Reservation switched to certificate
 

There's a good chance I'm making this more complicated than it needs to be. Background: I'm Marriott Platinum and Southwest A-list preferred. My southwest companion pass expires 12/15.

I'm thinking of using my Marriott points to book a travel package of 7 nights +110,000 Southwest points in January in order to renew my companion pass as quickly and early as possible. My concern is if I wait to book the 7 nights, the hotel may be sold out.

Can I book the hotel now under a cash stay and then switch the reservation once I'm issued the certificate?

You really need to book the stay as an awards stay-without having points deducted. You need to call to do this. If you book a cash stay, there is no guarantee that a points stay will be available when you want to switch.

After you order the TP, call back and have the certificate attached to the award reservation. The number of nights and category have to match.

You don't need to call. Just book it online now as an award stay, you don't need to have the points yet.

If you do have the points, the points will be deducted if you make the reservation online, unless you drain your account with a dummy reservation first and later cancel the dummy reservation. The easiest thing to do if you have the points in your account is just call and ask that the points not be deducted from your account yet. I'm holding a reservation right now for which I intend to use my annual Chase CC cert, which won't be issued for a few more weeks. It's noted that the cert will be provided prior to my planned October stay, the points have not been deducted, but the reservation is set.

I was thinking they had the points and needed to keep them for the TP.

Got it. Yes call. Or if you hate talking to people book some other dummy stay and suck up points, then the one you wanted, then cancel dummy.

A couple hours after posting the above, I got an email that my CC night posted. After a quick call to Marriott reservations, the cert is now attached to the reservation made weeks ago.

I use dummy reservations. They work well. I am afraid when advising people to do them they will pick something next week or tomorrow to "suck up points". Then they can't cancel. Probably over thinking, but the dummy reservation has to be able to be canceled.

Yes, I usually do something about 6 months out, then cancel after I'm all set. I like to do all my reservations myself, rather than over the phone, I trust my finger punching skills better than theirs.

I appreciate the advice! I have over 600k points, so I will probably do the dummy reservation. Now I just need to decide where to go... :D

You'll have to do a fifteen night dummy reservation in Paris!