Marriott Bonvoy boasts a robust list of ~40 airline partners, including to some incredibly hard to get miles like Japan Airlines and Korean Airlines. However, the big reason Marriott is typically not highlighted as a transfer partner is because Marriott transfers are never 1:1—most hover around 3:1.
Consequently, it's imperative to understand the risks of transferring using Marriott points, since you risk losing significant value on your hard-earned points with Marriott transfers.
Marriott's Full List Of Transfer Partners
Marriott has ~40 airline transfer partners. While some airlines have several transfer partners, others may have literally only Marriott as a transfer partner, which makes Marriott a compelling transfer partner for these rarer points.
BRAND
Airline Transfer Partner
Transfer Ratio
(Marriott → Partner)
Other Known Transfer Partners
AEGEAN
3:1
n/a
Aer Lingus AerClub
3:1
AMEX, Bilt, Capital One*, Chase, Citi*, Wells Fargo
Aeromexico ClubPremier
3:1
AMEX, Citi
Air China PhoenixMiles
3:1
n/a
Air New Zealand AirPoint
200:1
n/a
ANA Mileage Club
3:1
AMEX
Asiana Airlines Asiana Club
3:1
n/a
Cathay Pacific
3:1
AMEX, Bilt, Capital One, Citi
China Southern Airlines Sky Pearl Club
3:1
n/a
Copa Airlines
3:1
n/a
Emirates Skywards
3:1
AMEX, Bilt, Capital One, Citi
Etihad Guest
3:1
AMEX, Capital One, Citi
Frontier
3:1
n/a
Hainan Airlines
3:1
n/a
Hawaiian Airlines
3:1
AMEX
Iberia
3:1
AMEX, Bilt, Capital One*, Chase, Citi*, Wells Fargo*
Japan Airlines JAL Mileage Bank
3:1
n/a
Korean Air SKYPASS
3:1
n/a
LATAM Airlines
3:1
n/a
Qantas Frequent Flyer
3:1
AMEX, Capital One, Citi
Qatar Airways Privilege Club
3:1
AMEX, Bilt*, Capital One*, Chase*, Citi, Wells Fargo*
Saudia Alfursan
3:1
n/a
Singapore Airlines KrisFlyer
3:1
AMEX, Capital One, Chase, Citi
Southwest Rapid Rewards
3:1
Chase
TAP Air Portugal Miles&Go
3:1
Citi
Thai Airways Royal Orchid Plus
3:1
Citi
Turkish Airlines Miles&Smiles
3:1
Capital One, Citi
United MileagePlus
3:1
Bilt, Chase
Virgin Atlantic Flying Club
3:1
AMEX, Bilt, Capital One, Chase, Citi
Virgin Australia Velocity Frequent Flyer
3:1
n/a
Vueling Club
3:1
AMEX*, Bilt*, Capital One*, Chase*, Citi*, Wells Fargo*
BRAND
Traditional performance beverages
adaptogen-powered
YES
NO
All Natural ingredients
YES
NO
low sugar
YES
NO
plant-based
YES
NO
MAde for everybody, everyday
YES
NO
BRAND
Traditional performance beverages
adaptogen-powered
YES
NO
All Natural ingredients
YES
NO
low sugar
YES
NO
plant-based
YES
NO
MAde for everybody, everyday
YES
NO
BRAND
Airline Transfer Partner
Transfer Ratio
(C1 → Partner)
Transfer Time
Aeromexico Club Premier
1:1
Usually instant
Air Canada Aeroplan
1:1
Usually instant
Air France-KLM Flying Blue
1:1
Usually instant
Avianca LifeMiles
1:1
Usually instant
British Airways
1:1
Usually instant
Cathay Pacific Asia Miles
1:1
Up to 36 hours
Emirates Skywards
1:1
Usually instant
Etihad Guest
1:1
Up to 36 hours
EVA Air
4:3
Up to 36 hours
Finnair Plus
1:1
Usually instant
Qantas Frequent Flyer
1:1
Up to 36 hours
Singapore Airlines KrisFlyer
1:1
Up to 36 hours
TAP Miles & Go
1:1
Usually instant
Turkish Airlines Miles&Smiles
1:1
Up to 24 hours
Virgin Red
1:1
Usually instant
*Avios family points can be transferred internally among one another
**Bilt is set to lose AA as a transfer partner starting June 2024
Earning Marriott Points
There are two key ways to accumulate Marriott points: staying at Marriott hotels and getting the credit cards.
Staying At Marriott Hotels
For starters, when staying at Marriott properties, you earn 10x points per dollar (most properties, some exclusions apply). With Elite Status, your earnings are then accelerated even further:
- Silver Elite: 10%
- Gold Elite: 25%
- Platinum Elite: 50%
- Titanium Elite: 75%
- Ambassador Elite: 75%
For instance, for a base rate of $100, you'll earn at least 1,000 Marriott points. Your status will then help you earn 100, 250, 500, 750, or 750 more points, respectively.
Opening A Marriott Bonvoy Credit Card
Marriott cards can sometimes feature incredible offers with very large welcome bonuses. This can be a great way to rapidly accumulate Marriott points while getting a wealth of other Marriott benefits, including free nights, instant status, and increased earnings.
Transfer In 60,000 Point Increments
When you transfer 60,000 points, Marriott will typically offer an additional 5,000 miles. For instance, when transferring 60,000 Marriott points to Air Canada, you'll end up getting 25,000 miles instead.
However, some programs do not offer the bonus 5,000 miles for transferring 60,000 Marriott points. These include American Airlines, Avianca, Delta, and Korean Air.
Does It Make Sense To Leverage This Transfer?
This is a bit of a tricky answer because there's definitely a high opportunity cost to using up your Marriott points this way. For instance, Marriott already has so many good ways to use points—think 5th night free, topping off free night certificates, etc.
Some sources value Marriott points slightly less than 1 cent each. If that's the case, by converting 3 Marriott points to another currency, you're basically saying that the new currency is worth less than 3 cents per point. That's a pretty high bar to begin with.
Generally speaking, I'd say it makes the most sense to use this option when you need just a few thousand more points to book something. I would generally advise against putting all your eggs in one basket and pursuing a massive Marriott transfer, as it is generally just not worth it.
Conclusion
Marriott offers a significant, unprecedented number of transfer partners. However, this comes at a pretty steep opportunity cost, as you lose out on a lot of value when transferring your Marriott points to another partner. Use this transfer only if you must and make sure to think carefully about the opportunity costs at hand.
