pinniped

...anyone have one? Are they any good? (It's the new buy-a-gift-card deal.)

Not that I really need one, but if it's free... Correct me if I'm wrong on the "free" part: is there currently a way to buy a Marriott Gift Card with percent-off instead of a Samsonite bag? Also - I'm assuming that a Gift Card posts as a Marriott purchase earning 5,000 points, thus resulting in no net loss on hotel stays. (Obviously the "free" part implies that you would stay at a Marriott in the near-term anyway and aren't locking up money long-term on a gift card.)

eBayers seem to think the bag is worth about a hundred bucks, for what it's worth.

hhoope01

Can't really answer much on the bag, but I bought a giftcard during the "12 points" promo that just ended. I did receive 5 points per $ for my giftcard purchase.

Richard1148

You have to buy a $1,000 GC for a 20" suitcase and $2,000 for a 28". Too much for me to part with just for another suitcase.

hhoope01

Yes, that would be a lot of money to put into a GC just for a suitcase. But if one were already planning on spending that amount (or more) then the question becomes if the suitcase is worth enough to "prepay" your stay for?

pinniped

My usual Marriott spending pace is one $400-500 stay every 2-3 weeks. (Two to three nights in a mainline hotel plus some incidentals minus a Premium Pounds.) So the investment income loss even if I buy the $2,000 card is pretty negligible. We're talking about ten to fifteen bucks tops for the 28-inch bag.

hhoope01

My deal on this is I have some stays coming up that will total more than $2000. So do I get two 20" rollerbags or go for the one 28" bag?

bcre3306

I stay at marriotts every week so I opted to buy the 2k one first which should take me about 3 weeks to use then I will do the 1k one. Don't really need the 20" but I sure could use a new 28" one. I am going to call samsonite today to see if by any small chance they will ship out a black instead of the red, but either way if I am spending the money why not get one more free thing!

BigYellowDog

Let us know if you have any luck as I may do the same.

pinniped

I decided to start with the 20-incher. My Marriott Visa cycle closed two days ago, so today is good timing - I bought a $1,000 card. I assume the card gets shipped immediately whereas I gotta wait for the bag (?). Anyway, if the bag shows up within a month, I'll decide if I like it and want a 28-incher to go with it. The promo lasts until April 15th, so if these bags are actually worthwhile, I should be able to pick up a couple more of them. (For gifts or whatever.)

If the bags are junk, I'll eBay the first one and probably won't hassle with more - just wait for the next 10% off Giftcard promo.

bcre3306

I called but my gut was right. They won't swap them out since they have a contract deal with marriott. I guess when I am walking through the airports now I will know who is a FT'er!

pinniped

I guess they are easier to spot than FT luggage tags!

pinniped

For what's it's worth, my order from Wednesday is already here - the gift card, anyway. They sent it via DHL overnight - and I didn't even select the Express shipping option.

No idea when the bag will get here, but at least it's good to know they have a good process in place for the gift cards. ^

BigYellowDog

pinniped...Keep us posted on how long it takes to get your luggage. I'm looking at getting the small bag when my billing cycle ends in another week. At the end of Feburary on the next cycle I plan on getting the big bag. I have a family trip planned during spring break at the end of March, so it would be great if I could time the luggage to arrive before this trip and after the Febuary billing cycle closes.

bcre3306

I also got mine today, which I did not choose over night but they shipped it over night. I will keep everyone updated when I get the luggage.

pinniped

The bag arrived yesterday. Order date Jan 17, bag arrival date Jan 23.

The bag itself is a "Sahora" model. I believe this is the link for the 20-incher:
http://us.samsonite.com/webapp/us/se...d=-1&pc=COL321

Overall, it's actually a very attractive bag. Appears to be well-constructed, durable, and of high quality. (I know with luggage only time will tell.) My only minor complaint is that it's definitely a heavier bag than my existing carryon bags. It's bright red - I can honestly say I've never owned anything quite this red.

Conclusion: as a free giveaway, it's a worthwhile offer. They aren't sending out a piece of junk here. One could still argue that a straight 10% off offer is better, but overall I say nice job to Marriott on this one. ^