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Many hotel loyalty programs allow members to transfer points to select partner airlines. But most of those options provide awful value for your points. The one exception is Marriott Bonvoy.
So, it was music to the ears of points and miles fans when Marriott announced the airline transfer bonus was here to stay for the new Marriott Bonvoy loyalty program. In addition to maintaining the same value of points transfers to airline partners, Marriott has added more airlines to the list of transfer partners — which now includes more than 40 frequent flyer programs.
You can transfer Bonvoy points to these airlines at a 3:1 transfer ratio. Plus you'll receive a 5,000-mile bonus for every 60,000 Marriott Bonvoy points transferred, giving you 25,000 miles in the frequent flyer program of your choice.
Page Contents
The Fastest Way to Earn Marriott Bonvoy Points
While there are plenty of ways to earn Marriott Bonvoy points, for most points enthusiasts the fastest way to earn points is via the Marriott co-brand credit cards. Marriott's co-brand card lineup has undergone a major revamp, with new cards added to the Marriott stable and a major shakeup of earning rates and benefits on existing cards. The lineup of cards earning Marriott Bonvoy points open to new applications includes:
Marriott Bonvoy Personal Cards
- 3X points for every $1 spent at over 7,000 participating Marriott Bonvoy hotels
- 2X points on other travel purchases (from airfare to taxis and trains)
- 1X point on all other purchases
- 6X Bonvoy points per $1 spent at over 7,000 participating Marriott Bonvoy hotels
- 2X Bonvoy points for every $1 spent on all other purchases
- Earn 85,000 Marriott Bonvoy® bonus points after you make $4,000 in purchases on your new Card within the first 3 months.
- Earn 6 Marriott Bonvoy® points for each dollar of eligible purchases at hotels participating in Marriott Bonvoy.
- Earn 4X points at restaurants worldwide and U.S. supermarkets (on up to $15,000 in combined purchases at restaurants and U.S. supermarkets per calendar year, then 2x points).
- Earn 2X points on all other eligible purchases.
- 1K Bonus Points Per Stay: Earn 1,000 Marriott Bonvoy® bonus points per paid eligible stay booked directly with Marriott for properties participating in Marriott Bonvoy.
- Enjoy complimentary Marriott Bonvoy Gold Elite status with your Card. A Marriott Bonvoy Gold Elite member will earn 25% more points on eligible purchases at participating hotels for each U.S. dollar or the currency equivalent that is incurred and paid for by the member.
- Marriott Bonvoy Bevy Free Night Award: Earn 1 Free Night Award after spending $15,000 on eligible purchases on your Marriott Bonvoy Bevy™ Card in a calendar year. Award can be used for one night (redemption level at or under 50,000 Marriott Bonvoy® points) at a participating hotel. Certain hotels have resort fees.
- 15 Elite Night Credits: Each calendar year you can receive 15 Elite Night Credits toward the next level of Marriott Bonvoy® Elite status. Limitations apply per Marriott Bonvoy member account. Benefit is not exclusive to Cards offered by American Express. Terms apply.
- Plan It® is a payment option that lets you split up purchases of $100 or more into equal monthly installments with a fixed fee. Plus, you'll still earn rewards the way you usually do.
- $250 Annual Fee.
- Terms apply.
- Rates & Fees
- 6X points on purchases at hotels participating in Marriott Bonvoy
- 4X points on up to $15,000 in combined purchases per year at restaurants worldwide and at U.S. supermarkets
- 2X points on all other eligible purchases
- Earn 95,000 Marriott Bonvoy® bonus points after you use your new Card to make $5,000 in purchases on the Card within the first 3 months.
- Each Card renewal year, get up to $300 in statement credits per calendar year (up to $25 per month) for eligible purchases at restaurants worldwide.
- A Marriott Bonvoy Platinum Elite member will earn 50% more points on eligible purchases at participating hotels for each U.S. dollar or the currency equivalent that is incurred and paid for by the member.
- Earn 6 Marriott Bonvoy points for each dollar of eligible purchases at hotels participating in the Marriott Bonvoy™ program. 3 points at Worldwide Restaurants and on flights booked directly with airlines. 2 points on all other eligible purchases.
- Marriott Brilliant Free Night Award: Receive 1 Free Night Award every year after your Card renewal month. Award can be used for one night (redemption level at or under 85,000 Marriott Bonvoy points) at hotels participating in Marriott Bonvoy®. Certain hotels have resort fees.
- Each calendar year after spending $60,000 on eligible purchases, Card Members are eligible to select an Earned Choice Award benefit. Benefit options include: Five (5) Suite Night Awards, 85K Free Night Award, and mattress and box spring $1,000 discount from Marriott Bonvoy Boutiques. Certain hotels have resort fees.
- $100 Luxury Property Credit: Enjoy your stay. Receive up to a $100 property credit for qualifying charges at The Ritz-Carlton® or St. Regis® when you book direct using a special rate for a two-night minimum stay using your Card.
- Fee Credit for Global Entry or TSA PreCheck®: Receive either a statement credit every 4 years after you apply for Global Entry ($100) or a statement credit every 4.5 years after you apply for a five-year membership through any Authorized Enrollment Provider for TSA PreCheck® (up to $85) when you pay the application fee with an eligible Card. If approved for Global Entry, at no additional charge, you will receive access to TSA PreCheck.
- Each calendar year you can receive 25 Elite Night Credits toward the next level of Marriott Bonvoy Elite status. Limitations apply per Marriott Bonvoy member account. Benefit is not exclusive to Cards offered by American Express. Terms apply.
- Enroll in Priority Pass Select, which offers unlimited access to over 1,200 lounges in over 130 countries, regardless of which carrier or class you are flying. This allows you to relax before or between flights. You can enjoy snacks, drinks, and internet access in a quiet, comfortable location.
- Enjoy unlimited airport lounge visits when you enroll in Priority Pass™ Select membership.
- No Foreign Transaction Fees on international purchases.
- Cell phone protection: You can be reimbursed for your costs to repair or replace your damaged or Stolen cell phone up to $800, subject to a $50 deductible, for 2 approved claims per 12-month period when your prior month's wireless bill was paid utilizing an Eligible Card Account. Terms and conditions apply. Coverage is provided by New Hampshire Insurance Company, an AIG Company.
- $650 Annual Fee.
- Terms Apply.
- Rates & Fees
- 6X points on purchases at Marriott Properties
- 3X points at restaurants worldwide, including takeout and delivery
- 3X points on flights booked directly with airlines
- 2X points on all other eligible purchases
- 6X points on purchases at hotels participating in Marriott Bonvoy
- 4X points on up to $15,000 in combined purchases per year at restaurants worldwide and at U.S. supermarkets
- 2X points on all other eligible purchases
Marriott Bonvoy Business Cards
- Limited Time Offer: Earn 125,000 Bonus Marriott Bonvoy Points after you use your new Card to make $5,000 in purchases within the first 3 months of Card Membership. Offer ends 5/3/23.
- Receive a 7% discount off standard rates for reservations of standard guest rooms at hotels that participate in the Marriott Bonvoy program when you book directly. Terms and Conditions Apply.
- 6x Marriott Bonvoy Points on each dollar of eligible purchases at hotels participating in the Marriott Bonvoy® program.
- 4x points for purchases made at restaurants worldwide, at U.S. gas stations, on wireless telephone services purchased directly from U.S. service providers and on U.S. purchases for shipping.
- 2x points on all other eligible purchases.
- Receive 1 Free Night Award every year after your Card renewal month. Plus, earn an additional Free Night Award after you spend $60K in purchases on your Card in a calendar year. Awards can be used for one night (redemption level at or under 35,000 Marriott Bonvoy® points) at hotels participating in Marriott Bonvoy®. Certain hotels have resort fees.
- Enjoy Complimentary Marriott Bonvoy Gold Elite Status with your Card.
- Terms apply.
- Rates & Fees
- 6x Marriott Bonvoy points on each dollar of eligible purchases at hotels participating in the Marriott Bonvoy™ program
- 4x Marriott Bonvoy points on each dollar of eligible purchases made at restaurants worldwide, at U.S. gas stations, on wireless telephone services purchased directly from U.S. service providers and on U.S. purchases for shipping
- 2x Marriott Bonvoy points per dollar on all other eligible purchases
5,000 Bonus Airline Miles When You Transfer 60,000 Bonvoy Points to Airline Partners
When transferring Bonvoy points to airlines in multiples of 60,000 Bonvoy points, Marriott adds 5,000 bonus airline miles to the transfer. This applies to 35 of the 38 transfer partners. We've outlined the exceptions below.
For instance, if you transfer 60k Bonvoy points to ANA Mileage Club, Marriott credits an extra 5k bonus miles to our ANA account at the time of transfer, for a total of 25,000 miles.
There are a few tricks, rules, and tips that need to be followed to ensure transfers are trouble-free and you receive maximum value for your Rewards points.
- Marriott allows you to transfer a maximum of 240,000 points per day, so you can receive up to 20,000 bonus miles each day via airline partner transfers. Transfer 240,000 Bonvoy points, and you’ll receive 100,000 airline miles.
- NEW: You will not receive a 5,000-mile bonus when transferring Bonvoy points to:
- American Airlines AAdvantage
- Delta SkyMiles
- Avianca LifeMiles
- Korean Skypass
- The names must match on your Marriott Bonvoy and frequent flyer account.
- Minimum transfer requirement is 3,000 Bonvoy points
- Transfer times for Marriott points vary. Check AwardWallet's Mile Transfer Times page for the latest data points.
If you're waiting on a transfer to post, you can use Balance Watch to get an alert as soon as your balance changes. When an AwardWallet member tracks a transfer, we update our mile-transfer-times page, so you can see how long it takes on average for each program.
Marriott Bonvoy Airline Transfer Partners
The addition of new carriers to the airline transfer program places Marriott well ahead of other transferable points when it comes to the number of transfer partners, offering a total of 38 frequent flyer programs. Of the 38 partners, 36 get the 3:1 transfer ratio, while Air New Zealand is a staggering 200:1 and United gets a 10% bonus for a 3:1.1 ratio. Check out the full list of transfer partners below.
| FREQUENT FLYER PROGRAM | TRANSFER RATIO (REWARDS:MILES) |
|---|---|
| Aegean Airlines Miles+Bonus | 3:1 |
| Aer Lingus AerClub | 3:1 |
| Aeromexico Club Premier | 3:1 |
| Aeroplan/Air Canada | 3:1 |
| Air France/KLM Flying Blue | 3:1 |
| Air New Zealand Airpoints | 200:1 |
| Alaska Airlines Mileage Plan | 3:1 |
| All Nippon Airways (ANA) Mileage Club | 3:1 |
| American Airlines AAdvantage | 3:1 |
| Asiana Airlines Asiana Club | 3:1 |
| Avianca LifeMiles | 3:1 |
| British Airways Executive Club | 3:1 |
| Cathay Pacific Asia Miles | 3:1 |
| COPA ConnectMiles | 3:1 |
| Delta Air Lines SkyMiles | 3:1 |
| Emirates Skywards | 3:1 |
| Etihad Airways | 3:1 |
| Frontier Airlines EarlyReturns | 3:1 |
| Hainan Airlines Fortune Wings Club | 3:1 |
| Hawaiian Airlines HawaiianMiles | 3:1 |
| Iberia Plus | 3:1 |
| InterMiles (formerly Jet Airways JetPrivilege) | 3:1 |
| Japan Airlines (JAL) Mileage Bank | 3:1 |
| Korean Air SKYPASS | 3:1 |
| LATAM Airlines LATAM Pass | 3:1 |
| Multiplus Fidelidade | 3:1 |
| Qantas Frequent Flyer | 3:1 |
| Qatar Airways Privilege Club | 3:1 |
| Saudia Alfursan | 3:1 |
| Singapore Airlines KrisFlyer | 3:1 |
| Southwest Rapid Rewards | 3:1 |
| TAP Air Portugal Victoria | 3:1 |
| Thai Airways International Royal Orchid Plus | 3:1 |
| Turkish Airlines Miles & Smiles | 3:1 |
| United MileagePlus | 3:1.1 |
| Virgin Atlantic Flying Club | 3:1 |
| Virgin Australia Velocity | 3:1 |
| Vueling Club | 3:1 |
There are a few exceptions to the standard transfer rates:
- United MileagePlus members receive a 10% bonus on transferred points via Marriott RewardsPlus, so 60,000 points will transfer to 27,500 United miles.
- Points transfer to Air New Zealand at 200:1 with 25 Airpoints added as a bonus when you transfer 60K, so 60,000 points will transfer to 325 Airpoints (redeemable for $1 per point)
The Best Marriott Airline Transfer Partners
The five transfer partners at the top of our list are Japan Airlines Mileage Bank, Alaska MileagePlan, American AAdvantage, Virgin Atlantic Flying Club, and British Airways Executive Club. Here's why:
British Airways Executive Club
On top of the excellent value flying transatlantic on oneworld® partner Iberia, British Airways still retains a distance-based program meaning short-haul flights with Avios are a great way of redeeming Marriott points. Short-haul flights within North America price out at 7,500 Avios one-way, and non-stop economy flights from the West Coast to Hawaii will set you back only 13,000 points each way flying American or Alaska. Short hops between cities in popular destinations in Europe, Japan, and Australia cost just 4,500 points in coach, presenting top value when compared to the cash price of tickets.
Alaska Airlines Mileage Plan
With Alaska Airlines not a member of any major alliances, it leaves them in the unique position of being able to pick and choose the airlines with whom they partner. Combined with low fees and the ability to add a stop-over when booking most one-way flights, something that typically requires a round-trip on most other airlines if it is allowed at all, Alaska offers some of the best redemption options of any frequent flyer program in the world.
The best options for Alaska are often aspirational redemptions such as first-class long-haul Cathay Pacific awards to Asia (with a stop-over in both directions possible on most itineraries) and Qantas first-class to Australia and New Zealand for 140k miles roundtrip. Award space can be elusive on Qantas but once secured, you are flying one of the best first-class products to one of the best destinations in the world.
Japan Airlines Mileage Bank
Unlike the other programs on this list, the most significant setback for Japan Airlines is that there is no easy way to accumulate miles other than transferring them from Marriott. Depending on the destination, however, JAL offers fantastic value as a distance-based program and allows multiple stopovers on awards.
While they raised the number of miles required for some business and first-class redemptions towards the end of last year, the rates are still competitive. The value in JAL is the ability to build itineraries with multiple stopovers and an open jaw in one award. You will pay hefty taxes and fees on some oneworld® partners, but LATAM, Qatar, and AA all have small fees for select flights. You can see all the taxes and fees on JAL's website, alongside the JAL award chart for partners. Additionally, outside of partners within Oneworld, JAL provides access to awards with Emirates at reasonable redemption rates.
American Airlines AAdvantage
Despite recent changes to the AAdvantage program, which had a massive impact on the cost of first-class awards (and to a lesser degree, business-class), AAdvantage is still the best transfer partner of the big three legacy carriers for Marriott points. Most changes to American's award chart were negative; however, award costs were reduced for business-class flights to Central America, Mexico, and the Caribbean (dropped 2,500 miles) and economy tickets to the Middle East/Indian Subcontinent (dropped 5,000 miles).
While the award costs rose on many first-class redemptions in the latest changes to AAdvantage, most of the changes to business-class just bought American into line with the other legacy carriers.
Virgin Atlantic Flying Club
Virgin partners with all four major transferrable rewards currencies, making it easy to accumulate enough miles for an award even if you have stray balances across different programs. Virgin cops a bad rap from a lot of folks due to exorbitant carrier-imposed surcharges, but the program also provides some outstanding sweet spots that provide killer value.
Try 17,500 miles one-way transatlantic in Virgin’s Premium Economy seats. You’ll wear roughly $200 in fees, but the cost in miles is so low that the $200 still provides good value. Or, one of our all-time favorites, 120K miles in first or 95K miles in business to fly round-trip ANA from the East Coast to Japan.
Singapore Airlines KrisFlyer
Special mention at this point goes to Singapore Airlines KrisFlyer which offers some of the most sought-after and aspirational redemptions in the award travel space. In fact, it could be argued they provide a better cent-per-point value in some instances than the options above, but when all factors come into play, the five programs listed offer the best mix of standout redemptions, value, flexibility, and award availability.
Final Thoughts
Marriott's transfer partners are a valuable part of the Bonvoy program. With the majority of airlines converting at 3:1, the additional 5,000 bonus miles received for every 60,000 points transferred, and the sheer number of transfer partners, Marriott Bonvoy cements itself as one of the big players in transferrable rewards.
For rates and fees of the cards mentioned in this post, please visit the following links: Marriott Bonvoy Bevy™ American Express® Card (Rates & Fees), Marriott Bonvoy Brilliant® American Express® Card (Rates & Fees), and Marriott Bonvoy Business® American Express® Card (Rates & Fees)
The comments on this page are not provided, reviewed, or otherwise approved by the bank advertiser. It is not the bank advertiser's responsibility to ensure all posts and/or questions are answered.
I wonder if we will see a miles transfer bonus anytime soon?
The bold card might work for me. And now I’m under 5/24.
Good that they didn’t modify that SPG policy
Thank you for explaining these strategies. With the miles transferable to Turkish Airlines, it looks like their 15,000 mile round trip fares to Hawaii would be a process worth trying.
I am strictly novice. In fact I just stumbled onto this sight. Appreciate all the commentary. I would appreciate someone willing to educate how these points appreciate in value and how to integrate them in travel planning. If we talk about
Airline travel how do you get started? Do you also setup an air mileage account?
Thank everyone interested in contributing!
The long transfer time is a complete bummer. I regret applying for this card.
Agree, the long transfer time is horrible. And the customer service is so unapologetic. I regret applying for this card as the point is completely useless.The only thing I really can use it for is hotel stays. What is the point of having such a long list of airline partners? No award tickets will be available by the time the points arrive. If chase and other programs can do an instant transfer, why can’t Marriott?
I though ANA is also a nice option.
Marriott points lose value if you are trying to catch an airline award for a specific date. The long transfer time, now quoted at “up to six weeks” is a deal breaker. Limited award seats you find today will typically be long gone before your transferred points arrive. I was told by customer service (for platinum elite level) that there are no longer any options for expediting the transfer process.
good pointers. thx.
Looks like Marriott travel package redemption is excluded from the transfer promo (again). Was saving up in hopes of taking advantage of holiday promo, looks like I’ll keep my points.
Good compilation, there are many possibilities swap points and move
Good summary, is nice that AA is on the list
Will be taking advantage of this. Thanks for the info.
Wish ANA had a better exchange rate.
Transfers to Alaska Airlines are well worth it!
Might be a good way to use points but only with a specific trip in mind.
Marriott is very slow to post point bonuses
I’m eagerly waiting for transfer bonuses on top of the regular 25% bonus. 🙂
I have less than 60k points so I will wait next promo.
Not bad considering how I’m no longer inclined to stay at Marriott after this data breech
It is a good SPG legacy.
Nice compilation of information for easy reference.
Thanks for the reminder and the “best-value” list.
Very nice to have bonuses but bear in mind how long the transfers can take! I hoped to use some transferred miles for my last trip, the first bunch came through in a couple days but the next have never arrived – yet. I will have to keep bugging them. I can only hope ill get a bonus!
Nice to see these benefits preserved.
Cool perk on having Marriott points to transfer! Thanks!
Fantastic, these promos help!
The best part is this isn’t a promo! The 25% bonus is a permanent feature of transfers from Marriott Rewards to airline miles.
Always rely on these extra bonus point transfer bonuses.
Thank you for these comprehensive posts that both relate to a lot of people, and makes everything straightforward.
It is nice that AA is on the best value list.
Agreed!!
Thank you for the best value list.
The only hotel program I have transferred points from was SPG which was 1:1 with a 5000 point bonus on a 20,000 point transfer.
Given Starpoints converted to Marriott at 1:3, and Marriott points transfer to airlines at 3:1, the transfer rates and the bonus remain the same. Marriott awards the bonus as 15,000 points which converts to 5,000 airline miles.
Thanks for the heads up!
Great stuff on this conversion!!!
Marriott’s wide range of airline partners is excellent.
Thanks for sharing it.
thanks for sharing. marriott 7-night certificate is dead.
Really nice breakdown, and I can’t really disagree with your comments about Marriott.
Thank goodness Marriott has done something positive! I hate it when I call and am put on hold for an hour plus!!!
I believe in the 2nd paragraph you mean to say 5,000 mile bonus, not 15,000.
Have updated the paragraph to clarify. The bonus is awarded as 15K points which converts to 5K miles.
Great summary of Marriott earning cards and transfer partners. Thanks for compiling this and putting it all in one place.
Just moved 60k Marriott over to AA recently, ended up with 25k and then will be redeemed on EY.
Can this be combined to the promotion that British Airline has for additional 20% bonus?
I have transferred miles to AA for the bonus previously so I’m glad to see this little perk will be staying!
At present, there is a bonus that can be signed up for on United giving 30% extra miles on transfers.
Thanks for the heads up about the United bonus as well!
Good outline of options
The second paragraph of the article states “you’ll receive a 15,000 point bonus for every 60,000 Marriott Rewards points transferred”. I believe this should say 5,000 points.
15K bonus MR points is correct – converts to 5,000 miles. Have clarified the paragraph in the post.