Marriott Bonvoy counts only airlines as transfer partners — the points can’t be transferred to any other type of program. The transfers are often not instantaneous, so they’re not great for last-minute bookings. However, there are some bonuses available that sweeten the pot a bit when transferring larger sums of Marriott points to airline programs.
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The value of Marriott Bonvoy points
As with most loyalty programs, Marriott points are most valuable when they’re redeemed the same way they’re earned. In the case of Bonvoy, that means award nights at Marriott properties. Transferring Bonvoy points to airline programs can be helpful if you don’t need to book right away (transfers can take up to a week to process) and you have some flexibility in booking.
Benefits of transferring Marriott Bonvoy points
Topping up your airline mileage accounts via Marriott point transfers can be helpful as long as you don’t need to redeem right away. Transferring Bonvoy points to an airline program is also generally a better value than redeeming them directly to book airline flights. Since transfers are not reversible, it’s best to check the Bonvoy redemption portal prior to making the transfer, just to be sure.
Marriott Bonvoy transfer partners overview
Marriott Bonvoy airline transfer partners
Marriott points transfer to most airline partners at a 3:1 ratio. The one exception is Air New Zealand, which transfers at a rate of 200 Marriott Bonvoy points to 1 Air New Zealand Point, which is worth $1 NZD in travel purchases.
- Aegean Miles+Bonus
- Aer Lingus AerClub
- AeroMexico ClubPremier
- Air Canada Aeroplan
- Air China PhoenixMiles
- Air France-KLM Flying Blue
- Air New Zealand AirPoint (200:1 transfer rate)
- Alaska Airlines Mileage Plan
- American Airlines AAdvantage
- ANA Mileage Club
- Asiana Airlines Asiana Club
- Avianca Lifemiles
- British Airways Executive Club
- Cathay Pacific Asia Miles
- China Southern Sky Pearl Club
- Copa Airlines ConnectMiles
- Delta SkyMiles
- Emirates Skywards
- Etihad Guest
- Frontier Airlines Frontier Miles
- Hainan Airlines Fortune Wings Club
- Hawaiian Airlines HawaiianMiles
- Iberia Plus
- Japan Airlines JAL Mileage Bank
- LATAM Airlines LATAM Pass
- Qantas Frequent Flyer
- Qatar Airways Privileges Club
- Saudia Alfursan
- Singapore Airlines KrisFlyer
- Southwest Airlines Rapid Rewards
- TAP Air Portugal Miles&Go
- Thai Airways Royal Orchid Plus
- Turkish Airlines Miles&Smiles
- United Airlines MileagePlus
- Virgin Atlantic Flying Club
- Virgin Australia Velocity Frequent Flyer
- Vueling Club
The best Marriott Bonvoy transfer partners
Marriott Bonvoys has one standout transfer partner: United Mileage Plus, mostly because it offers the most generous transfer bonus. Every 60,000 Marriott points transferred to United qualifies for a 10,000-mile bonus. This is double the amount Marriott offers for most of its other airline partners.
It’s worth noting, however, that the 60,000 points you need to transfer out of Marriott Bonvoy in order to qualify for the bonus has a good amount of value on its own toward hotel stays. So, it’s often worthwhile to keep them in the account to redeem for stays instead of transferring them out.
United Mileage Plus
The main benefit here is the more generous bonus. Transfer 60,000 Bonvoy points to United Mileage Plus, and instead of getting just 20,000 Mileage Plus miles, you’ll get 30,000. In the other 3:1 ratio programs, you’ll get 25,000 miles for the same amount. 30,000 Mileage Plus miles are generally enough for a medium-length round-trip flight within the United States, like between Los Angeles and Chicago or Seattle/Tacoma and Denver.
Alaska Mileage Plan
Alaska Mileage Plan miles are pretty valuable, so transferring them from Bonvoy can make sense, particularly if you’re taking advantage of one of the program’s sweet spots, like Alaska flights to Hawaii and Mexico or American Airlines redemptions to Europe or South America. It’s a lot of points to transfer from Bonvoy to earn an award ticket like that, so we still recommend using Bonvoy points only to top off your Mileage Plan account.
American Airlines AAdvantage
Marriott Bonvoy is currently the only transfer partner of the AAdvantage program. If you’re just short of what you need for an award redemption, Bonvoy transfers can be valuable, especially if you don’t want to pony up the cash to buy the points directly from American. Bear in mind that you don’t need to use the points for an award ticket – you can also use them for upgrades, which AAdvantage tends to have favorable rates and decent availability for.
Turkish Airlines Miles&Smiles
Turkish Airlines Miles&Smiles has one of the better redemption rates for Hawaii when United Airlines Saver Award inventory is available. It takes fewer Turkish miles to redeem for the same award seat than MileagePlus miles, so this can be a good redemption. Be sure to double-check award availability on United and the number of Turkish miles needed before transferring.
Other good Marriott Bonvoy transfer partners
There are some other airline partners that hold their own with Marriott Bonvoy points transfers. They’re not at the top of the pile, but they’re still worthwhile.
Air Canada Aeroplan
Air Canada Aeroplan also has some sweet spots with award seat availability and redemption rates, particularly to Hawaii and Europe (even if you actually end up flying on Star Alliance partner United).
Delta SkyMiles
Delta offers Basic Economy awards, starting as low as just 2,500 miles each way. This can make some Delta awards available for just 7,500 Bonvoy points — there aren’t even a lot of hotel redemptions available for that number of points, so it makes Delta a decent transfer partner. Just bear in mind that Basic Economy points bookings can’t be changed or refunded after they are booked.
Marriott Bonvoy transfer partners to be cautious about
These programs generally don’t offer great value – either because their redemption rates aren’t great for the number of points that a transfer will get you or because the transfer ratios are unfavorable.
- Air New Zealand AirPoints: With a 200:1 transfer ratio, it takes an awful lot of Marriott Bonvoy points to get anywhere valuable with Air New Zealand miles. An Air New Zealand point is worth about $1 New Zealand Dollar, so transferring 20,000 Bonvoy points would net you around $100 NZD in airfare on Air New Zealand, but there are plenty of 20,000 point redemptions with Bonvoy that have much better value in room rate
- Southwest Rapid Rewards: Bonvoy points transfer to Southwest at the standard 3:1 ratio, but on a per-point basis, Southwest points rank slightly lower in value than some other airline programs, making this a less-valuable transfer option.
- Frontier Airlines Frontier Miles: Bonvoy points transfer to Frontier at a 3:1 ratio, but it’s the same story as with Southwest; the points don’t go as far, so spending Bonvoy points at that ratio isn’t the best value. However, it’s worth noting that Bonvoy is one of the few ways to transfer points to Frontier. So, if you need to top off your account, this can be a good option.
Marriott Bonvoy’s exclusive transfer partners
Some airlines that allow points transfers from Marriott Bonvoy only allow points transfers from Marriott Bonvoy and not other programs like American Express or Diners Club. These programs include:
- Aegean Miles+ Bonus
- Air New Zealand
- American Airlines
- Asiana Airlines
- Copa Airlines
- Frontier Airlines
- Hainan Airlines
- Japan Airlines
- LATAM
- Saudia
- South African
- Virgin Australia
- Vueling
Tips for maximizing your Marriott Bonvoy points
You’re generally better off redeeming your Marriott Bonvoy points on hotel stays – they’re much more valuable that way. That said, if you need miles in an airline program that doesn’t have a lot of earning options outside of flights, transferring Marriott points can be a handy way to top them up.
Keep in mind that many of these programs also allow you to buy miles outright, and those purchases are typically instantaneous. So, if you want to get your award booked ASAP, buying miles might be a better way to top off your account.
United MileagePlus is probably the best airline to transfer Marriott Bonvoy points to since they qualify for a higher transfer bonus (10,000 miles for every 60,000 Marriott Bonvoy points transferred). Behind them are most other airlines, but keep in mind there’s no transfer bonus for American, Avianca, or Delta.
Earning Marriott Bonvoy points
Most travelers earn Marriott Bonvoy points by staying at Marriott properties, but there are a few other ways to earn, like via their five credit cards:
- Marriott Bonvoy Boundless Credit Card from Chase
- Marriott Bonvoy Bold Credit Card from Chase
- Marriott Bonvoy Bevy American Express Card
- Marriott Bonvoy Brilliant American Express Card
- Marriott Bonvoy Business American Express Card
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