How to get 5k points in the next 30 days?
Nov 28, 2005, 6:10 pm
#1
Original Poster
Join Date: Apr 2002
Posts: 568
How to get 5k points in the next 30 days?
I am staying at a 4 star property for 2 nights and recently joined Marriott visa promotion. So, I received a free 1 night certificate and 15k points. The first night is covered using the free certificate but I am shy 5k in points for the 2nd night (need 20k but only have 15k). My stay is Jan 6th, 2005.
Since I have no travel plans between now and the 6th, what options are there to accumulate 5k in points?
Thanks in advance
Anthony
Since I have no travel plans between now and the 6th, what options are there to accumulate 5k in points?
Thanks in advance
Anthony
Last edited by atwnsw2; Nov 28, 2005 at 6:57 pm
Nov 28, 2005, 6:38 pm
#2
Join Date: Mar 2003
Location: Pittsburgh, PA, USA
Programs: MR LT Titanium, IHG Plat.,UA Premier Silver, & PA/OH Turnpike Million Miler
Posts: 2,320
Your message is a little hard to interpret. Looks like you want to spend two nights at a Category 4 property starting on Jan 6th. For the first night you would use your free night certificate from the Visa promotion and you need 20000 points for a one night Category 4 certificate for the second night. Is that what you’re trying to do?
Anyway, other than staying at Marriott properties, your most practical option is to spend $5000 on your MR Visa before the next billing cycle ends. The points will post within a day or two of the end of the billing cycle. So as long as it is at least a few days before Jan. 6th you should be okay. Perhaps route all of your holiday shopping through your MR Visa card.
Other than that, you can get some points for MR Mall purchases. Points for air travel and/or car rental won't work since you're not traveling before Jan. 6th.
Bottom line, spending $5000 on the MR Visa quickly is probably your only realistic option. If that won’t work, you may just want to pay for the second night. You can call the MR reservation line and they can do a combined award and revenue reservation for you. Hope this helps…
--Jon
Anyway, other than staying at Marriott properties, your most practical option is to spend $5000 on your MR Visa before the next billing cycle ends. The points will post within a day or two of the end of the billing cycle. So as long as it is at least a few days before Jan. 6th you should be okay. Perhaps route all of your holiday shopping through your MR Visa card.
Other than that, you can get some points for MR Mall purchases. Points for air travel and/or car rental won't work since you're not traveling before Jan. 6th.
Bottom line, spending $5000 on the MR Visa quickly is probably your only realistic option. If that won’t work, you may just want to pay for the second night. You can call the MR reservation line and they can do a combined award and revenue reservation for you. Hope this helps…
--Jon
Nov 28, 2005, 6:57 pm
#3
Original Poster
Join Date: Apr 2002
Posts: 568
I re-worded my original question
Hope this helps to clarify that I need 5k points in the next 30 days....
Hope this helps to clarify that I need 5k points in the next 30 days....
Originally Posted by Jon Maiman
Your message is a little hard to interpret. Looks like you want to spend two nights at a Category 4 property starting on Jan 6th. For the first night you would use your free night certificate from the Visa promotion and you need 20000 points for a one night Category 4 certificate for the second night. Is that what you’re trying to do?
Anyway, other than staying at Marriott properties, your most practical option is to spend $5000 on your MR Visa before the next billing cycle ends. The points will post within a day or two of the end of the billing cycle. So as long as it is at least a few days before Jan. 6th you should be okay. Perhaps route all of your holiday shopping through your MR Visa card.
Other than that, you can get some points for MR Mall purchases. Points for air travel and/or car rental won't work since you're not traveling before Jan. 6th.
Bottom line, spending $5000 on the MR Visa quickly is probably your only realistic option. If that won’t work, you may just want to pay for the second night. You can call the MR reservation line and they can do a combined award and revenue reservation for you. Hope this helps…
--Jon
Anyway, other than staying at Marriott properties, your most practical option is to spend $5000 on your MR Visa before the next billing cycle ends. The points will post within a day or two of the end of the billing cycle. So as long as it is at least a few days before Jan. 6th you should be okay. Perhaps route all of your holiday shopping through your MR Visa card.
Other than that, you can get some points for MR Mall purchases. Points for air travel and/or car rental won't work since you're not traveling before Jan. 6th.
Bottom line, spending $5000 on the MR Visa quickly is probably your only realistic option. If that won’t work, you may just want to pay for the second night. You can call the MR reservation line and they can do a combined award and revenue reservation for you. Hope this helps…
--Jon
Nov 28, 2005, 7:03 pm
#4
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Location: ORD/MDW
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Posts: 19,719
You could rent ten Hertz cars.
Nov 28, 2005, 8:51 pm
#5
Suspended
Join Date: Nov 2004
Posts: 1,188
Prepay some recurring expenses (e.g., power, gas, satellite/cable/internet, mobile phone etc.) 4-6 months ahead and buy some gift cards for known future expense such as airlines and gasoline (Shell gas cards are sold everywhere). Plus, how much are you going to spend on Christmas?
Nov 28, 2005, 11:34 pm
#6
Join Date: Dec 2000
Location: Charleston, SC, USA
Programs: Avis Pref+, Hyatt Explorist, Marriott Life Gold, Honors Silver, IHG Plat via MC.
Posts: 6,786
Atw,
Find an FTer on Coupon Connection who needs an award night at a Cat. >= 5 Marriott & trade him your free night cert. for his 23K points transferred into your account.
SAy, what is the revenue rate of the hotel U want? Maybe I can help U with a PRemium Pound!
Find an FTer on Coupon Connection who needs an award night at a Cat. >= 5 Marriott & trade him your free night cert. for his 23K points transferred into your account.
SAy, what is the revenue rate of the hotel U want? Maybe I can help U with a PRemium Pound!
Nov 29, 2005, 4:57 am
#7
Join Date: Dec 2003
Location: Pasadena,Ca.,US.
Programs: AA, Delta, United, SPG plat, Hyatt dia
Posts: 7,140
You could buy a couple of thousand $$ worth of gift certificates via the Marriotts Rewards shoping mall.
Or you could just look at your upcoming weekend stay as a two for one with a little extra.
By that I mean If you use the cert for one night,and pay a promo rate for the other,you will earn MR rewards points for your paid night.
You will find this to be a cheaper option than spending $$ chasing points.
Bet you can find a decent promo rate-just look up at the sticky above.
Anthony-welcome to Marriott Rewards.
Or you could just look at your upcoming weekend stay as a two for one with a little extra.
By that I mean If you use the cert for one night,and pay a promo rate for the other,you will earn MR rewards points for your paid night.
You will find this to be a cheaper option than spending $$ chasing points.
Bet you can find a decent promo rate-just look up at the sticky above.
Anthony-welcome to Marriott Rewards.
Nov 29, 2005, 7:16 am
#8
Join Date: May 2002
Location: England
Posts: 223
One night award stays are poor value....just pay for the extra night and keep collecting points until you have enough for a more worthwhile reward.
Nov 29, 2005, 1:00 pm
#9
Join Date: Sep 2004
Location: New York
Programs: SPG Gold
Posts: 186
It is possible for you to:
- register for the double points promo (stay at a Marriott, pay w/ Visa, get double points for your stay)
- check in at a $200 / night Marriott property for 1 night. You don't need to actually stay. That will get you:
2000 base points
2000 double points
400 bonus points (silver)
600 bonus points (visa)
-----------------------
5000 points
This doesn't seem particularly worthwhile, though. I can't imagine you'll save a whole lot - if anything - by doing this. You're probably better off just paying for your night.
- register for the double points promo (stay at a Marriott, pay w/ Visa, get double points for your stay)
- check in at a $200 / night Marriott property for 1 night. You don't need to actually stay. That will get you:
2000 base points
2000 double points
400 bonus points (silver)
600 bonus points (visa)
-----------------------
5000 points
This doesn't seem particularly worthwhile, though. I can't imagine you'll save a whole lot - if anything - by doing this. You're probably better off just paying for your night.
Nov 29, 2005, 1:29 pm
#10
A FlyerTalk Posting Legend
Join Date: Jul 2002
Location: MCI
Programs: AA Gold 1MM, AS MVP, UA Silver, WN A-List, Marriott LT Titanium, HH Diamond
Posts: 52,574
We're obviously talking about a strange situation here - e.g., a Marriott Cat 4 with extremely high room rates on Jan 6-7 but it has award rooms available. Perhaps the OP can provide a little more info?
In most scenarios, I would simply say what others are saying here: look for the best rate you can for one paid night (check both nights, of course), and use the award cert on the other night.
But if we are talking about something really odd here, the only other portals to Marriott points that I can think of are through Diner's Club and perhaps Amex Member Rewards (although I have no experience with that program).
In most scenarios, I would simply say what others are saying here: look for the best rate you can for one paid night (check both nights, of course), and use the award cert on the other night.
But if we are talking about something really odd here, the only other portals to Marriott points that I can think of are through Diner's Club and perhaps Amex Member Rewards (although I have no experience with that program).
Nov 29, 2005, 1:32 pm
#11
Join Date: Dec 2000
Location: Charleston, SC, USA
Programs: Avis Pref+, Hyatt Explorist, Marriott Life Gold, Honors Silver, IHG Plat via MC.
Posts: 6,786
Originally Posted by tailfins
It is possible for you to:
- register for the double points promo (stay at a Marriott, pay w/ Visa, get double points for your stay)
- check in at a $200 / night Marriott property for 1 night. You don't need to actually stay. That will get you:
2000 base points
2000 double points
400 bonus points (silver)
600 bonus points (visa)
-----------------------
5000 points
This doesn't seem particularly worthwhile, though. I can't imagine you'll save a whole lot - if anything - by doing this. You're probably better off just paying for your night.
- register for the double points promo (stay at a Marriott, pay w/ Visa, get double points for your stay)
- check in at a $200 / night Marriott property for 1 night. You don't need to actually stay. That will get you:
2000 base points
2000 double points
400 bonus points (silver)
600 bonus points (visa)
-----------------------
5000 points
This doesn't seem particularly worthwhile, though. I can't imagine you'll save a whole lot - if anything - by doing this. You're probably better off just paying for your night.
In any case, wasting a $200 stay is not worthwhile, even though Anthony's desired Marriott room costs $299++ = $330 buxanite!
Anthony can also try to charge as much as he can to his Visa until his statement closes. If he charges $3000, he can buy the last 2K points for $20--maybe buy more points if the rep is nice.
Nov 29, 2005, 8:10 pm
#12
Original Poster
Join Date: Apr 2002
Posts: 568
Per your suggestion, I have run the rates at the Marriott 4 property and the rooms are running $299 per night.
That is too much in my opinion.
Please keep the ideas coming.
http://marriott.com/property/propert...rshaCode=PBIMC
Jan 6-8
1 Room
2 Adults
Hope this helps...
That is too much in my opinion.
Please keep the ideas coming.
http://marriott.com/property/propert...rshaCode=PBIMC
Jan 6-8
1 Room
2 Adults
Hope this helps...
Last edited by atwnsw2; Nov 30, 2005 at 3:29 am
Nov 29, 2005, 10:05 pm
#13
FlyerTalk Evangelist
Join Date: Jul 2003
Location: Florida
Posts: 29,762
All South Florida hotel rooms are at a premium due to the aftermath of Hurricane Wilm
There are tons of out of state workers in town - insurance adjusters, FEMA staffers, to workers from all trades ...
Rooms from high end to low end are all at a premium. Ditto for rental cars. I just realize Budget wants $70 a day for a compact in mid December.
Rooms from high end to low end are all at a premium. Ditto for rental cars. I just realize Budget wants $70 a day for a compact in mid December.
Originally Posted by atwnsw2
Per your suggestions, and the room was running $299 per night.
That is too much in my opinion.
Please keep the ideas coming.
http://marriott.com/property/propert...rshaCode=PBIMC
Jan 6-8
1 Room
2 Adults
Hope this helps...
That is too much in my opinion.
Please keep the ideas coming.
http://marriott.com/property/propert...rshaCode=PBIMC
Jan 6-8
1 Room
2 Adults
Hope this helps...
Nov 30, 2005, 5:19 am
#14
Join Date: Jan 2005
Programs: UA GOLD MM,WN CP A+list, HH Gold,MR LT Titanium
Posts: 2,184
I would not rely on using the Marriott Mall to get your points quickly.All of my points through the mall have taken 7 -8 weeks to post,although perhaps gift card purchases clear earlier-anyone have experience buying GC's there?
Nov 30, 2005, 6:50 am
#15
Join Date: Aug 2004
Location: New York
Programs: Ex Marriot Platinum, CO Gold
Posts: 342
There is also a promotion at the Marriott mall.. if you spend $150 at a retailer you get 100 extra points... I remember seeing a better bonus, like spend $1000, get 4000 bonus points, but I can't find the website. The first deal can be found here http://www.marriottrewardsmall.com/h...c=holiday05nav