Hi

I am a BAEC member and just received an e mail from EC offering me free Marriott gold elite status plus triple points for all stays until June. I am busy filling in the online form and got to a point where I have one of two options, earn miles or points. I am clueless as to the value - benefits of either just wondering if anyone here could advise me on this.

Thanks in advance,
WT

Points is the best option.

Replace AA/American airlines with BAEC/British Airways in text below, change calculations as appropriate for BAEC, and disregard the Marriott Rewards Visa points if they are not applicable:

I came to the conclusion many years ago that earning miles through Marriott rewards was not the best return on my money spent. For example:

If I earn miles and have spent $20000 at full service Marriotts over then past couple years then I would have earned 40,000 miles in my favorite airline program (in my case AA) and 1 mile per dollar charged, or an additional 20,000 miles, assuming one has a mileage earning CC in the same program. Total of 60,000 miles.

If on the other hand I had chosen points I would have earned 340,000 points ($20000 x 10=200,000 + 20% silver bonus 40,000 + 5 points per dollar spent for using MR Premier VISA 100,000). More if one is Gold or Platinum. Also many bonus promotions only apply to those earning points, Winter Double Points promo (2006) I earned another 100,000, and the Spring Promo I earned 30,000 points. But even not counting those bonus points, for the 340,000 points I can get a week at a category 6 Hotel, plus 120,000 AA miles by cashing in a 250,000 points for a travel package and I would still have 90,000 MR points left over. Since a week at a Category 6 usually runs 130,000 points, that means I just swapped 120,000 (250,000 points for travel package less 130,000 points for the free week award) MR points for 120,000 AA miles, a 1 for 1 exchange. So reducing this to comparable currency, by earning points it basically translates to a net of 90,000 points, a free week at a category 6 Marriott, and 120,000 miles which is more than double the earning power under the miles earning preference of 60,000 miles (40,000 miles and 20,000 miles from a CC).

On top of that, there was a promotion at American Airlines that ended on May 31 2006 that gave a 20% bonus in points transferred from Marriott Rewards, so I got 144,000 AA miles for my 120,000 Marriott Reward points. With the double point and mega bonus point promos, my Platinum elite status bonus points, and AA points transfers bonus (if it comes around again) the comparison for me would be more like 240,000 points, a free week at the Vail Marriott, AND 144,000 AA miles as compared to 40,000 miles and 20,000 miles from a CC. A huge difference IMO.

My recommendation is to make your earning preference points, the rate of return is much better.

One more issue is that most bonus promos require you to be earning points, not miles. I would suggest you look at the fine print of the promo. You may find that your Triple Points promo will only work if you earn points.

Miles are worth more, but you can get Marriott packages that transfers points to miles 1:1

The travel package options make earning the points extremely desirous to me. As the earlier poster stated well, any of the bonus offers are points only. My wife and I are about to enjoy 2 RT Business Class tickets on ANA and a free week in Japan, because I chose points instead of miles.

wow! tyvm for all your advice. Points it is

Thanks

To clarify, although you must select to earn points for many of our promotions, this particular promotion requires you to earn British Airways mileage to be eligible for the triple miles and elite status.

Kind regards,

Drew

Change you change your earning preference from mile to points or vice versa?

Sorry Drew:

I saw "triple points" in the OP and assumed that's what the promotion was.

Thanks for responding, to accurately respresent the terms of the promotion.

For the rest of the forum, I would still choose points in the long run.

I'm not sure if you can but I'd try to chose miles during the "triple" period and then back to points after its over.

Yes. Please remember, though, that any miles transferred to an airline cannot be retrieved for points.

Kind regards,

Drew