One caveat about extending the hotel portion of a travel package beyond 1 year:

When I asked about this (on the phone with a Marriott CSR), I was told that Marriott currently allows this (though it's not 100% guaranteed in the future). I was also told that, when calling to extend a travel package beyond 1 year, you need to have a hotel reservation in hand in order to get approval for the extension.

As an example, let's say you take a travel package now (mid-June 2010) with the hope of a European hotel stay. You are not planning a trip to Europe within the next year (before mid-June 2011), but maybe you'd want to go in the fall of 2011. The hotel portion of your travel package sits unused in your Marriott Rewards account. Once you saw availability open (it should become available in the fall of 2010) for your desired hotel stay in fall 2011, you could call Marriott and ask to have that travel package extended and applied for your fall 2011 stay.

My experience in extending the hotel portion has been totally different. Its been extended without a reservation, but one year from TIME OF EXTENSION not time of order.

Just done 2 awards by phone. Very quick and easy to get them done and showing in my account.^

Got transferred to reservations to use 1 of the hotel part of the travel package and this was done in a couple of minutes.^

Now have a reservation in my account which states that I do not have a e-certificate but have 2 unattached e-certificates in my account.

Will need to call back to get them linked.:td:

Any chance that the 35% bonus posted with this? I know it is not supposed to but I am trying to figure out if any "errors" are being made on AA's end?

Bump
 

Five year bump

Are these still worthless?

I'm interested in using them in HNL and OGG

I have always found a cheaper rate using codes/special offers on hertz site.

Zero value - A joke
 

They are absolutely worthless. I have reedemed many travel packages and never used these certificates and I currently have 2 sitting on my desk. You can get a better rate using any of the publicly available Hertz codes or even without any discount code at all. I usually use the codes published in AA.com.

thanks guys

just validating what I thought

and yes this thread is still valid five years later

is it worth another travel package
 

I am a little shy of making American Air Lifetime gold so I am thinking of redeeming 2 travel packages before amr leaves Marriott. One I know I will use in the fall, the other probably sometime in the future but wondering about the advantages of being gold other than no luggage fees. I will try to post this on the American board too. Thanks

Keep in mind that you won't get the 35% bonus for conversion to AA in a travel package.

A TP may still be the way to go; I just want to make sure you are aware that you won't get the bonus.

bd

I thought you do get the bonus with a travel package--do the rules specifically exclude this?

Yes, the AA bonus rules specifically exclude this, and they claim they are checking. :td:

In contrast, the USAir 150% bonus does apply to TPs.

bd

Upgrading Travel Package Certs
 

I want to get one last package in before AA is no longer a Marriott partner. Does Marriott allow you to upgrade the hotel certs. If so, does anyone know how many points to go from a Cat 5 to Cat 6 or 7. I have enough points in my account to get the travel package for a Cat 5 hotel, but not quite enough for a higher category. If necessary I could buy some from MArriott.

Have you considered just going for miles, rather than a TP, so you can take advantage of the 35% mileage bonus? It's not entirely clear that TPs are the best AA deal right now. YMMV.

But yes, in answer to your question, you can upgrade the hotel component of the TP later.

bd

I think it is entirely clear that TP's are a better deal for miles

its 1:1 with TP's and still < 1:1 with the 35% discount

the caveat is that you have a 7 night award and if you can use it (whether it be for yourself, a gift or an upgrade at roughly 30K per level) then its a slam dunk that its a better deal