Another Mega Bonus redemption question
 

I'm a Nervous Nellie so like to lock in my deals when I get them.

I am about to earn a MB free night, so want to sub it out for a paid stay I have a reservation for in May.

However, I will also get a "free" 1-5 night with my Chase Marriott CC around January.

The Chase card expires in 6 months, the MB is good for a year.

When I get the Chase cert, I'd like to use that instead for my May stay, so I have until November to use my MB cert.

Will Marriott be ok with me using the MB cert for my paid May stay, THEN subbing my Chase cert for that stay?

Or should I not worry and just wait until I get my Chase night and use that in May? I'm just concerned that the hotel I want in May won't be available for a certificate (any certificate) if I wait??

Just call once you have the 2nd cert and no sweat to switch them out....
BTW, just as easy to get the Visa cert extended too....

Just make the reservation without attaching any cert at all right now, then attach the Chase cert when it arrives.

I called and they wanted to do a very confusing 3-part process. First she said she'd cancel my paid res and use points. I said I don't want to use points, I want to use a certificate. She said she would have to cancel the paid res, make a points res, then cancel the points res when I get my first (Mega) certificate, then cancel that and substitute my Chase cert.

I said forget it, I'll wait until I get my Chase certificate, which is the one I ultimately want to use.

I could have sworn I've read that people make reservations "on spec" before they have either miles or certificates, so not sure what was making my case so difficult. I'm hoping it's not that popular of a hotel that they aren't out of reward rooms by the time I'm ready to do this.

IMO you're taking a big risk that there will be award inventory later after you get the cert you want to use. Why are you resisting making a points reservation now? Unless it can't be cancelled, I don't see a downside to doing this.

Because I need all the points I have right now for a reservation the month before this one.

I'll be earning my second Megabucks certificate Friday night (hopefully) so will call then to use it for the May trip. We're talking less than a week, I'm sure it will be fine.

You can do this yourself without talking to anyone. If for some reason you don't want to take the advice above do this:

Now-

1) Make a dummy reservation, anywhere, for one night. Use your existing cert.
2) If you have points on balance that will cover the real reservation you want to make, make another dummy reservation anywhere and use your points for that.
3) Cancel your paid reservation.
4)Make a points reservation that you want to use your Chase cert for. It will make the reservation with no cert or points attached.
5) Cancel reservations made in steps 1 and 2
6) When you get the Chase cert call and attach it to reservation made in 4

Thank you, I do appreciate all the help. I'm going to wait until after Friday and make the reservation with my Mega certificate. If I then have to switch it out for the Chase, I will. Who knows, I might decide to use the Chase one earlier than anticipated.

I just really thought I could call and they'd put one on "hold" pending the earning of the certificate.

They can. It's not on hold. It is just a reservation with no cert attached. They didn't' understand what you wanted.

My MB-Question would be: Can I use these 1-Night-Certs only on Marriott Properties? Or could I use it on a Ritz-Carlton Hotel too?

My certificates are category 1-5...are yours 1-gazillion?

If you can find a RC hotel that uses Marriott's category system, and is Cat 5 or lower, fell free.

Haha!

If I ever see such a Property, the both of you will be the first i'll inform :D

No, honestly, I am not yet "into" the Marriott-Thing, so forgive me my own ignorance!
So, no RC for me, right? But any Property 1-5?

No RC... Marriott only

RC doesn't use Categories, they use Tiers. So no, no RC's with Cat 1-5 certs.