Marriott Bonvoy points are valuable because you can transfer them to almost 40 different airlines! In fact, Marriott will even throw in 25% bonus points for every 60,000 Marriott Bonvoy points that you transfer to most frequent flyer programs.
Of course, you can also use points to book Marriott hotels.
It’s possible to earn Marriott Bonvoy points by staying at Marriott hotels, or by transferring points across from Amex Membership Rewards or PayRewards.
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Marriott also sells Marriott Bonvoy points to the public. Not only can you buy Marriott Bonvoy points directly, but Marriott even sometimes offers discounts or bonus points on purchases!
Buying Marriott Bonvoy points gives you the unique ability to purchase – albeit indirectly – frequent flyer points from airlines that don’t otherwise sell points or miles to the public. Marriott Bonvoy transfer partners include Korean Air SKYPASS, LATAM Pass, Singapore Airlines KrisFlyer and Cathay.
How to Buy Marriott Bonvoy Points
Marriott sells points for USD12.50 (~AU$19) per thousand. That’s the full price, but Marriott does also offer discounts and bonuses from time to time.
Points can be purchased in increments of 1,000. They normally take 24-48 hours to post to your account, but could take up to 7 days. You can buy points through the “purchase points” link on the Marriott website.
You must have been a Marriott Bonvoy member for at least 90 days to be eligible to buy points. If you have already had some activity on your account (e.g. from a hotel stay), this “cooling-off” period is reduced to 30 days. If you’re not already a member, join Marriott Bonvoy now for free to avoid missing out on future promotions!
There is a general annual purchase limit of 100,000 Marriott Bonvoy points per member, excluding bonus miles earned during special promotions. This limit includes points gifted from other Marriott Bonvoy members.
Special Deals on Buying Marriott Bonvoy Points
Marriott is currently offering 35% bonus points when you buy 2,000-100,000 Marriott Bonvoy points between 8 February and 31 March 2024. (Some accounts may have a higher bonus of 40% available – log into your Marriott Bonvoy account to view your personal offer.)
This offer is in line with typical past offers from Marriott Bonvoy of between 30-50% bonus points on purchases.
If you were to purchase the maximum amount of 100,000 Marriott Bonvoy points with a 35% bonus, you would receive 135,000 points in total (including 35,000 bonus points) at cost of USD1,250 (~AU$1,918).
For context, if you’re planning to convert the points to airline miles, 135,000 Marriott Bonvoy points would be worth 55,000 airline miles after transferring to most programs, including Singapore Airlines KrisFlyer.
You can discuss this and other Marriott Bonvoy offers on the Australian Frequent Flyer forum: Marriott – buy points with a bonus or discount.
Redeeming Marriott Bonvoy Points
As Marriott Bonvoy is a hotel loyalty program, you can of course redeem points for hotel nights and other rewards. But of most interest to us are the many airline frequent flyer programs that you can transfer your points to!
You can both buy and redeem (or transfer) points on the Marriott website.
Earn bonus airline miles for every 60,000 Bonvoy points converted
In addition, you’ll earn 25% bonus airline miles for every 60,000 Marriott Bonvoy points (equivalent to 20,000 airline miles, in most cases) transferred to an airline’s frequent flyer program.
There are a few exceptions.
Unfortunately, since late 2022, the 25% bonus no longer applies for transfers to American Airlines AAdvantage, Delta SkyMiles and Avianca LifeMiles or Korean Air Skypass.
And since March 2023, you’ll earn a higher bonus when converting Bonvoy points to United MileagePlus. For every 60,000 Marriott Bonvoy points you’ll get 30,000 United MileagePlus miles.
List of Marriott Bonvoy transfer partners
Three Marriott points are generally worth one airline mile, with a few exceptions. Here is a full list of Marriott Bonvoy transfer partners:
| Frequent Flyer Program | Transfer Rate (Marriott Points : Airline Miles) | Bonus Per 60,000 Marriott Points Transferred |
|---|---|---|
| Aegean Miles+Bonus | 3:1 | 25% |
| Aer Lingus AerClub | 3:1 | 25% |
| Aeromexico Club Premier | 3:1 | 25% |
| Air Canada Aeroplan | 3:1 | 25% |
| Air China PhoenixMiles | 3:1 | 25% |
| Air France/KLM Flying Blue | 3:1 | 25% |
| Air New Zealand Airpoints | 200:1 | 25% |
| Alaska Airlines Mileage Plan | 3:1 | 25% |
| ANA Mileage Club | 3:1 | 25% |
| American Airlines AAdvantage | 3:1 | None |
| Asiana Club | 3:1 | 25% |
| Avianca LifeMiles | 3:1 | None |
| British Airways Executive Club | 3:1 | 25% |
| Cathay | 3:1 | 25% |
| China Southern Sky Pearl Club | 3:1 | 25% |
| Copa Airlines ConnectMiles | 3:1 | 25% |
| Delta SkyMiles | 3:1 | None |
| Emirates Skywards | 3:1 | 25% |
| Etihad Guest | 3:1 | 25% |
| Frontier Airlines EarlyReturns | 3:1 | 25% |
| Hainan Airlines Fortune Wings Club | 3:1 | 25% |
| Hawaiian Airlines HawaiianMiles | 3:1 | 25% |
| Iberia Plus | 3:1 | 25% |
| JAL Mileage Bank | 3:1 | 25% |
| Korean Air Skypass | 3:1 | None |
| LATAM Pass | 3:1 | 25% |
| Qantas Frequent Flyer | 3:1 | 25% |
| Qatar Airways Privilege Club | 3:1 | 25% |
| Saudi Arabian Alfursan | 3:1 | 25% |
| Singapore Airlines KrisFlyer | 3:1 | 25% |
| Southwest Rapid Rewards | 3:1 | 25% |
| TAP Portugal Miles&Go | 3:1 | 25% |
| Thai Airways Royal Orchid Plus | 3:1 | 25% |
| Turkish Airlines Miles&Smiles | 3:1 | 25% |
| United MileagePlus | 3:1 | 50% |
| Virgin Atlantic Flying Club | 3:1 | 25% |
| Virgin Australia Velocity | 3:1 | 25% |
| Vueling Club | 3:1 | 25% |
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