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In addition to the bonuses when transferring Ultimate Rewards to Aeroplan and Virgin Atlantic, Chase is out with a new transfer bonus to Marriott Bonvoy.
The Deal
- Get 40% bonus points when transferring Chase Ultimate Rewards to Marriott Bonvoy.
Key Terms
- Expires December 20, 2022.
Quick Thoughts
Despite the high 40% bonus, transferring Ultimate Rewards to Marriott still won’t be worth it in most cases because it doesn’t represent particularly great value for your points, especially when compared to transferring to Hyatt even at a 1:1 ratio.
The exception would be if you just need to top up your account with a few thousand points for a high value award.
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One thing that I think is sometimes overlooked in these analyses is that some of us use this hobby to travel for as close to free as possible. So, since I have plat status at Marriott, I stay there more than 70% of the time and I do that mostly by transferring MR points from Amex (which I know is always rated by bloggers as “a poor transfer choice”). But you are comparing it to the value of using those points for air travel or another hotel (e.g. Hyatt). I will use the points for air travel (usually) but also try to always use points for my hotel. And, while I hold several Bonvoy/Ritz cards, and usually use them for any cash hotel expenditures, they are not the best cards for most spend. I’d rather get 4 MR points at the grocery store and restaurants and turn them into 4 Marriott points than get 2 Marriott points for the same expense. (Exceptions for Dine Around, of course.) All of this is just to say that, for me, a 40% bonus is worth considering for a transfer to a place I was almost certainly going to transfer them to eventually anyway. Not all of my points, or even most, but a decent handful. I know I’ll be staying in Marriott properties, on points, in the next year, even if I do not currently know what that specific use will be. So, yes, I will sometimes end up with less than .01/point, but not usually. And, if it’s a big enough difference, that is when I go ahead and part with cash. (I DO check and do the math, always. Partially, of course, for the rush we all get from getting outsized values.)