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Marriott has an extensive list of airline partners, and that list just got a little bit longer. As of March 24, 2026, Marriott and Ethiopian Airlines have launched a two-way partnership, allowing members to move points and miles between these two programs.
Here's what you need to know about the new partnership.
Marriott and Ethiopian Airlines Forge Partnership
Marriott Bonvoy and Ethiopian Airlines ShebaMiles are officially partners. This announcement likely wasn't on your list of travel predictions for the year. It probably wasn't on your new partnership wishlist, either.
However, one of the world's largest hotel chains now has a two-way partnership with the largest airline in Africa. If you aren't familiar, Ethiopian Airlines is a member of the Star Alliance and serves four U.S. cities: Atlanta (ATL), Chicago (ORD), Washington D.C. (IAD), and New York City (JFK, EWR).
You can now convert points and miles between these two programs:
- Transfer Marriott Bonvoy points to ShebaMiles at a 3:1 ratio, with a 5,000-mile bonus for every 60,000 points transferred in a single transaction
- Transfer ShebaMiles to Marriott Bonvoy points at a 2:1 ratio
You'll also be able to choose whether you wish to earn Marriott Bonvoy points or ShebaMiles when you book a stay at participating Marriott Bonvoy properties. You can earn up to two miles per $1 spent on stays.
Marriott is Ethiopian's only U.S. hotel partner, so it could indicate the airline is making an effort to tap into the U.S. market. Whether that will translate into more connectivity remains to be seen.
Related: Ethiopian Airlines Stopover Program Offers Free Hotel and Meals
Bottom Line
If you have some stranded miles from an Ethiopian Airlines flight that are about to expire, transferring them to Marriott Bonvoy can be a decent option. That said, these transfer ratios leave a lot to be desired, so you likely won't do much with this partnership.
However, this is the first time you'll be able to transfer points directly to Ethiopian ShebaMiles. Until now, you could only book an Ethiopian award flight if you happened to earn ShebaMiles from flying, or if you booked through a Star Alliance partner like Air Canada. That means this partnership could be useful for those with too many Marriott points and a desire to book a flight marketed by Ethiopian.
(Terms Apply)
- Earn 175,000 Marriott Bonvoy® bonus points after you use your new Card to make $5,000 in purchases within the first 6 months of Card Membership. Offer Ends 5/13/2026.
- Earn 6X 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.
- Marriott Bonvoy® 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®. Terms apply.
- Earn up to 18.5X Marriott Bonvoy® points for every $1 spent on eligible purchases at hotels participating in Marriott Bonvoy. Earn 6X points with the Marriott Bonvoy Bevy® American Express® Card. Earn up to 10X points from Marriott Bonvoy for being a Marriott Bonvoy member. Earn up to 2.5X points from Marriott Bonvoy with the 25% Bonus Points on Stays, a benefit available with your complimentary Gold Elite status.
- With complimentary Marriott Bonvoy® Gold Elite Status, earn up to 2.5X points from Marriott Bonvoy® on eligible hotel purchases with the 25% Bonus Points on stays benefit.
- Marriott Bonvoy Bevy® Free Night Award: Earn 1 Free Night Award after spending $15,000 on eligible purchases on your Marriott Bonvoy Bevy® American Express® 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, receive 15 Elite Night Credits towards the next level of Marriott Bonvoy Bevy® American Express® Card Elite status. Limitations apply per Marriott Bonvoy® member account. Benefit is not exclusive to Cards offered by American Express.
- Booking the trip is easy. Avoiding delays is next to impossible. If a round-trip is paid for entirely with your Eligible Card and a covered reason delays your trip more than 12 hours, Trip Delay Insurance can help reimburse certain additional expenses purchased on the same Eligible Card, up to $300 per trip, maximum 2 claims per Eligible Card per 12 consecutive month period. Terms, conditions and limitations apply. Coverage is provided by New Hampshire Insurance Company, an AIG Company.
- Plan It® is a payment option that lets you split up large purchases into monthly installments with a fixed fee. A fixed monthly fee is shown upfront so you'll know exactly how much you'll pay. Plus, you'll still earn rewards for the purchases you plan the way you usually do.
- $250 Annual Fee.
- Apply with confidence. Know if you're approved for a Card with no impact to your credit score. If you're approved and you choose to accept this Card, your credit score may be impacted.
- Terms Apply.
- 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
For rates and fees of the cards mentioned in this post, please visit the following links: Marriott Bonvoy Bevy® American Express® Card (Rates & Fees)
