Personal Finance

Rewards program transfer times (e.g. SPG -> Aeroplan, Marriott -> SPG, Amex MR -> SPG, etc.)

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  • Jun 30th, 2018 12:26 am
Member
Oct 2, 2015
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Outremont, QC
nestleman wrote: Thanks for the reply!

I currently have the personal and business Aeroplan cards from CIBC, FYF. I will cancel after the year is done.

Then I plan to get the TD Aeroplan and Marriot Visa cards. I will convert the 50,000 marriot points to SPG after receiving them. Also the Marriot card gives 1 free hotel stay and there is no minimum spending required (receive everything after 1st purchase).

I haven't held the SPG card in a while since there is no more FYF promo's.
The Marriott no longer has one free night. It may come back -- or it may not. The recent Marriott-SPG merger adds uncertainty and we can only speculate what the landscape will be like later this year / going forward.

Don't forget the Amex MR cards. They are probably some of the best deals currently, even when they have AF.

It's possible you'll get the SPG welcome bonus if you've had them before, and it's possible you won't. Without going into detail, Amex has been generous to me about getting welcome bonuses more than once... It is a risk though. But with that said, SPG is generally the best rewards possible for any Canadian credit card. The value of a single SPG point can be very high, making those two cards represent a very high return on everyday spending -- depending on how you redeem of course.

We shouldn't get too off-topic in this thread though.
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Mar 30, 2011
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North York
MR -> SPG took 3 business days for me also in early DDecember.

SPG -> Marriott took about 5 minutes to show up

Marriott -> United took 1 business day for me back in the last week of December
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Jun 8, 2009
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Toronto
Hi, can you tell me where I can find more info on how to do the 7 nights and aeroplan or Alaska miles? I was looking for a link to this info.

Also, if converting cad mr points to us mr points, what's the rate for conversion. Are we able to get 1 to 1?

Thank you,
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coconutjay wrote: Hi, can you tell me where I can find more info on how to do the 7 nights and aeroplan or Alaska miles? I was looking for a link to this info.

Also, if converting cad mr points to us mr points, what's the rate for conversion. Are we able to get 1 to 1?

Thank you,
http://www.marriott.com/rewards/usepoints/morepack.mi

Make sure you look at the right table that includes Alaska as there are different tables depending on partner programs.

US MR <-> CAD MR is done at whatever the current USD/CAD exchange rate is at the time you request the transfer (or when they process it), which will, for example, get you 1322 Canadian MR for 1000 US MR, or 756 US MR for 1000 CAD at today's exchange rate.
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Rewards program transfer times (e.g. SPG->Aeroplan, Marriott->SPG, Amex MR->SPG...)
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Oct 26, 2016
628 posts
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Toronto
ace604 wrote: http://www.marriott.com/rewards/usepoints/morepack.mi

Make sure you look at the right table that includes Alaska as there are different tables depending on partner programs.
Ok, I'm dumb. How do you read the chart? So for Air Canada (Aeroplan) and Alaska you have to use "Hotel + Air Package 1". It is confusing me.

Also, GCR has the MBNA Alaska MC with $60 CB to offset the annual fee of $75. So it is a good idea to pay the $15 difference to get 25,000 Alaska points? Thanks for help.
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nestleman wrote: Ok, I'm dumb. How do you read the chart? So for Air Canada (Aeroplan) and Alaska you have to use "Hotel + Air Package 1". It is confusing me.

Also, GCR has the MBNA Alaska MC with $60 CB to offset the annual fee of $75. So it is a good idea to pay the $15 difference to get 25,000 Alaska points? Thanks for help.
1) Pick a hotel category you want a 7-night certificate for, e.g. cat 1-5, 6, 7, 8, ...
2) Pick how many Alaska miles you want to get (50k, 70k, 100k, 120k)
3) Find the intersection of that row and column to see how many Marriott points it will cost you to get (1) and (2) given to you.

e.g. cat 7 + 100k Alaska miles will cost you 310k MRP

$15 net for 25k Alaska seems like a good deal if you have Alaska flights you can use to redeem them for.
POLL: How frequent is your RRSP-matching?
Plastiq: Pay any bill with credit card for 0-2.5% fee (help meet min spending and keep old cards active!)
Rewards program transfer times (e.g. SPG->Aeroplan, Marriott->SPG, Amex MR->SPG...)
Sr. Member
Oct 26, 2016
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Toronto
ace604 wrote: 1) Pick a hotel category you want a 7-night certificate for, e.g. cat 1-5, 6, 7, 8, ...
2) Pick how many Alaska miles you want to get (50k, 70k, 100k, 120k)
3) Find the intersection of that row and column to see how many Marriott points it will cost you to get (1) and (2) given to you.

e.g. cat 7 + 100k Alaska miles will cost you 310k MRP

$15 net for 25k Alaska seems like a good deal if you have Alaska flights you can use to redeem them for.
Thanks for the help and explanation! I am no where near accumulating that amount of MRP lol. I'll be starting off with the 50,000 bonus points from the Chase Marriot Visa if anything haha.

To even get the minimum 200,000 MRP for a 7 night stay will require me to churn the card 4 times at 50,000 points each time. Face Screaming In Fear
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Jun 8, 2009
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Toronto
Thanks for the details, this might be a stupid question, but with the use of the Marriott points for the package, it says Hotel + flight, is there a flight included with your example on the next page using the 310K for Cat 7 hotel room? or are the points that you receive in either Avios or Alaska miles meant to be the flight component? Just curious what kind of flights you get access with this deal and if there are any additional cash charges such as taxes etc.

Unfortunately, I am not a current Marriott member right now as I have been collecting CAD MR points and looking for the best value to Japan frequently and unfortunately ANA is not a transfer partner here for Canadian program. Hence the question to move to the US MR point system, but with the FX being applied, makes it unappealing.

Thank you,


ace604 wrote: http://www.marriott.com/rewards/usepoints/morepack.mi

Make sure you look at the right table that includes Alaska as there are different tables depending on partner programs.

US MR <-> CAD MR is done at whatever the current USD/CAD exchange rate is at the time you request the transfer (or when they process it), which will, for example, get you 1322 Canadian MR for 1000 US MR, or 756 US MR for 1000 CAD at today's exchange rate.
Member
Oct 2, 2015
413 posts
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Outremont, QC
coconutjay wrote: Thanks for the details, this might be a stupid question, but with the use of the Marriott points for the package, it says Hotel + flight, is there a flight included with your example on the next page using the 310K for Cat 7 hotel room? or are the points that you receive in either Avios or Alaska miles meant to be the flight component? Just curious what kind of flights you get access with this deal and if there are any additional cash charges such as taxes etc.

Unfortunately, I am not a current Marriott member right now as I have been collecting CAD MR points and looking for the best value to Japan frequently and unfortunately ANA is not a transfer partner here for Canadian program. Hence the question to move to the US MR point system, but with the FX being applied, makes it unappealing.

Thank you,
1) The frequent flyer points (Avios, United, Alaska, etc) are the flight component.
2) If you want to fly ANA in business class you can fly Aeroplan. There are no fuel surcharges to Japan. Add two more places to go (suggest one is in Europe) and go have an incredible vacation mate.
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Oct 2, 2015
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Outremont, QC
MR -> Avios after 33 hours I got a "Membership Rewards Transfer Complete" email. Points aren't showing in BA Avios account yet though. How long after this email have people been seeing the points posted?

I looked back into my emails and it shows (in 2016) I've always booked the day after receiving this email. Has this timeframe changed recently?
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Nimbusplane wrote: MR -> Avios after 33 hours I got a "Membership Rewards Transfer Complete" email. Points aren't showing in BA Avios account yet though. How long after this email have people been seeing the points posted?

I looked back into my emails and it shows (in 2016) I've always booked the day after receiving this email. Has this timeframe changed recently?
Do you have more than one datapoint? I can't find it now but I thought someone posted a theory that possibly they batch all the transfers once a week?

So if you request transfer Mon or Tue early, you see them by Wed. Otherwise if you request it Thu you wait a week?

What are the day of week and timestamps on your "Membership Rewards Transfer Complete" emails for Avios?
POLL: How frequent is your RRSP-matching?
Plastiq: Pay any bill with credit card for 0-2.5% fee (help meet min spending and keep old cards active!)
Rewards program transfer times (e.g. SPG->Aeroplan, Marriott->SPG, Amex MR->SPG...)
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Oct 2, 2015
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Outremont, QC
ace604 wrote: Do you have more than one datapoint? I can't find it now but I thought someone posted a theory that possibly they batch all the transfers once a week?

So if you request transfer Mon or Tue early, you see them by Wed. Otherwise if you request it Thu you wait a week?

What are the day of week and timestamps on your "Membership Rewards Transfer Complete" emails for Avios?
Thanks for that, it sounds vaguely familiar so I may have read about it last year when I had use for Avios.

I have two datapoints, both from 2016:

Request received: 1/19
Ticket issued: 1/21
"Transfer complete": 1/22

Request received: 4/4
Ticket issued: 4/7
"Transfer complete": 4/6

Yes, in one case "Transfer complete" preceded points being available, in the other case it followed it.

Considering I was probably checking BA not every second, it's possible the points arrived a couple hours before I booked. If that's the case, Wednesday (or Thursday) may be the magic day indeed. Looking at the calendar, both cases I booked on Thursday.

I will note on 1/19 I received the request email 5pm EST Tuesday. On 4/4 I received it 11PM Monday. I received the points in time for 4pm Thursday and 1am Thursday, respectively. This time I requested 11PM Tuesday and points haven't shown up 2pm EST.

This is (weak) evidence that the cut-off time is somewhere after 5pm Tuesday EST and 11PM Tuesday EST, for points to arrive between Wednesday night and Thursday afternoon.

Hope this helps someone in the future.
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Nimbusplane wrote: Thanks for that, it sounds vaguely familiar so I may have read about it last year when I had use for Avios.

I have two datapoints, both from 2016:

Request received: 1/19
Ticket issued: 1/21
"Transfer complete": 1/22

Request received: 4/4
Ticket issued: 4/7
"Transfer complete": 4/6

Yes, in one case "Transfer complete" preceded points being available, in the other case it followed it.

Considering I was probably checking BA not every second, it's possible the points arrived a couple hours before I booked. If that's the case, Wednesday (or Thursday) may be the magic day indeed. Looking at the calendar, both cases I booked on Thursday.

I will note on 1/19 I received the request email 5pm EST Tuesday. On 4/4 I received it 11PM Monday. I received the points in time for 4pm Thursday and 1am Thursday, respectively. This time I requested 11PM Tuesday and points haven't shown up 2pm EST.

This is (weak) evidence that the cut-off time is somewhere after 5pm Tuesday EST and 11PM Tuesday EST, for points to arrive between Wednesday night and Thursday afternoon.

Hope this helps someone in the future.
Thanks, just confirmed with someone else that they did a transfer request *this* Tuesday morning and they got the points in their Avios account already.

If your 11pm Tuesday request ends up showing up next Wed. then I'd say we have pretty decent proof there is a Tuesday mid-day cut off at some point. Let us know when your points post to Avios!

EDIT: More specific details about latest MR->Avios transfer:
Transfer requested before 1pm ET Tuesday, completed email received Wed. morning (no points in Avios yet), points show up in Avios sometime before midnight ET (but after 9-10pm when last checked).

If it's a weekly cutoff at say Tues. 5pm, you should see your points next Wed.
If it's a daily cutoff, then you should see your points before midnight tonight.

Given the fuzzy memory of a weekly cutoff and the one datapoint I have referenced in the OP saying it took 6 days, I'm leaning towards their being a weekly cutoff??
POLL: How frequent is your RRSP-matching?
Plastiq: Pay any bill with credit card for 0-2.5% fee (help meet min spending and keep old cards active!)
Rewards program transfer times (e.g. SPG->Aeroplan, Marriott->SPG, Amex MR->SPG...)
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Mar 8, 2006
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Came to this thread, as I'm hoping there is a way to transfer Aeroplan back to AMEX MR points. I guess the answer is no way. I have another situation. I have a family member who can't use the aeroplan this year, but Aeroplan is charging $0.02 per mile to transfer to my account which is not worth it.
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Oct 2, 2015
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Outremont, QC
fortune88 wrote: Came to this thread, as I'm hoping there is a way to transfer Aeroplan back to AMEX MR points. I guess the answer is no way. I have another situation. I have a family member who can't use the aeroplan this year, but Aeroplan is charging $0.02 per mile to transfer to my account which is not worth it.
Can't transfer back.

Transfer cost isn't worth it. Book something for yourself using their account. If they don't have enough, you can transfer from your MR into theirs in order to then redeem.

Or just buy a chocolate bar from a pharmacy that offers Aeroplan points.
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Avios just showed up! Somewhere between 930PM and 1130PM EST Thursday. Transfer initiated Tuesday at 1150PM.

Unfortunately this isn't very convincing whether it's a Thursday thing or if it's a 2 day wait period.
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fortune88 wrote: Came to this thread, as I'm hoping there is a way to transfer Aeroplan back to AMEX MR points. I guess the answer is no way. I have another situation. I have a family member who can't use the aeroplan this year, but Aeroplan is charging $0.02 per mile to transfer to my account which is not worth it.
Nimbusplane wrote: Can't transfer back.

Transfer cost isn't worth it. Book something for yourself using their account. If they don't have enough, you can transfer from your MR into theirs in order to then redeem.

Or just buy a chocolate bar from a pharmacy that offers Aeroplan points.
Or $3 of gas at Esso and earn 1 Aeroplan. The points don't expire then.
POLL: How frequent is your RRSP-matching?
Plastiq: Pay any bill with credit card for 0-2.5% fee (help meet min spending and keep old cards active!)
Rewards program transfer times (e.g. SPG->Aeroplan, Marriott->SPG, Amex MR->SPG...)
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Nimbusplane wrote: Avios just showed up! Somewhere between 930PM and 1130PM EST Thursday. Transfer initiated Tuesday at 1150PM.

Unfortunately this isn't very convincing whether it's a Thursday thing or if it's a 2 day wait period.
It was a Wed. thing according to my theory. Wed and Thu Avios posted *this* week from you and another source, so that seems to debunk a once-a-week theory. Will update OP.
POLL: How frequent is your RRSP-matching?
Plastiq: Pay any bill with credit card for 0-2.5% fee (help meet min spending and keep old cards active!)
Rewards program transfer times (e.g. SPG->Aeroplan, Marriott->SPG, Amex MR->SPG...)
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ace604 wrote: It was a Wed. thing according to my theory. Wed and Thu Avios posted *this* week from you and another source, so that seems to debunk a once-a-week theory. Will update OP.
My once a week theory was based on Aeroplan - I have completed 3 travel packages, and the points arrived after midnight on Tuesday each time. Only 3 data points here though.
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joeags wrote: My once a week theory was based on Aeroplan - I have completed 3 travel packages, and the points arrived after midnight on Tuesday each time. Only 3 data points here though.
Ah, ok. Thanks. So that's Marriott to Aeroplan.
POLL: How frequent is your RRSP-matching?
Plastiq: Pay any bill with credit card for 0-2.5% fee (help meet min spending and keep old cards active!)
Rewards program transfer times (e.g. SPG->Aeroplan, Marriott->SPG, Amex MR->SPG...)

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