Million Mile Secrets reader, John, commented:
Once I link my Starwood and Marriott accounts, do I lose the ability to move my Starwood points to airlines with a 1:1 ratio and 5,000-mile bonus?Also, I am lifetime Gold with Marriott and my Marriott points do not expire. Will this be the same for my Starwood account?
You will not lose the ability to transfer your Starwood points to airlines. In fact, combining your accounts gives you even more perks and flexibility!
I’l show you why it’s a good idea to link your Marriott and Starwood accounts.
Link Your Marriott and Starwood Accounts
Link: Link Your Marriott and Starwood Accounts
Link: Marriott Starwood Merger Details
The Marriott- Starwood merger has begun!
You can now link your Marriott and Starwood accounts. And transfer your points between the two programs. This gives you many more options to use your points! Marriott points transfer to Starwood at a 3:1 ratio.
Plus, when you link your accounts, you’ll receive an instant status match between programs. So if you have Gold elite status with Marriott, you’ll receive Gold elite status with Starwood! This means you’ll get perks with both hotels, like a higher points earning rate during hotel stays!
Remember, lifetime status with a loyalty program does not mean the lifetime of the member. It means the lifetime of the loyalty program! So if you have lifetime Gold status with Starwood, it will last until the Starwood program has been discontinued.
We don’t know for sure if lifetime Starwood status will be matched with Marriott, but I’ll keep you updated when I get more information!
Transferring Marriott Points to Airlines Just Became More Flexible
Starwood has lots of airline transfer partners. You can transfer your points with most (but not all) airlines at a ratio of 1:1:| Starwood Preferred Guest Airline Transfer Partners | ||
|---|---|---|
| Aegean | AeroMexico | Air Canada |
| Air China | Air New Zealand | Alaska Airlines |
| Alitalia | ANA | American Airlines |
| Asia Miles (Cathay Pacific) | Asiana Airlines | British Airways |
| China Eastern | Delta | Emirates |
| Etihad | Flying Blue | Gol Smiles |
| Hainan Airlines | Hawaiian Airlines | Iberia |
| Japan Airlines | Jet Airways | Korean Airlines |
| LifeMiles (Avianca) | Miles & More (Lufthansa) | Qatar Airways |
| Saudi Arabian Airlines | Singapore Airlines | Thai Airways |
| United Airlines | Virgin Atlantic | Virgin Australia |
Plus, you’ll get a 25% bonus when you transfer Starwood points in increments of 20,000 to airlines.
Note: The 25% bonus only applies to airline partners with a transfer ratio of 1:1.And now, if you have Marriott points, you’ll be able to transfer them to your Starwood account, and from your Starwood account to your favorite airline!
This can be extremely helpful if you’re close to an award ticket. Marriott points transfer to Starwood at a 3:1 ratio. So run the numbers to see if it makes sense for your situation.Bottom Line
Thanks for the question, John!
When you link your Marriott and Starwood accounts, you will not lose the ability to transfer your Starwood points to airline. In fact, you’ll gain the ability to indirectly transfer your Marriott points to Starwood’s airline partners!
This makes both your Starwood points and Marriott points more flexible than before.