You can transfer Marriott Bonvoy points to about 38 airline programs, at 3 points to 1 mile for most of them. Transfer in blocks of 60,000 points and Marriott adds 5,000 bonus miles, so 60,000 points become 25,000 miles. United is better, with 10,000 bonus miles per 60,000 points, for 30,000 in total. You start the transfer from the points-to-miles page in your Marriott account, and the name on both accounts has to match.
Even at the best ratio you lose value compared with using the points for hotel nights, so treat airline transfers as a tool for specific situations.
Marriott transfer ratios and bonuses #
These are the rules on Marriott’s points-to-miles page, checked in September 2026:
- Ratio: 3:1 with most airline partners. Air New Zealand is the outlier at 200:1.
- Bonus: 5,000 miles for every 60,000 points transferred.
- United: 10,000 bonus miles for every 60,000 points.
- No bonus: American Airlines AAdvantage, Avianca LifeMiles and Delta SkyMiles don’t get the 5,000-mile bonus.
- Limits: 3,000 to 240,000 points per day.
- Names: For most partners, your airline account name must match your Marriott first and last name.
How many miles will you get? #
| Marriott points | Most partners | United | American, Avianca, Delta |
|---|---|---|---|
| 30,000 | 10,000 | 10,000 | 10,000 |
| 60,000 | 25,000 | 30,000 | 20,000 |
| 120,000 | 50,000 | 60,000 | 40,000 |
| 240,000 | 100,000 | 120,000 | 80,000 |
The bonus comes in 60,000-point blocks, so 90,000 points to a standard partner gets you 30,000 miles plus one 5,000-mile bonus, or 35,000. Moving 30,000 points doesn’t earn half a bonus.
How to transfer Marriott points to an airline #
- Check award space first. Find the flight on the airline’s site and confirm how many miles it costs. Transfers can’t be reversed.
- Open your Marriott account and go to the points-to-miles transfer page.
- Pick the airline and enter your frequent flyer number. Make sure the name matches your Marriott profile exactly.
- Enter the amount. Use multiples of 60,000 where you can. The daily maximum is 240,000 points, so larger transfers take more than one day.
- Submit and wait. Unlike most bank transfers, Marriott transfers aren’t instant. Many take days, so the seat you want can disappear in the meantime.
Is transferring Marriott points to airlines a good deal? #
Usually not, but here’s a way to test it. Start with what the miles would buy. Say 25,000 airline miles book a flight that costs $400 in cash. That’s 1.6 cents per mile. Those 25,000 miles cost you 60,000 Marriott points, so each Marriott point was worth about 0.67 cents on this trip.
Now price a hotel night you actually want with Marriott points. If 60,000 points book a room that costs $500, each point is worth about 0.83 cents, and the hotel wins. Run this comparison every time, using real prices for trips you’d actually take. Our points vs. cash guide walks through the cents-per-point math.
When a Marriott-to-airline transfer makes sense #
Topping off an award. You’re 6,000 miles short of a business class seat that won’t wait. Sending 18,000 Marriott points to finish the booking can beat losing the seat.
Programs your bank points don’t reach. Bank programs now cover a lot of airlines, but not all of them. Capital One, for example, transfers to Japan Airlines Mileage Bank, at 2:1.5 (Capital One). For a program none of your bank cards reach, Marriott may be the only way in besides flying or an airline card. Our Capital One transfer partner guide lists where Capital One miles go.
United with the extra bonus. The 10,000-mile bonus per 60,000 points makes United the strongest ratio Marriott offers.
Leftover points you won’t use for hotels. If you’re done staying with Marriott, a transfer to a program you’ll actually fly can beat letting points sit.
Bonvoy cards and the annual fee #
Most people build large Marriott balances with a co-branded Bonvoy card and its welcome bonus. Those cards charge annual fees, often offset by an anniversary free night certificate if you use it. Credit Card Central tracks the bonus’s minimum spend with a daily pace and reminds you 30, 7 and 1 day before the annual fee renews, so you can check whether the free night still covers the fee before it posts.
Frequently asked questions #
How long do Marriott points take to transfer to an airline? #
It varies by airline and isn’t instant for most partners. Plan on days, not minutes, and don’t transfer for a seat that might disappear unless you can live with losing it.
Can I move miles back into Marriott Bonvoy? #
No. Transfers from Marriott to airlines are one way. Once the points leave, you can’t reverse the transfer.
Can I transfer Marriott points to someone else’s airline account? #
For most partners, no. The airline account name has to match your Marriott name. To pool points, Marriott separately lets members share points between accounts under its own rules. Check those before moving points to a family member.
Which airlines don’t get the 5,000-mile bonus? #
American Airlines AAdvantage, Avianca LifeMiles and Delta SkyMiles, according to Marriott’s transfer page. They still transfer at 3:1, just without the bonus.