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Marriott Bonvoy and Singapore KrisFlyer have announced that you can now convert points and miles between both programs. While you have been able to convert your Marriott points to Singapore miles for a long time. The ability to transfer your Singapore miles to Marriott points is new.
The new two-way conversion ability is a new trend from Marriott and seems to be aimed at enhancing the value of their points and program. However, the conversion rates leave a lot to be desired. You can currently convert points and miles between both programs as follows:
- Transfer Singapore KrisFlyer Miles to Marriott Bonvoy points at a ratio of 2:1.
- Transfer Marriott Bonvoy points to Singapore KrisFlyer miles at a ratio of 3:1.
This news is the second one in a short period of time after Marriott just recently announced new two-way transfers between its program and Korean Air SkyPass. Perhaps this will be a Marriott trend for 2023, but we will have to wait and see if more programs will follow.
Marriott Two Conversion Partners
The following programs now offer two-way conversion between themselves and Marriott Bonvoy.
| Program | Conversion Ratio (Airline miles : Marriott points) |
|---|---|
| Cathay Pacific Asia Miles | 2:1 |
| HawaiianMiles | 2:1 |
| Korean Air SkyPass | 2:1 |
| Singapore KrisFlyer | 2:1 |
| United Mileage Plus | 1:1 (Premier status members only) |
Is Transferring Marriott Points to Singapore KrisFlyer Miles Good Value?
The simple answer: No. On average, AwardWallet members have leveraged their Singapore KrisFlyer miles for 2.48¢ per mile of value. On the other hand, AwardWallet members have, on average leveraged their Marriot Bonvoy points for 0.95¢ per point of value.
At a transfer ratio of 2:1, you would exchange around 5¢ worth of Singapore miles for 0.95¢ worth of Marriott Bonvoy points. This is a substantial loss on paper and generally not a good idea!
Transfers from Marriott to Singapore at a ratio of 3:1 is a different animal altogether. In effect, you would exchange around 3¢ worth of Marriott points value for 2.48¢ worth of Singapore points value. Although this seems like a bit of a loss, Singapore Airlines KrisFlyer offers some excellent award options that might make it worth it. Aspirational awards include some great first-class options on Singapore metal.
When Should You Convert Singapore Miles To Marriott Points?
There are a couple of instances when converting your KrisFlyer miles to Marriott Bonvoy points can make sense. Singapore miles expire after 36 months, and you cannot extend their validity without paying a hefty fee. Therefore if you have a bunch of miles that are about to expire and don’t want to use them or hand over the cash, transferring them can be an excellent get-out.
Another option is if you are a few Marriott points short of a redemption and need to boost your balance. Although transferring a few thousand Singapore miles works out as a loss, it is still valuable if it lets you hit an aspirational award. Just make sure you exhaust your other options first.
If you need to boost your Marriott points, you can also transfer Amex Membership Rewards points or Ultimate Rewards points to Marriott Bonvoy at a ratio of 1:1. Both programs have offered transfer bonuses in the past. So, you might be able to get an even better transfer rate during one of these promotions.
Our Take
The news that you can convert Singapore KrisFlyer miles to Marriott Bonvoy points will not set the points and miles world alight. That being said, it is still welcome news and gives members more options to use their points. It's always nice to gain the ability to extract your points from one program to another — whether you need to top off an account or avoid point expiration.
Remember that you can always check points and miles transfer options with AwardWallet’s transfer tool!
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Minimum 3,000 miles required