Why I’m transferring my Marriott Bonvoy points to airline miles for the first time
Did you know you can transfer certain hotel loyalty rewards to 40-plus frequent flyer programs?
I believe that flexibility is king when it comes to hotel rewards, which is why I've historically kept a modest stash of Marriott Bonvoy points to redeem free nights rather than transferring these hotel points to partner airline programs. Yet, as I stare at my balance of just 30,000 Bonvoy points, which is barely enough for a single off‑peak night at many select brands, I have decided I'm changing my strategy.
Let me explain why I'm finally converting those points to American Airlines AAdvantage miles and how you might decide whether the math works for you, too.
Why Marriott Bonvoy points don't stretch as far as they used to
Dynamic award pricing and higher redemption costs mean that 30,000 Marriott Bonvoy points typically won't unlock aspirational stays anymore. In test searches for stays this summer, I saw mid‑tier Fairfield and Courtyard properties in North America consistently pricing between 28,000 and 42,000 points per night — hardly a rewarding deal when cash rates hover around $150.
I've had these Bonvoy points for well over a year now (about the same time as my last Marriott stay), and I'm conscious that these points will expire if I don't have any qualifying activity in my account after 24 months, so I need to do something with them.
My 30,000 Bonvoy point balance appears stranded. It seems too big to ignore and too small to book anything luxurious or save real cash.
Related: Expiring rewards in 2025? A list of loyalty programs and their rewards expiration policies
Why an airline transfer looks smarter right now
For several reasons, I value American Airlines AAdvantage miles higher than Delta SkyMiles or United MileagePlus miles, so of all the airline partners to transfer my Marriott Bonvoy points to, AAdvantage is my top pick.
One reason is that these miles have traditionally been harder to earn through transferable credit card programs, though this has recently changed thanks to Citi ThankYou Rewards adding American Airlines AAdvantage as a transfer partner.
Not to mention, I recently earned a 60,000-mile AAdvantage welcome bonus (no longer available) on the AAdvantage® Aviator® Red World Elite Mastercard®.
With that bonus in mind, transferring 30,000 Bonvoy points to AAdvantage at the standard 3:1 ratio will net me an additional 10,000 AAdvantage miles, nudging my balance to 70,000 miles. These miles could help me unlock several redemption sweet spots, including Qatar Airways Qsuite from North America to the Middle East, the Maldives and Southeast Asia, which I believe is possibly the single best way to redeem AAdvantage miles and save thousands of dollars.
The information for the AAdvantage Aviator Red World Elite Mastercard has been collected independently by The Points Guy. The card details on this page have not been reviewed or provided by the card issuer.
Is this a good deal?
TPG values Marriott Bonvoy points at 0.7 cents each in our August 2025 valuations (so 30,000 points are worth $210). On the airline side, we currently value AAdvantage miles at 1.55 cents each, making 10,000 miles worth roughly $155. That looks like a poor deal, but here's why I think it's sensible:
- It's unlikely I'll find a hotel for 30,000 points per night where I'll get more than 0.7 cents per point in value based on the destinations I'm visiting.
- Adding 10,000 AAdvantage miles to my account brings my total to over 70,000 miles, opening up many more redemption options.
- I'll be able to use up those Bonvoy points immediately on a high‑value AAdvantage flight redemption; otherwise, they might languish in my Bonvoy account until dynamic pricing causes redemption rates to climb even higher or they expire.
- As Bonvoy is not my go-to hotel loyalty program for booking hotel stays with cash (that would be World of Hyatt), if I chose to wait to earn 30,000 more Bonvoy points to trigger the 5,000‑mile transfer bonus at the 60,000-point tier, realistically, that could take me another six months of stays.
In short, I'm comfortable "overpaying" on paper because the incremental miles trigger a redemption I actually want to make.
If you're considering doing this, too, here are some things to remember:
- Check partner ratios: Most airlines transfer at a 3:1 ratio, but some are less.
- Aim for a 60,000-point bonus, if possible: If you have, say, 50,000 Bonvoy points to transfer, it's probably worth waiting until you reach the magic 60,000 Bonvoy points amount and choosing an airline transfer partner that awards an extra 5,000 bonus miles (United MileagePlus offers a generous 10,000 bonus miles).
- Transfers cannot be reversed: If you are considering moving Bonvoy points to an airline program, it's a good idea to redeem them immediately rather than transferring speculatively. Unfortunately, airline programs can and do devalue, and you don't want to be stuck with airline miles you cannot use.
Bottom line
In an era of dynamic hotel pricing, flexibility sometimes means letting go of a currency that no longer serves you. By converting 30,000 potentially worthless Marriott Bonvoy points into 10,000 American Airlines AAdvantage miles, I'm not chasing a theoretical cents‑per‑point benchmark; I'm enabling a specific high‑value award that would otherwise be out of reach.
Will this strategy suit everyone? Absolutely not. If you routinely extract 1 cent or more in value per Bonvoy point on luxury stays — or you're sitting on 300,000 points instead of 30,000 — keep them in the hotel ecosystem. If you have orphaned hotel balances and premium cabin aspirations, it may be time to think beyond the mattress run and let those hotel points take flight.
Related reading:
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