Through June 30, 2026, Marriott Bonvoy is offering a 25% bonus when you transfer points to United MileagePlus. Every 3,000 Bonvoy points that would normally produce 1,000 United miles now produces 1,250 instead. If you hold a Marriott Bonvoy credit card and have points with no clear hotel redemption in sight, the next six days are worth a close look.
Registration is required. Log in at united.com and opt in to the promotion before transferring, or the bonus will not apply.
How the bonus works
The standard Marriott Bonvoy to United MileagePlus transfer ratio is 3:1: 3,000 Bonvoy points equal 1,000 United miles. During this promotion, the effective ratio improves to roughly 2.4:1:
| Bonvoy points transferred | Standard United miles | With 25% bonus |
|---|---|---|
| 15,000 | 5,000 | 6,250 |
| 30,000 | 10,000 | 12,500 |
| 60,000 | 20,000 | 25,000 |
| 120,000 | 40,000 | 50,000 |
The bonus is capped at 25,000 bonus miles. Transfers that would otherwise generate more than 25,000 in bonus miles stop at that ceiling, which effectively limits the full benefit to transfers of up to 300,000 Bonvoy points.
Registration is required
This promotion requires opt-in before you transfer. Log in at united.com, navigate to the MileagePlus promotion or transfer section, and register for the offer. Points transferred before you register are not eligible for the bonus.
Once registered, initiate the transfer from your Marriott Bonvoy account. Allow 5 to 10 business days for the base miles to post to your United account, plus a few additional days for the bonus miles to be applied separately. Plan ahead if you are targeting a specific award.
Who should transfer now
This offer makes sense in a specific situation: you have Bonvoy points with no clear hotel use, and you are close to a United award seat you actually want.
A few situations where it works:
- You are 10,000 to 15,000 miles short of a domestic saver award on United and want to close the gap without buying miles.
- You are targeting a United partner award on Lufthansa, ANA, or Singapore Airlines and need a top-off.
- You are holding 60,000 or more Bonvoy points with no Marriott stay planned in the next year and would rather have liquid airline miles.
This offer does not make sense as a routine point accumulation strategy. The 3:1 base ratio is among the weakest in the hotel-to-airline transfer category. The 25% promotion improves it to roughly 2.4:1, but Bonvoy points still give up meaningful value compared to direct hotel redemptions. Transfer only what you need for a specific award.
Cards that earn Marriott Bonvoy points
To use this offer, you need Bonvoy points. The two most effective cards for earning them:
Marriott Bonvoy Boundless Credit Card ($95 annual fee): Earns 6x points on Marriott stays, 3x at grocery stores, restaurants, and gas stations, and 2x on everything else. Includes a free night award worth up to 35,000 points each anniversary year.
Marriott Bonvoy Boundless: earns 6x points at Marriott hotels
Marriott Bonvoy Bevy American Express Card ($250 annual fee): Earns 6x on Marriott, 4x on dining worldwide, and 2x on everything else. Includes a free night award worth up to 50,000 points each anniversary year (after $15,000 in spending) and Bonvoy Gold Elite status.
Neither card earns United miles directly. Both generate Bonvoy points over time that can be redirected to United when a strong transfer bonus like this one is active.
Is this a good use of Bonvoy points?
At 2.4 Bonvoy points per United mile, whether this transfer is worthwhile depends on what you value each currency at.
Bonvoy points are generally worth 0.7 to 0.8 cents each for hotel redemptions. United MileagePlus saver awards on domestic routes commonly deliver 1.2 to 1.5 cents per mile. Running the numbers:
- 2.4 Bonvoy points at 0.75 cents each = 1.8 cents in Bonvoy cost per United mile
- 1 United mile worth 1.2 to 1.5 cents on a saver award
On a saver award, the transfer roughly breaks even. On economy dynamic pricing or United’s lower-value awards, where miles deliver 0.9 to 1.0 cents, you come out behind. The offer only works if you are booking a saver award or a high-value international redemption.
Bottom Line
If you have Bonvoy points collecting dust with no hotel redemption on the horizon, this is a legitimate reason to move some of them into United before June 30. Register at united.com first, transfer only what you need for a specific award, and hold the rest in Bonvoy where hotel redemption value tends to be higher. Do not transfer speculatively just because the bonus exists.
FAQ
Q: Do I need to register before or after transferring?
A: Before. Transfers completed before you register for the promotion do not receive the bonus. Register at united.com first, then initiate the transfer from your Marriott Bonvoy account.
Q: How long does the transfer take?
A: Marriott to United typically takes 3 to 7 business days for the base miles to post. Allow a few extra days for the bonus miles to be applied separately. Do not transfer within 72 hours of when you need the miles for an award booking.
Q: Is there a minimum transfer amount?
A: Yes. The minimum transfer from Marriott Bonvoy to any airline partner is 3,000 points, which becomes 1,000 miles (or 1,250 with this bonus).
Q: Can Chase Sapphire Preferred holders use this route to get United miles?
A: Technically yes, but the math is unfavorable. Chase Ultimate Rewards transfer directly to United MileagePlus at 1:1. Routing through Marriott first (1:1 UR to Bonvoy, then 2.4:1 Bonvoy to United) costs roughly 2.4 Ultimate Rewards points per United mile. Transfer UR points to United directly instead.
Q: Can I pool points from multiple Marriott cards for one transfer?
A: Yes. All Marriott Bonvoy credit cards post points to a single Bonvoy account. Your combined balance is available for the transfer regardless of which card earned it.