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How Should I Convert Hotel Points Into Airline Miles?

Sept. 18, 2016
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3 min read
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How Should I Convert Hotel Points Into Airline Miles?
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TPG reader Santohsh sent me a message on Facebook to ask about using Marriott Rewards points:

“I have some Marriott points that I don't plan to use for hotel stays. What are the best options to convert them to airline miles?”

Many hotel loyalty programs give you the option to convert points to airline miles, but you'll generally sacrifice some value in the process. For example, both Club Carlson and Hilton offer a terrible exchange rate of 10:1 with most airlines, while IHG is still a bad deal at 5:1. In general, I don't recommend swapping hotel points for miles unless you need to top up your frequent flyer account to book an award, or if you're certain you'll never use those points for actual hotel stays.

That said, Marriott Rewards provides a few transfer options that make sense. To start with, the exchange rates are tiered, so you get a better return when you transfer larger quantities of points. For example, transfers to American Airlines come with an exchange rate of 5:1 at the lowest tier (10,000 points for 2,000 miles), but that improves to less than 3:1 at the highest tier (140,000 points for 50,000 miles).

Thanks to Marriott's partnership with United Airlines, you can get an even better return on transfers to MileagePlus. At the highest tier, you can exchange 112,000 points for 50,000 miles — that's a rate of nearly 2:1, and is actually a pretty fair trade based on my most recent monthly valuations. You may be able to do even better if you can take advantage of a transfer promotion like the bonus offered earlier this year.

United is also the most rewarding option when you book Marriott's Hotel + Air packages, since you get a 10% mileage bonus. That means you can redeem 200,000 points for 55,000 miles (instead of the normal 50,000) plus a seven-night stay at a Category 1-5 property. You can also exchange more points for miles at roughly 1:1, which is an excellent deal. For example, 270,000 Marriott points will get you 132,000 United miles plus the seven-night stay, so that's a great option if you can make use of the hotel nights.

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United is generally your best option for converting Marriott Rewards points to airline miles.

Aside from United, you might also consider transferring to Southwest, since those points can help you qualify for the Companion Pass. You won't get the same rate that you get for transfers to United, but it's still a good value if you fly Southwest regularly and can put those companion fares to use.

For more on Marriott Rewards and transferring hotel points in general, check out these posts:

If you have any other questions, please tweet me @thepointsguy, message me on Facebook or send me an email at info@thepointsguy.com.

[card card-name='Marriott Rewards® Premier Credit Card' card-id='221210955' type='javascript' bullet-id='1']

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Why We Chose It

There’s a lot to love about the Amex Gold. It’s a fan favorite thanks to its fantastic bonus-earning rates at restaurants worldwide and at U.S. supermarkets. If you’re hitting the skies soon, you’ll also earn bonus Membership Rewards points on travel. Paired with up to $120 in Uber Cash annually (for U.S. Uber rides or Uber Eats orders, card must be added to Uber app and you can redeem with any Amex card), up to $120 in annual dining statement credits to be used with eligible partners, an up to $84 Dunkin’ credit each year at U.S. Dunkin Donuts and an up to $100 Resy credit annually, there’s no reason that foodies shouldn’t add the Amex Gold to their wallet. These benefits alone are worth more than $400, which offsets the $325 annual fee on the Amex Gold card. Enrollment is required for select benefits. (Partner offer)

Pros

  • 4 points per dollar spent on dining at restaurants worldwide and U.S. supermarkets (on the first $50,000 in purchases per calendar year; then 1 point per dollar spent thereafter and $25,000 in purchases per calendar year; then 1 point per dollar spent thereafter, respectively)
  • 3 points per dollar spent on flights booked directly with the airline or with amextravel.com
  • Packed with credits foodies will enjoy
  • Solid welcome bonus

Cons

  • Not as useful for those living outside the U.S.
  • Some may have trouble using Uber and other dining credits
  • You may be eligible for as high as 100,000 Membership Rewards® Points after you spend $6,000 in eligible purchases on your new Card in your first 6 months of Card Membership. Welcome offers vary and you may not be eligible for an offer. Apply to know if you’re approved and find out your exact welcome offer amount – all with no credit score impact. If you’re approved and choose to accept the Card, your score may be impacted.
  • Earn 4X Membership Rewards® points per dollar spent on purchases at restaurants worldwide, on up to $50,000 in purchases per calendar year, then 1X points for the rest of the year.
  • Earn 4X Membership Rewards® points per dollar spent at US supermarkets, on up to $25,000 in purchases per calendar year, then 1X points for the rest of the year.
  • Earn 3X Membership Rewards® points per dollar spent on flights booked directly with airlines or on AmexTravel.com.
  • Earn 2X Membership Rewards® points per dollar spent on prepaid hotels and other eligible purchases booked on AmexTravel.com.
  • Earn 1X Membership Rewards® point per dollar spent on all other eligible purchases.
  • $120 Uber Cash on Gold: Add your Gold Card to your Uber account and get $10 in Uber Cash each month to use on orders and rides in the U.S. when you select an American Express Card for your transaction. That’s up to $120 Uber Cash annually. Plus, after using your Uber Cash, use your Card to earn 4X Membership Rewards® points for Uber Eats purchases made with restaurants or U.S. supermarkets. Point caps and terms apply.
  • $84 Dunkin' Credit: With the $84 Dunkin' Credit, you can earn up to $7 in monthly statement credits after you enroll and pay with the American Express® Gold Card at U.S. Dunkin' locations. Enrollment is required to receive this benefit.
  • $100 Resy Credit: Get up to $100 in statement credits each calendar year after you pay with the American Express® Gold Card to dine at U.S. Resy restaurants or make other eligible Resy purchases. That's up to $50 in statement credits semi-annually. Enrollment required.
  • $120 Dining Credit: Satisfy your cravings, sweet or savory, with the $120 Dining Credit. Earn up to $10 in statement credits monthly when you pay with the American Express® Gold Card at Grubhub, The Cheesecake Factory, Goldbelly, Wine.com, and Five Guys. Enrollment required.
  • Explore over 1,000 upscale hotels worldwide with The Hotel Collection and receive a $100 credit towards eligible charges* with every booking of two nights or more through AmexTravel.com. *Eligible charges vary by property.
  • No Foreign Transaction Fees.
  • Annual Fee is $325.
  • Terms Apply.