10 points/$ spent at most Marriott Brand hotels
3 points/$ Plat elite bonus points
5 points/$ Premier Visa CC bonus for spending at Marriotts

Are you implying you only get 1 mile per dollar when you fly?

Cashing 120K of marriott points for 120K of airline points (in my case, AA) on a 1 to 1 ratio is absolutely a good deal. Those miles have paid for 1 first class intl seat valued at 7K and 2/3s of 2 business class intl seats valued at 6-7K. I think that exceeds the value of 120K marriott points used for a hotel stay, even a 150K 7 day stay at a category 7 property. Maybe, if you got a suite but you don't get that with an award.

My point is you can get enough miles to fly for free, just by applying for CC's and then use the marriott pts. you've accumulated for your stay.

Travel Packages - spend 250K points and got 2 FC tixs, and 7 days in the Cancun JW.

Great Thread real eye opener for me
 

Thanks for starting this thread. It seems that I have been good at earning points all these years. But not so good at redeeming them no complaints really, I just did not take advantage of what was available.
So here is my question: If I book award 091 which is a 7 day cat 7 hotel plus 120k air miles. I get 120k miles placed into my FF account on record. Is my understanding correct? I will also need to make sure that I am using the FF account I want the miles in at that time.

Which frequent flyer program gives you 1 F Class seat + 2/3ds of 2 C/J Class seats for only 120,000 miles?

Very curious how you got all of this for only 120k.

That is correct, however, one thing that no one has mentioned yet is for this 091 award you'll need to find Standard Award Availability at the Cat 7 Marriott, no easy task sometimes.

120 was on AA

You need to plan your vacations more than 6 months out, this will help you secure the property you need.

Whoops!! I meant to put an "or" in there. :) Wow, that really would have been a good deal. No wonder I'm getting all those private messages .....

One issue at a time
 

You are correct booking could be hard but I have not been taking best advantage of my points all these years.

Deleted.

Good point. But that's half the fun for those of us who post here.

I guess for me, since I have half a million + FF miles, and only 400,000 Marriott points, I can get the same 115,000 point, cat 5, 7 night e-cert either without miles, or simply add 80k, 100k, or 120k MR points to get the miles. I fly enough that miles are the least of my worries. I usually find myself needing the hotel points, which is why I switched my primary Visa from United to Marriott. I'm not sure if it's the most bang for the buck, but it seems to work for me.

For those who don't fly every week, I could easily see the travel packages as the best way to go.

I use to think the packages were a no brainer, but with the MVCI you really have to do a side by side comparison.

I just booked the Marriott Marbella Spain Vacation Club for 7 nights using 170k points for a 3 BR Villa (8/24-8/31). I tried pricing it out on Marriott's site for a comparison, but came up with no availability :confused: With a family of 5, obviously I wont be flying FC and a single hotel room will not work.