+100! Actually, even though I am not PP, they do need to restore the extra benefits to PP, because otherwise, what it the point of being PP in the first place, if they have taken away all of the cachet and benefits?

I need some advise=)

I have just completed Megabonus promotion, and got an email 'reminding' me about the existence of Megamiles.

I have 3 more stays/nights coming up, each of them cost about 80 euro per night. Made some calculation and wonder it will be a wise move to switch to Megamiles. Made some calculation, which doesn't help me to decide in the end.

Usually I choose the points as welcome bonus (my girlfriend hates wine and cheese), so I will be literally losing the welcome bonus if I switch to miles earning.

Target airline program will be Singapore airline/Lufthansa airline. I'm not loyal to specific airline though. Holding about 7000miles with each airline program.

Thanks a lot.

Unfortunately, I did too!

I think that you can still earn MR points as a Platinum bonus but choose to earn miles on the cost of the hotel stay.

Please, correct me if I am wrong, but I would be EXTREMELY surprised if it would actually be possible to earn both MR points (for the Plat welcome gift) and airline miles (for the actual hotel spend) on the very same check out folio.

I think somewhere in the T&C saying that you couldn't earn Platinum welcome bonus points if your earning preference is mile. I'm not 100% sure though...

I believe it was/is possible with Hyatt but I do not know for certain with respect to either chain because I always believed it was better to earn hotel points at hotels.

HOWEVER, the recent devaluation of my hotel points has given me pause concerning this belief.

Not sure if some one has tried this...

Do a points run first meaning enough stays to earn the requisite no. of points, or certificates.

Then switch earnings preference to miles, and have enough stays to earn the bonus miles.

Thoughts? Thanks in advance.

It's possible. But it depends on how much to your value their points vs miles.

So it's possible to double-dip?

I heard some reports saying you can only get one bonus offer, points or miles, but not the both.

AFAIK, this is correct, both is not possible. If someone knows differently (and with absolute certainty), please correct me.

Oh is it? I'm not sure then. I received an email 'reminding' me about the existence of Megamiles after I completed my Megabonus, that brings me to think that it's possible to get both into my pocket. Not sure though.

Maybe they aren't showing the same flexibility for Gold members as Platinums?

As a PP, I called the MR line on Friday, 2/22 (hadn't actually read this thread at the time) and they told me no problem to change to any of the offers (including both the Category 5 x 2 or Cat. 4 x 3 free night offers which they spelled out for me) but they would rather I wait until I am sure which one I want before making the note in my record. They said call back by April 15 to get that done.

I still think MR is a good program. But some of the changes in the last few years have encouraged me to diversify a little bit, so I no longer exclusively stay at Marriotts. I do want to say that they really have listened to their customers on a lot of things (clearly not everything, and I've already complained about those - the now, almost complete lack of benefits for Plats and Golds at full-service hotels on weekends in NA, loss of BOGOs, unnecessary devaluations), etc. But they gave us free internet, they started announcing changes (unfortunately these days those changes are simply devaluations) well in advance and with great specificity, they've improved the website dramatically in response to customer feedback since they originally got it wrong last year with their site overhaul, etc. Good luck getting that level of Customer Service from certain other travel-related businesses.

During past promos, I've been told specifically that it is possible to change back and forth (including by one of the Marriott Concierge reps), but you need to specify one or the other by making the switch in your account preferences prior to the stay (and it is best to wait until the points or miles post before trying to switch back, if that is what you want to do). I was also told you could alternatively ask the hotel to hard-wire (there's a specific term they have for this which escapes me at the moment) it for miles or points earning at check-in for that specific stay - but I never tried to do that. I did however, change back and forth maybe 3 or 4 times during that promo period and ended up with some stays earning points and others earning miles according to the way I wanted).

Griz-

When you chose to earn miles, did you take points as your Plat amenity and did they post?