Why I’ve transferred my Marriott’s Bonvoy index to airline miles for the first time

Did you know that you can transfer certain hotel loyalty rewards to over 40 frequent flyer programs?

I believe that flexibility is king when it comes to hotel rewards, which is why I have historically retained the modest Bonvoy Marther Points to redeem free nights rather than transferring those hotel points to a partner airline program. But as I stared at the balance of only 30,000 Bonvoy points, on one night with many featured brands, it was almost enough that I decided that I was changing my strategy.

Let me explain why I ended up converting these points into American Airlines Aadvantage miles and how you decide if math is also right for you.

Why Marriott Hotels’ Points Don’t Scale Like It Before

Dynamic reward pricing and higher redemption fees mean that 30,000 Bonvoy points usually won’t unlock ideal accommodation again. In a test search search this summer, I saw that the prices of Fairfield and courtyard properties in the mid-term North America are consistent between 28,000 and 42,000 points per night, almost a meaningful deal when the cash rate hovers around $150.

I’ve been with these Bonvoy points for over a year (about the same time I last stayed in Marriott) and I realized that if I don’t have any qualifying activities in 24 months, then these views will expire, so I need to do something with them.

My balance of 30,000 Bonvoy points seems to be stuck. It seems too big to ignore and too small to book any luxury or save real cash.

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Related: Rewards due in 2025? List of loyalty programs and their reward expiration policies

Why airline transfers look smarter now

I value American Airlines Aadvantage miles higher than Delta Skymiles or United Mileageplus Miles for several reasons, so, among all airline partners, transferring my Marriott hotel to Bonvoy noted that Aadvantage was my top pick.

One reason is that these miles have traditionally been difficult to earn with a transferable credit card program, although this has changed due to Citi Thankyou Rewards adding American Airlines Aadvantage as a transfer partner.

Not to mention, I recently received a 60,000-mile Aadvantage Welcome Bonus (no longer available) on the Aadvantage® RedWorld Elite Mastercard®.

With this reward in mind, transferring 30,000 Bonvoy points to Aadvantage at a standard 3:1 ratio will allow me to add another 10,000 Aadvantage Miles, pushing my balance to 70,000 miles. These miles can help me unlock several redemption desserts, including Qatar Airways QSuite from North America to the Middle East, Maldives and Southeast Asia, which I think might be the best way to redeem Aadvantage Miles and save thousands of dollars.

Information on Aadvantage Pilot Red World Mastercard has been collected independently by Points Guy. The card details on this page have not been reviewed or provided by the card issuer.

Is this a lot?

TPG Value Marriott Hotel’s valuation was 0.7 cents in our August 2025 valuation (so the value of 30,000 points is $210). On the airline side, we currently value Aadvantage Miles at 1.55 cents and earning 10,000 miles is worth about $155. This looks like a bad deal, but that’s why I think it’s wise:

• It is unlikely that I find a hotel at 30,000 a night, and depending on the destination I visit, I will get a value of 0.7 cents per point.
• Adding 10,000 Aadvantage miles to my account, bringing my totals over 70,000 miles opens up more redemption options.
• I will be able to use up these Bonvoy points immediately in high value Aadvantage flight redemption; otherwise, they may struggle in my Bonvoy account until dynamic pricing results in higher redemption rates or expired.
• Since Bonvoy is not my hotel loyalty program, cash for booking hotels (this is the World of Hyatt), if I choose to wait to earn 30,000 Bonvoy points to trigger a 5,000-mile transfer bonus at the 60,000-point level, this actually takes me another six months of stay.

In short, I was comfortable “overpaying” on paper because incremental mileage triggers the redemption I really wanted to do.

If you’re considering doing this, remember some things:

• Check partner ratio: Most airlines transfer at a 3:1 ratio, but some are smaller.
• If possible, get a bonus of 60,000 points: If you have 50,000 Bonvoy points to transfer, it may be worth the wait until you reach the 60,000 Bonvoy points amount and choose an airline transfer partner with an additional 5,000 bonus miles (United MileagePlus offers a generous 10,000 bonus miles).
• Transfer cannot be reversed: If you are considering pointing Bonvoy to airline plans, it is better to redeem them immediately instead of speculative transfers. Unfortunately, airline plans can and do depreciate, and you don’t want to be stuck with unusable airlines.

Bottom line

In a vibrant age of hotel pricing, flexibility sometimes means letting go of currencies that no longer serve you. By converting 30,000 potentially worthless Bonvoy Moint Soints to 10,000 American Airlines Aadvantage Miles, I’m not chasing a theoretical benchmark; I’m enabling a specific high-value award that would otherwise not be achieved.

Is this strategy suitable for everyone? Absolutely not. If you are usually worth 1 cent or more on every Bonvoy point on a luxury accommodation, or if you sit at 300,000 instead of 30,000, leave them in the hotel’s ecosystem. If you have an orphan hotel balance and a premium cabin wish, it may be time to consider running the mattress and let these hotel points fly.

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