Top 5 Methods Of Transferring Starpoints Into Miles; Get A Mileage Transfer Bonus As High As 76%-230% From Your Starpoints!

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-Starwood Preferred Guest® Credit Card from American Express

-Starwood Preferred Guest® Business Credit Card from American Express

-The Marriott card offers 107,500 signup points, Here’s How To View Credit Card Offers On This Site.

Now that you can transfer Starpoints into Marriott points at a 1:3 ratio there are more ways than ever to turn your Starpoints into miles.

In no particular order, here are 5 great ways to turn your Starpoints into miles:

-The first way is the traditional transfer of Starpoints into miles at a 1:1 ratio or a 20K:25K ratio to dozens of airlines, an effective 25% transfer bonus.

In parenthesis you can see if American Express Membership Rewards (MR), Chase Ultimate Rewards (UR), or Citibank Thank You (TY) points transfers to the airline as well. If no other program can transfer points to that airline it will say not applicable (NA)

OneWorld Alliance:
Air Berlin: 20,000 Starpoints=25,000 miles (NA)
American: 20,000 Starpoints=25,000 miles (NA)
British Airways Avios: 20,000 Starpoints=25,000 miles (MR, UR)
Cathay Pacific Asia Miles: 20,000 Starpoints=25,000 miles (MR, TY)
JAL: 20,000 Starpoints=25,000 miles (NA)
LATAM: 20,000 Starpoints=37,500 kms (NA)
Qatar: 20,000 Starpoints=25,000 miles (TY)

Skyteam Alliance:
AeroMexico: 20,000 Starpoints=25,000 miles (MR)
Air France/KLM Flying Blue: 20,000 Starpoints=25,000 miles (MR, TY, UR)
Alitalia: 20,000 Starpoints=25,000 miles (MR)
China Eastern: 20,000 Starpoints=25,000 miles (NA)
China Southern: 20,000 Starpoints=25,000 miles (NA)
Delta: 20,000 Starpoints=25,000 miles (MR)
Korean: 20,000 Starpoints=25,000 miles (UR)
Saudia: 20,000 Starpoints=25,000 miles (NA)

Star Alliance:
ANA: 20,000 Starpoints=25,000 miles (MR)
Aegean: 20,000 Starpoints=25,000 miles (NA)
Air Canada/Aeroplan: 20,000 Starpoints=25,000 miles (MR)
Air China: 20,000 Starpoints=25,000 miles (NA)
Air New Zealand: 20,000 Starpoints=385 points (NA)
Asiana: 20,000 Starpoints=25,000 miles (NA)
Avianca/TACA LifeMiles: 20,000 Starpoints=25,000 miles (NA)
Lufthansa Miles & More: 20,000 Starpoints=25,000 miles (NA)
Singapore: 20,000 Starpoints=25,000 miles (MR, TY, UR)
Thai: 20,000 Starpoints=25,000 miles (TY)
United: 20,000 Starpoints=12,500 miles (UR)

Unaligned:
Alaska: 20,000 Starpoints=25,000 miles (NA)
Emirates: 20,000 Starpoints=25,000 miles (MR)
Etihad: 20,000 Starpoints=25,000 miles (MR, TY)
Gol/Varig Smiles: 20,000 Starpoints=12,500 miles (NA)
Hainan: 20,000 Starpoints==25,000 miles (NA)
Hawaiian: 20,000 Starpoints=25,000 miles (MR)
Jet Airways: 20,000 Starpoints=25,000 miles (NA)
Virgin Atlantic: 20,000 Starpoints=25,000 miles (MR, TY, UR)
Virgin Australia: 20,000 Starpoints=25,000 miles (NA)

-The second way is with Starwood Nights & Flights. You can get 50K miles with dozens of airlines and stay 5 nights in a SPG category 3 hotel for 60K Starpoints. Or you can get 50K miles with dozens of airlines and stay 5 nights in a SPG category 4 hotel for 70K Starpoints. If you were staying for 5 nights in those hotels anyway it’s like using 32K Starpoints for 50K miles, an effective 56.25% transfer bonus.

-The third way is by transferring points to Marriott and transferring points from there to an airline.

The 2 most compelling offers there are:
-18,667 Starpoints would transfer into 56K Marriott points which becomes 25,000 United miles, an effective 33.9% transfer bonus.
-23,333 Starpoints would transfer into 70K Marriott points which becomes 25,000 Southwest miles, which qualify for Companion Pass status if initiated by 3/31. That’s an effective 7.1% transfer bonus.

-The fourth way is by transferring points to Marriott and using their nights and miles option.

You can read more about the option in this post.

-90K Starpoints would transfer into 270K Marriott points which becomes 132,000 United miles and 7 nights in a Marriott category 1-5 hotel.
-90K Starpoints would transfer into 270K Marriott points which becomes 7 nights in a Marriott category 1-5 hotel and 120,000 miles for Aeromexico, Air Canada, Alaska, American, British, Copa, Delta, Frontier, GOL, Hawaiian, Iberia, Southwest, or Virgin Atlantic.

It’s hard to impute a value of the transfer bonus as this includes miles and nights, but let’s attack it from 4 different angles that will show the highest possible valuation, a reasonable stay valuation, a dirt cheap stay valuation, and the lowest possible valuation.

1. 7 nights at a category 5 hotel would normally cost 150,000 Marriott points or 50K Starpoints. If you were staying for 7 nights in those hotels anyway it’s like using 40K Starpoints for 132K United miles, an effective 230% transfer bonus. Or it’s like using 40K Starpoints for 120K miles from the other airlines, an effective 200% transfer bonus.
2. If you wouldn’t normally stay 7 nights at a hotel, but assign a reasonable value of 5K Starpoints per night, that would make the certificate worth 35K Starpoints. That means we can assign a value of 55K Starpoints use for 132K United miles, an effective 140% transfer bonus. Or it’s like using 55K Starpoints for 120K miles from the other airlines, an effective 118% transfer bonus.
3. If you wouldn’t normally stay 7 nights at a hotel, but assign a dirt cheap value of 3K Starpoints per night, that would make the certificate worth 21K Starpoints. That means we can assign a value of 69K Starpoints use for 132K United miles, an effective 91% transfer bonus. Or it’s like using 69K Starpoints for 120K miles from the other airlines, an effective 74% transfer bonus.
4. Some reps will allow you to return the 7 night hotel certificate for a refund of 45K Marriott points which you can transfer back to 15K Starpoints. You may need to book a hotel and cancel it in order to receive a 45K point refund. That’s not a good value for the 7 night hotel certificate, but if you won’t use the hotel stay then it’s better than nothing. If you return the certificate it’s like using 75K Starpoints for 132K United miles, an effective 76% transfer bonus. Or it’s like using 75K Starpoints for 120K miles from the other airlines, an effective 60% transfer bonus.

Yes, that means even if you don’t use the certificate, you can still get 1.76 United miles per Starpoint. If you would make that hotel stay anyway you can get 3.3 United miles per Starpoint. If you value the free nights at 5K or 3K Starpoints each then you can get a value of 1.9-2.4 United miles per Starpoint. No matter how you slice it, that’s a great value for your Starpoints!

-The fifth way is by transferring points to Marriott and using their nights and miles option and finding a rep willing to sell you a 5 night package that’s officially intended for timeshare owners. Most reps won’t do it, but some will.

-78,333 Starpoints would transfer into 235K Marriott points which becomes 132,000 United miles and 5 nights in a Marriott category 1-5 hotel.
-78,333 Starpoints would transfer into 235K Marriott points which becomes 5 nights in a Marriott category 1-5 hotel and 120,000 miles for Aeromexico, Air Canada, Alaska, American, British, Copa, Delta, Frontier, GOL, Hawaiian, Iberia, Southwest, or Virgin Atlantic.

Once again, it’s hard to impute the value of the transfer bonus, but this will show the highest possible valuation, a reasonable stay valuation, a dirt cheap stay valuation, and the lowest possible valuation.

1. 5 nights at a category 5 hotel would normally cost 100,000 Marriott points or 33,333 Starpoints. If you were staying for 5 nights in those hotels anyway it’s like using 45K Starpoints for 132K United miles, an effective 193% transfer bonus. Or it’s like using 45K Starpoints for 120K miles from the other airlines, an effective 167% transfer bonus.
2. If you wouldn’t normally stay 5 nights at a hotel, but assign a reasonable value of 5K Starpoints per night, that would make the certificate worth 25K Starpoints. That means we can assign a value of 53,333 Starpoints use for 132K United miles, an effective 148% transfer bonus. Or it’s like using 53,333 Starpoints for 120K miles from the other airlines, an effective 125% transfer bonus.
3. If you wouldn’t normally stay 5 nights at a hotel, but assign a dirt cheap value of 3K Starpoints per night, that would make the certificate worth 15K Starpoints. That means we can assign a value of 63,333 Starpoints use for 132K United miles, an effective 108% transfer bonus. Or it’s like using 63,333 Starpoints for 120K miles from the other airlines, an effective 89% transfer bonus.
4. Some reps will allow you to return the 5 night hotel certificate for a refund of 10K Marriott points which you can transfer back to 3,333 Starpoints. You may need to book a hotel and cancel it in order to receive a 10K point refund. That’s not a good value for the 5 night hotel certificate, but if you won’t use the hotel stay then it’s better than nothing. If you return the certificate it’s like using 75K Starpoints for 132K United miles, an effective 76% transfer bonus. Or it’s like using 75K Starpoints for 120K miles from the other airlines, an effective 60% transfer bonus.

Using those 4 different scenarios shows us that:
-If you value the hotel nights at the actual cost of redeeming points for the room that you’re better with the 7 night option than the 5 night option.
-If you value the hotel nights as something, but lower than the actual cost of redeeming points for the room that you’re better with the 5 night option than the 7 night option.
-If you plan on returning the hotel night certificate that the value for your Starpoints to airline mile transfer will be the same whether you use the 5 night or the 7 night option.

There are a few things worth noting about the 4th and 5th miles+nights redemption methods:

-You must call Marriott at 800-321-7396 if you want to book a miles+nights package.
-The miles will post within a few days of the transfer, regardless of when or if you use the 7 night certificate.
-The 7 night electronic hotel certificate expires in 1 year, though Marriott currently will extend them for 1 additional year if you contact them.
-You don’t need to choose the hotel at the time of a nights+miles redemption.
-The certificate must be used at one property for 7 consecutive nights.
-You can have the certificate issued in anyone’s name.
-You can upgrade your hotel certificate by paying the difference in points later on. For example if you wanted 7 nights at the category 7 Renaissance Tel Aviv Hotel you would need 330K Marriott or 110K Starpoints for that stay and 120K-132K miles. If you wanted 7 nights at the tier 3 Ritz-Carlton Herzliya you would need 420K Marriott or 140K Starpoints for that stay and 120K-132K miles.

Do you transfer Starpoints into miles or so you use them other redemptions? Which transfer method do you use? Hit the comments!