Oct 12, 2013, 9:35 am
Last edit by: swag
Initial list copied from post 82. Please add any additional alternate offers you may have gotten.
Marriott has now announced the 2013 Megabonus Promotion and you are able to sign up immediately. From what I can tell here are the options available to you though you will already be assigned to one of these options when you sign into your Marriott account. Option 1 is open to anyone.
1. Free night category 1-5 certificate for every two stays. Maximum of two free night certificates.
2. 25,000 bonus points after 15 nights + additional 15,000 bonus points after 20 paid nights for total of 40,000 bonus points for 20 nights.
3. 25,000 bonus points after 12 nights + additional 15,000 bonus points after 18 paid nights for total of 40,000 bonus points for 18 nights.
4. 35,000 bonus points after 20 nights + additional 15,000 bonus points after 25 paid nights for total of 50,000 bonus points for 25 nights.
You can also sign up at MarriottRewards.com/MegaBonus2013.
Marriott has now announced the 2013 Megabonus Promotion and you are able to sign up immediately. From what I can tell here are the options available to you though you will already be assigned to one of these options when you sign into your Marriott account. Option 1 is open to anyone.
1. Free night category 1-5 certificate for every two stays. Maximum of two free night certificates.
2. 25,000 bonus points after 15 nights + additional 15,000 bonus points after 20 paid nights for total of 40,000 bonus points for 20 nights.
3. 25,000 bonus points after 12 nights + additional 15,000 bonus points after 18 paid nights for total of 40,000 bonus points for 18 nights.
4. 35,000 bonus points after 20 nights + additional 15,000 bonus points after 25 paid nights for total of 50,000 bonus points for 25 nights.
You can also sign up at MarriottRewards.com/MegaBonus2013.
Register for Fall 2013 MegaBonus by November 15, 2013
Sep 17, 2013, 10:52 am
#166
Join Date: Jun 2008
Location: BDU
Programs: DL:MM, Marriott:LTT
Posts: 8,779
...If I sign my wife for marriott rewards, and she gets this promo in her account, can we get the free night certs if I stay using her rewards number (she doesn't stay). This will be tried only after I have earned 2 free nights under my own account. Or, the best scenario will be, if possible:...
The lie: Your wife is staying. The cheat: Not play by the rules. The steal: Getting Marriott to issue certs for which you are not eligible.
Hopefully if you tried doing this, both the MR accounts would be shut down, all your certs canceled and you would be charge with a crime. Telling lies to get something you wouldn't otherwise get is fraud.
Sep 17, 2013, 11:47 am
#167
Join Date: Oct 2004
Location: BZN
Programs: AA:LT Platinum DL:LT Gold UA:1P MAR:LT Titanium
Posts: 8,291
You are asking if it's okay to lie, cheat and steal.
The lie: Your wife is staying. The cheat: Not play by the rules. The steal: Getting Marriott to issue certs for which you are not eligible.
Hopefully if you tried doing this, both the MR accounts would be shut down, all your certs canceled and you would be charge with a crime. Telling lies to get something you wouldn't otherwise get is fraud.
The lie: Your wife is staying. The cheat: Not play by the rules. The steal: Getting Marriott to issue certs for which you are not eligible.
Hopefully if you tried doing this, both the MR accounts would be shut down, all your certs canceled and you would be charge with a crime. Telling lies to get something you wouldn't otherwise get is fraud.
Sep 17, 2013, 12:13 pm
#168
A FlyerTalk Posting Legend
Join Date: Aug 2003
Programs: UA 1K 1MM (finally!), IHG AMB-Spire, HH Diamond
Posts: 60,174
Register for Fall 2013 MegaBonus by November 15, 2013
Will payment by gift card count towards the promo? Ie book it using a Visa or AMEX CC but at checkout whip out a Marriott GC.
Apologies if answered way upthread.
Apologies if answered way upthread.
Sep 17, 2013, 3:15 pm
#170
Join Date: Oct 2004
Location: BZN
Programs: AA:LT Platinum DL:LT Gold UA:1P MAR:LT Titanium
Posts: 8,291
Sep 17, 2013, 3:20 pm
#171
Join Date: Jun 2008
Location: BDU
Programs: DL:MM, Marriott:LTT
Posts: 8,779
He doesn't have to lie, cheat, nor steal. If his wife books but he shows up instead and they allow the rule to be broken and issue the cert, he has nothing to feel badly about. It is about as fraudulent as someone who buys flights with no intention of flying the last segment (against the rules, misleads the airline) just to save money.
If it's above board, why doesn't he just call Marriott and tell them that he's going to do this. Certainly if it's not a lie, cheating or stealing, he should have no problem telling them of his plan, should he?
Sep 17, 2013, 5:03 pm
#172
A FlyerTalk Posting Legend
Join Date: Aug 2003
Programs: UA 1K 1MM (finally!), IHG AMB-Spire, HH Diamond
Posts: 60,174
Sep 17, 2013, 5:05 pm
#173
A FlyerTalk Posting Legend
Join Date: Aug 2003
Programs: UA 1K 1MM (finally!), IHG AMB-Spire, HH Diamond
Posts: 60,174
Sep 17, 2013, 8:15 pm
#174
Join Date: Sep 2013
Posts: 8
Thanks for the reply and comments. I am trying to do it right in FT...still learning...
if you read the T&Cs regarding these certs the technical answer is no, however, it seems to be done all the time (as posted by repeated posters)............
and, as a proclaimed newbee, thanks for posting your question in the appropriate thread as too many others "think" their question(s) are so unique they start new threads when there are existing threads covering the exact same question.........
and, as a proclaimed newbee, thanks for posting your question in the appropriate thread as too many others "think" their question(s) are so unique they start new threads when there are existing threads covering the exact same question.........
Sep 17, 2013, 8:21 pm
#175
Join Date: Sep 2013
Posts: 8
Thanks a lot for the tips
Welcome to FT!
Easiest is to initially redeem the free cert(s) via your account online, as if you were staying: Choose an award redemption, as you would if using points, and the cert(s) will take the place of the points as you confirm the reservation (if the property is Cat 1-5). Once reserved, simply contact the property to change the name of the person staying to whomever you want. This is perfectly allowable with other stays and the use of the cert(s) shouldn't inspire any questions or difficulties otherwise.
Easiest is to initially redeem the free cert(s) via your account online, as if you were staying: Choose an award redemption, as you would if using points, and the cert(s) will take the place of the points as you confirm the reservation (if the property is Cat 1-5). Once reserved, simply contact the property to change the name of the person staying to whomever you want. This is perfectly allowable with other stays and the use of the cert(s) shouldn't inspire any questions or difficulties otherwise.
Sep 18, 2013, 7:27 am
#176
Join Date: Oct 2004
Location: BZN
Programs: AA:LT Platinum DL:LT Gold UA:1P MAR:LT Titanium
Posts: 8,291
It's not your job to comb through the rules with the front desk and ensure that they understand your precise arrangement and enforce every rule accurately.
Sep 18, 2013, 10:31 am
#177
Join Date: Jun 2008
Location: BDU
Programs: DL:MM, Marriott:LTT
Posts: 8,779
If they misinterpret "my wife is coming later", that makes it a lie? His wife could be coming the next week or even the next year. Heck, my wife comes all the time.
It's not your job to comb through the rules with the front desk and ensure that they understand your precise arrangement and enforce every rule accurately.
It's not your job to comb through the rules with the front desk and ensure that they understand your precise arrangement and enforce every rule accurately.
It's simple. While he doesn't need to comb through the rules with the front desk, he needs to be honorable and honest. Why not just say to the front desk, "I want to get extra certs, so I'm checking in under my wife's name, but she will not be staying at the hotel tonight." If the hotel, knowing the facts as they are, chooses to let him stay in his wife's name, there isn't a problem.
Being dishonest to get something you otherwise are not entitled to receive is stealing. It's fraud. It's illegal. The defense that it's the victim's fault because the victim shouldn't have believed the lie doesn't fly.
When Marriott pulled the BOGOs, it was claimed that there was too much fraud connected with their use. At the time, my mind couldn't comprehend what could have been going on. If people look for ways to steal free hotel nights through this promotion, how long will it be until before the MegaBonus joins the BOGOs in promotional heaven?
Sep 18, 2013, 10:47 am
#178
Join Date: Mar 2013
Location: Hong Kong
Programs: Bonvoy LT Plat
Posts: 153
Against the rules ok... but what should the airline care?
(I get they do, I just don't get why. I have had the great fortune of buying very few tickets)
Sep 18, 2013, 1:20 pm
#179
Join Date: Nov 2008
Location: Canada
Programs: Marriott LT Gold, IHG Club, Hertz Gold, Aeroplan, Avios, SkyMiles, Thrifty, AMEX
Posts: 985
Lost revenue. If you book a YQB-DTW-RSW flight at $395 and don't use the DTW-RSW segment, instead of purchasing the YQB-DTW only flight at $700, the airline has effectively lost $305 in revenue from you.
Sep 18, 2013, 3:32 pm
#180
Join Date: Oct 2004
Location: BZN
Programs: AA:LT Platinum DL:LT Gold UA:1P MAR:LT Titanium
Posts: 8,291
If asked and he literally says, "my wife will be coming", not specifying when, it isn't lying if she comes to the hotel a week, month, or years later. Also, there's another meaning that wouldn't involve visiting the hotel at all and it could still be accurate
(you might have missed my earlier poor attempt at humor).My point was that FTers come up with ways to save money that aren't always in line with what the airline/hotel wants nor in the spirit of the rules, but it's hardly lying/cheating/stealing/fraud to simply leave some things unsaid.