(EXPIRED) 40% transfer bonus to Etihad Guest from Marriott Bonvoy

Etihad Guest is offering transfer bonuses of up to 40% from various partners. I believe that the only bonus that will apply to US members will be the 40% bonus on conversions from Marriott Bonvoy to Etihad Guest.

The Deal

• Etihad Guest is offering a 40% transfer bonus from Marriott Bonvoy (and also some other non-US programs)
• Direct link to this promotion

Key Terms

• Offer is valid for conversions made between 26 August 2021 (00.00am) and 28 August 2021 (23.59pm) both days inclusive
• Bonus Etihad Guest Miles earned during this promotion will reflect in the member’s Etihad Guest membership account within 10 working days of the end date of the promotion.
• See promo page for full terms

Quick Thoughts

The normal 3-to-1 transfer ratio from Marriott Bonvoy to Etihad Guest can be OK with the right use in mind given that Etihad has some useful sweet spots.

With the 40% bonus, the deal gets significantly better. Transferring 3,000 Marriott points would get you 1,400 Etihad Guest miles. The better deal of course is if you transfer 60,000 Marriott points since before the bonus you will get 20,000 miles plus a 5,000 mile bonus from Marriott. With the 40% bonus, you should turn 60,000 Marriott Bonvoy points into 35,000 Etihad Guest miles. I wouldn’t make that transfer without a very specific use in mind, but there are certainly situations where that could make sense.

As an example where this could make sense, Etihad charges 44,000 miles one-way for business class on Royal Air Maroc from the US to Casablanca. Transferring 87,000 Marriott points would yield the necessary 44,000 miles. A business class ticket across the Atlantic for 87,000 Marriott points is probably a good trade if you’re looking to fly that route. See the Etihad sweet spots post for more inspiration.

Keep in mind that this bonus is being offered on the Etihad side and the bonus part of the conversion posts 10 days after the end of the promotion according to the terms — so you won’t see this reflected on the Marriott side when you initiate the transfer and you won’t be able to use this for a very near-term redemption. Keep in mind also that transfers from Marriott to airlines can be quite slow.

Again, I definitely wouldn’t transfer speculatively and personally I prefer to use my Marriott points for Marriott stays since I have so many other points that are easily transferable to Etihad, but if you have something to book this certainly could work out well.

See our Current point transfer bonuses page for other transfer bonuses.

H/T: Doctor of Credit

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