United has just launched a promotion, offering a bonus when you convert hotel points into United MileagePlus miles. This is an offer we tend to see from the program once per year. I won’t bury the lede — I’d argue there are few situations where this is worth taking advantage of, though everyone can make…
Continue reading: Convert Hotel Points Into United MileagePlus Miles With 25% Bonus
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Thanks for the reminder that this was possible and the notification about the 25% bonus. Just registered and then transferred 120k points over from Marriott. 60k united miles immediately posted, and then immediately redeemed those for 4x 15k economy saver awards at 1.6cpp. So even valuing the bonus 10k united miles at OMAAT's ~1.1cpp valuation (whenever they arrive...) doing ~$200 better than a Marriott point at OMAAT's ~0.7cpp valuation. Quick boring win.
Not sure I'll check every day to see when the bonus 10k miles post, but booked too early to select a seat apparently (said the United agent), so I'll check back in a few days when seat selection opens up.
What about converting Amex Rewards to Marriott Bonvoy, and then transferring these to United? Would that make sense? Is that even allowed / technically possible?
I don't see why not, but better off buying Marriott points for that purpose, notwithstanding the 20% bonus transferring Amex to Marriott right now.
If you transfer 100k amex points to Marriott for 120k points, and then convert the 120k Marriott points to united you’ll get 70k united miles (40k from the transfer, 2x extra 10k (10k united per 60k Marriott transferred) plus united’s current promotion that you have to register for getting you an extra 25% on the 40k – although as Ben notes, when those ‘bonus’ 10k miles post, who knows).
That’s… still not great, but if there is a targeted redemption at united you are looking at where you’re getting over 2.15cpp with united and are over 5/24 with chase and out of united miles… it’s a pathway.
That said, if you have the cash, still better to just buy Marriott points outright and then transfer those over. With the current Marriott points buying bonuses, will have to come out of pocket ~$1,100 to get the 120k points (depends on whether you get the 30% discount or 40% bonus miles deal), but that’s still a better value than transferring 100k amex miles that at 1.7cpp (OMAAT value) would be worth ~$1,700.
Wouldn't it be 85,000 United Miles and not 70,000 (120,000/3 = 40,000 + 25,000 promo + 20,000 (10,000 for every 60,000) = 85,000?
It's not a 25,000 promo, it's a 25% bonus off of the 40,000 "base" miles you'd get from the transfer (before the 2x 10k bonuses). So that's an extra 10,000.
I converted on 6/1 and the bonus 10k miles posted on 8/26. So took roughly 3 months. Just a data point for others thinking about doing this with similar promotions in the future.