RewardsPlus launches for Marriott Rewards and United Mileage Plus members

RewardsPlus is a new loyalty program launching today offering reciprocal benefits for members of both Marriott Rewards and United Airlines Mileage Plus.

The benefits are primarily for elite members of these programs, yet there are benefits for base Marriott Rewards members too.

Marriott Rewards members receive:

Complimentary Premier Silver status in MileagePlus (open to Platinum Elite members and above, registration required).
20% discount when converting Marriott Rewards points MileagePlus miles (open to all members, registration not required).
10% more MileagePlus miles when redeeming Marriott Rewards points for flight and hotel Vacation Packages (open to all members, registration not required).

MileagePlus members receive:

Complimentary Gold Elite status in Marriott Rewards (open to MileagePlus Premier Gold members and above, registration required).
Conversion of MileagePlus award miles into Marriott Rewards points at a 1:1 ratio (open to Premier Silver members and above, registration not required).
20% discount when converting Marriott Rewards points MileagePlus miles (open to all members, registration not required).
10% more MileagePlus miles when redeeming Marriott Rewards points for flight and hotel Vacation Packages (open to all members, registration not required).

Eligible Marriott Rewards members can register for complimentary MileagePlus Silver status at marriottrewards.com/rewardsplus.

Eligible MileagePlus members can register for complimentary Marriott Rewards Gold Elite status at united.com/rewardsplus.

For MileagePlus members who are Premier Gold and above, the RewardsPlus program offers complimentary Gold Elite status in the Marriott Rewards program (registration required).

The status is valid through January 31, 2014. MileagePlus members who have trial Premier Gold or above status due to the MileagePlus Premier Status Match Challenge program are not eligible for RewardsPlus complimentary status.

For Marriott Rewards members who are Platinum Elite (including Platinum Premier and Ritz Carlton Rewards Platinum), the RewardsPlus program offers complimentary Premier Silver status in the MileagePlus program (registration required).

The status is valid through Jan 31, 2014. Marriott Rewards members who have temporary Platinum Elite status due to the Marriott Rewards Taste of Elite program are not eligible for RewardsPlus complimentary status.

Benefits of elite status

United Mileage Plus members with Gold, Premier Platinum, Premier 1K and Global Services elite status receive complimentary Marriott Rewards Gold elite which normally requires 50 hotel nights in a calendar year.

Marriott Rewards Gold is a substantially generous benefit for United Mileage Plus elites.

Marriott Rewards Gold Elite status gives you:*

Lounge access and breakfast at select Marriott locations
Room upgrades
Complimentary Internet access
Priority late check-out
25% bonus points and much more

Enhanced miles and points benefits coming soon:

Premier members can convert miles into Marriott Rewards points at a 1:1 ratio.
Enjoy a 20% discount when you convert Marriott Rewards points into MileagePlus miles.
Book the trip of a lifetime and receive 10% more miles when you convert to a Marriott Rewards Travel Package, a bonus of up to 12,000 miles.

Marriott Rewards Platinum Elite and Platinum Premier Elite members can register for RewardsPlus and enjoy complimentary MileagePlus Premier Silver status and all the benefits that come with it.

MileagePlus Premier Silver status provides:

Complimentary access to Economy Plus at check-in (when available);
Complimentary Premier Upgrades (when available);
Premier Access^(SM) priority airport services;
One complimentary standard checked bag (50 lbs.);
25% Premier bonus award miles on United flights

Enhanced miles and points benefits coming soon:*

Convert Marriott Rewards points to MileagePlus miles at a 20% discount.
Receive 10% more MileagePlus miles when you book the trip of a lifetime and redeem for a Marriott Rewards Travel Package–up to 12,000 more miles
All MileagePlus Premier members can convert their MileagePlus miles into Marriott Rewards points at a 1:1 ratio, up to 50,000 miles per year.

In addition to the status benefits, what are the other “points and miles” benefits and how do they work?

All members will enjoy 20% discount from their Marriott Rewards points when they convert them into MileagePlus award miles. For example, a member will now use only 8,000 Marriott Rewards points to receive 2,000 MileagePlus award miles, instead of 10,000 points required with most other airlines.
In addition, all members can earn 10% more award miles when points are used for a Marriott Rewards Vacation Package which includes MileagePlus award miles and hotel accommodations –a bonus of up to 12,000 MileagePlus award miles.

Moreover, MileagePlus Premier members can convert their MileagePlus award miles into Marriott Rewards points at a ratio of 1 mile to 1 point (max of fifty thousand miles per member per year).

Registration is not required for the enhanced points and miles offerings. Customers must be members of both the MileagePlus and Marriott Rewards programs to take advantage of the RewardsPlus points and miles offers.

Loyalty Traveler Analysis of RewardsPlus Points-to-Miles Transfer Bonus

The points to miles transfer enhancement for Marriott Rewards points into United Mileage Plus miles is one of the best benefits besides reciprocal elite status.

Marriott Rewards Regular Points to Miles Exchange Rate for Mileage Plus

10,000 points = 2,000 miles
20,000 points = 5,000 miles
30,000 point = 10,000 miles
70,000 points = 25,000 miles
140,000 points = 50,000 miles

Rewards Plus Exchange Rate for Marriott points to United Miles

8,000 points = 2,000 miles
16,000 points = 5,000 miles
24,000 point = 10,000 miles
56,000 points = 25,000 miles
112,000 points = 50,000 miles

Marriott Rewards Hotel + Air Package

The basic deal with a Marriott Rewards Hotel + Air Package is 7 nights at a Marriott brand hotel plus airline miles. The exchange rate works out to the normal points for the hotel stay and a 1:1 transfer rate where 1 Marriott Rewards point = 1 airline mile.

Marriott Rewards Hotel + Air Miles Travel Packages are one of the best deals for converting Marriott Rewards points into airline miles, but you need a substantial number of Marriott points to redeem for this reward option.

RewardsPlus members get 10% more miles when redeeming a Hotel + Air Package for United Mileage Plus miles.

The 200,000 points Hotel + Air Package will earn 55,000 miles.

7 nights + 55,000 Mileage Plus miles (200,000 to 470,000 points).
7 nights + 77,000 Mileage Plus miles (220,000 to 490,000 points).
7 nights + 110,000 Mileage Plus miles (250,000 to 520,000 points).
7 nights + 132,000 Mileage Plus miles (270,000 to 540,000 points).

This is a fantastic deal if you have the Marriott Rewards points balance to afford it.

And if you really want a 7-night Marriott hotel stay, then it makes sense to convert up to 50,000 Mileage Plus miles into 50,000 Marriott Rewards points if this will get you to the level of Marriott points to redeem a Hotel + Air Travel Package since you will get your 50,000 miles back and 10% more miles.

The miles-to-points transfer limit is 50,000 United Mileage Plus miles into Marriott Rewards points in a calendar year. As long as the points cost for Marriott Hotel + Air Travel Packages does not change in the next six months, a Mileage Plus member can transfer 50,000 miles in December 2013 and 50,000 miles in January 2014 for 100,000 Marriott points and redeem for a high miles level travel package. All your Mileage Plus miles + 10% would go back into your account with a Marriott Rewards Travel Package for 7 nights + 110,000 or 132,000 miles.