K TP package, yields 100,000 AA miles + the cert. A straight line conversion of 240K would yield 100,000 AA Miles and NO cert. So if I get 10K back for not booking the cert then it will be a zero sum game. If I get more, then bonus. If I get less, than wow Marriott would really be pissing people off. So I think I am going that route, but with the 270K package, 20K more Marriott get 20K more American it is 1:1 convertion for that peice might as well take it. I have been using more Chase UR lately than individual point program chasing. (Pun intended.) I don't use the hotel choices a much, but I love the UR for the booking air. I strongly suggest to those who have a specific usage for their miles in mind, instead of just doing the math on the theoretical value per the charts, do some real search on the targeted award seats even your travel is 2 years from now - get a feel on the trend of the availability, so you would not just blindly follow the charts and think as long as you have the miles you have the seats. Sadly it has not been this way for virtually all FFPs. Figure out what would be the most probably way to achieve your goal(s), then consider the FFP(s) that would let you achieve the goal. Though if the plan is in 2020, then you would need a lot of luck that whatever is true now would remain true 18 to 24 months from now. On my beating the devaluation efforts history.... I was able to book and stay a 15 night stay in Conrad Maldives before the last Hilton devaluation. That was so worth the 36K per night vs the 95K per night. I also got the Hilton value before the devaluation before that for the 100K for a 7 night Hawaii stay. I have no current Marriott Plans to take advantage out of the last gasp before this devaluation. I do actually have more Hilton points at this time than Marriott anyway, so might as well make it work. |
Originally Posted by Happy
(Post 29955166)
I hate to tell you that but I have not ever seen a business class award availability on Fiji airline.
On top of that, their seats are recliners not lie-flat. |
Originally Posted by SanDiego1K
(Post 29955173)
I have it booked for 2 of us. It was available for several days in the month I wanted to travel. I had some challenges finding onward seats to Sydney for travel a few days later but was eventually successful.
That's unfortunate, but for me, it's the most efficient routing. The AS devaluation on the free changes also make things a lot harder because it would be quite costly to optimize a routing. I hope you would stay in a resort at Fiji instead of trying to get a local "taste", based on a few conversations I had with our cruise agent and some friends who have been in Fiji in recent years. Think like in Caribbeans you get the picture of what they talk about. |
Originally Posted by crimsona
(Post 29955009)
Absolute easiest would just be to change the certs to up to original points allowed. Cat 5 up to 25k, cat 9 up to 45k. Done.
Perhaps too simple and wishful thinking...
Originally Posted by tth6133
(Post 29955061)
This is the most likely outcome. Marriott may allow a window for certificate holders to book the hotels at the current category levels, to upgrade/downgrade their certificates, and to waive the extra points for peak seasons.
We have enough points to do several Cat 5 TPs but I would only do 1 because we would get better value on hotel stays after going over the new charts. The major thing is, we could not care less for the current Cat 9 that will go from 45K to 60K after Aug 1st and most likely even higher in 2019 while several hotels we would use in latter part of 2018 and in 2019 actually go down in levels, we would be better off to redeem the regular hotel stays with a few 5th night free thrown in than the TP redemption for the value of miles which we do not need. |
I called elite services today and I was assured by a representative that the travel certificates would remain as they are. If it’s a cat 1-5. It is I’ll still give you a cat 1-5 in new system. Or a cat 6 will still get the new cat 6 in new system. I asked her several times to make sure this was correct. She should assured me that it was and gave me her name to contact her and where she worked.( San Antonio) elite services. |
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