Earlier this month, United and Marriott decided to hook-up and start a very unique partnership. You can read about it
here,
here, and
here. This post isn't about that partnership, but what has resulted in that partnership.
One of the outcomes of the partnership is the ability to earn up to 11 miles per $1 spent at Marriott.
Earlier this week,
Loyalty Lobby wrote about an offer that earns United Award Miles for every dollar spent on Marriott gift cards. From August 7th until September 7th, you can earn up to 5 MileagePlus miles per $1 spent on gift cards up to 7,500 miles.
I purchased Marriott Gift Cards for the holidays last year. These are actual gift cards, not e-gift cards. You will receive your purchase in the mail. The cheapest option for delivery only cost $1 and gets the card to you in less than 10 business days.
My plan is to use the gift cards for future hotel stays. Gift cards can't be used for prepaid nights. However, some people have indicated that they have gotten local hotel staff to reverse prepaid hotel stay charges allowing guests to use a Marriott gift card.
+ 5 Miles Per $1
Pay for the gift cards with your Chase Sapphire Card. Since you are buying directly from Marriott, you will earn 2 Ultimate Reward Points per $1. Ultimate Reward points can be transferred to MileagePlus miles at a 1:1 ratio
+2 Miles Per $1
When its time to book your Marriott stay, go through the
Ultimate Reward Shopping Portal. Currently, you can earn 2 Ultimate Reward Points per $1 spent by going through the Portal. Points are only earned on the base rate of the hotel, not the taxes. You will need to put a credit card down to hold the room. The gift cards won't work to hold your reservation, but you can pay with the gift card later.
+2 Miles Per $1
The final piece of the puzzle involves earning United MileagePlus miles; instead, of Marriott Reward points. Stays at JW Marriott, Autograph Collection, Renaissance Hotels, Marriott Resorts, Ritz-Carlton, Edition, and Gaylord hotels earn 2 miles per US$ spent. Stays at all other Marriott chains earn only 1 mile per US$.
United miles can only be earned for Marriott stays, if you switch your earning preference. To do this, sign into your Marriott Reward account and go to "My Account Overview."
Click on the Member Profile button:
Now, click on Earning Preferences:
Finally, choice airline miles, pick your preferred airline and enter you frequent flyer number
From now on, you will earn airlines miles; instead, of Marriott Points.
+ Up to 2 Miles Per $1
Let's put it together now:
+5 Miles - Purchase Gift Cards (Pay for Future Stays with Cards)
+2 Miles - Purchase Gift Cards with Chase Sapphire
+2 Miles - Go Through Ultimate Reward shopping portal to Book Hotel Nights
+2 Miles - Switch earning preference to airline miles - stay at higher level Marriott Hotels
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+11 Miles per $1
I have earned miles for each of the steps outlined above and earned miles. The only one I have not tried out is paying for hotel nights with gift cards and earning miles through the Ultimate Reward shopping portal. In theory, it should work.
A few things to remember:
1) The gift card promotion starts 8/7 and ends 9/7
2) You need to book your hotel nights through Ultimate Reward Portal
3) You need to switch your earning preference to airline miles and put in your MileagePlus number
Yes, this is not the easiest way of earning United miles. It has multiple steps and requires some planning in advance. I have two Marriott stays in the next 90 days and I plan on paying them with gift cards, only after booking the stays through the shopping portal. My stays are at lower level Marriott hotels, so I will only earning 10 miles per $1. Still not to shabby . . .
Is there any better than getting miles for doing what you were planning on doing anyway?
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