From the Travel Package web page:

Please call 1-800-321-7396 to order any of the travel packages below.

Hi Flapster, I have always had to do these by phone, but to the UK number 020 7012 7312 ;):D

Ok, silly me.

Thanks guys.

So, a follow-on question:

It seems to be the generally accepted wisdom on these boards that these travel packages are the best use of points.

So, is it essentially booking one of these, you receive a voucher for the category of hotel and the air miles / avios stated - you then have to try to find an award flight with those air miles?

I've only tried to book a reward flight once, and found it extremely difficult - either stupidly high taxes, or no availability...

Have I got it right?

The airline miles get deposited into the FF program of your choice. You are not required to use the FF miles when redeeming the TP.

You do need to make an hotel award reservation when you redeem the the TP for a hotel of the same category as the TP hotel award certificate. You can change dates on your hotel reservation, cancel the hotel reservation and the electronic TP 7-night hotel certificate will go into your Marriott Rewards account (look under activity for unused certificates) and/or book a different hotel at any time. Most all of those will require calling Marriott Rewards CSR. You can even upgrade your TP hotel certificate with the applicable additional points and apply it to a higher category hotel; just call Marriott Rewards CSR to do so.

Your TP Hotel certificate is good for 1 year from date of issue, so if it goes into your unused certificates, don't forget about it. You can call in and get the certificate's expiration extended, but keep in mind that it will be extended for one year from the date you request the extension.

You can also turn the TP hotel certificate in, and get points back, but for a Cat 5 TP hotel certificate you only get 10,000 points back - not a good move by any calculation as a regular 7 night cat 5 hotel cert goes for 150,000.

Many thanks - really useful info.

Cheers

What are the latest rules on this? Is it a free one-time extension? (I assume it's one time only...) In other words, if I were to call and redeem a TP today, I'd need to complete the hotel stay by March 3, 2016, right? Assuming I phoned on March 3, 2015 to extend...)

What I posted above TTBOMK.

Yes, it's free. I've never had to extend a cert more than once so I don't know woudl be the answer to this question.

Maybe. I don't know.

Perhaps somebody else has more definitive information.

The last time I did this I was told the cert could only be extended once. It was extended 1 year from the date of my call and the cert said "replacement" in the description. Not sure if they use that to track whether or not it was replaced once already, but I wouldn't gamble on getting extended more than once.

My guess is that's exactly why they do it. Thanks for the info...I'd take that to mean it's a one-time courtesy.

I'm in the 330k range right now and I have a couple different airline mile needs, but I don't know when or where I'll need the hotel. Having 2 years to complete the stay would be helpful.

Wait until January to Obtain Travel Package?
 

I am going to get a travel package through Marriott and was wondering if I should wait until January to get 2 years' worth of Southwest Companion pass. I currently have one through the end of this year and have no immediate need for Southwest points or hotel certificate. I am concerned that if I don't do it now, Marriott will either raise the amount of points required for travel packages or points transferred to Southwest will become non-CP qualifying. Any advice appreciated.

Your guess is as good as anyone's. I would wait (I am considering the same issue as you), so as not to duplicate the CP you have, but that could easily backfire.

I'm trying to get mine before April when all the hotels I want are moving up a category. I am getting mine primarily for a Southwest CP. My husband's expired at the end of Dec so this is for the next 2 years.

As for timing it for a CP - my philosophy in the points game is you win some, you lose some. Waiting could be beneficial, or you could be left out in the dust because you waited.

My husband also wants to get a CP but because we know we will have difficulty earning enough points, we are looking at having him wait until next January. That way I have time to strategize.

Good luck!

Gifting Travel Package
 

Can a travel package be gifted to someone else.
If I wanted to give one to a friend as a wedding gift could I have the points and hotel stay put in his name?
Specifically southwest as the companion pass is an added benefit.


Please advise

I've always thought that the names on the Marriott account and the Airline FF account are supposed to match. But maybe someone who has actually tried to do it may chime in with a more definitive answer.

But even with that, does your friend have a Marriott account? If not, then get them signed up. Marriott will allow you to "combine" points between any two accounts when ordering an award. Thus if your friend doesn't have any points, you could "gift" them the Marriott points and then have them call Marriott to order a TP award in their own name. The required points would be pulled from your account, and put into their account for the award.

If you have to go with the "combining" points approach, just call MR Customer Service (or the Plat line if you are a Plat) and ask them how to do it. They will walk you through the process which will requiire receiving a fax, fill out your half of a form, signing it, have the owner of the other account do the same thing on the other half of the form and then faxing it back to Marriott.