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How to Combine SPG & Marriott Accounts (Points, Lifetime Status & Free Night Certificates)

Good morning everyone, happy Friday!  I’m not a huge fan of SPG or Marriott and didn’t give too much thought to choosing a reward package, so I’m far from an expert when it comes to the SPG / Marriott merger.  But I did stay at a Holiday Inn Express last night…  But I did just combine my old SPG / new Marriott account with my existing Marriott account, so I wanted to show you the steps and share some of the interesting things about the combination process.  First thing first, I signed into my new Marriott account (old SPG account) and it shows that I have 3,495 Marriott Rewards Points, which sounds right, since I did have 1,165 SPG Points in my account.  It also shows 2 “Standard Redemption Rate” awards – I’m not sure what those are, but I think they are related to my 2 SPG award stays booked on July 11.

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Marriott Fans, I Need Help!

Ready for a rant? And this isn’t even about the Marriott/SPG merger, either. I’m not a Marriott loyalist, but I’m no hotel newbie either. It’s a simple task I should be able to do that I can’t. And I’m frustrated. I challenged Grant, as well, and he couldn’t figure it out. I can’t find an email address for a Marriott property so I can email the hotel directly. Surely this has to be doable?? I can do it with Hyatt hotels, and Hilton, too. And used to be able to easily find email addresses at SPG properties. So I’m asking you TWG readers and Marriott loyalists……how the heck do you find an email address for a Marriott property?? It’s not on Google nor on the hotel website. Oh yeah, it’s the Copenhagen Marriott! But I’m hoping someone will be able to tell us in general how to find email addresses for Marriott hotels. Thanks, everyone, for hopefully putting an end to this rant :)

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Buy United Miles with 100% Bonus: Such a Deal!

“United miles on sale with a 100% bonus…..yes please!” My friend Rich sounded excited. He’s a long-time United flyer. He does monthly commutes from Hawaii to California so he can never have enough United miles. When I saw this sale I let him know about it, and then I took a look at it for myself. I don’t fly United metal very often, though last year I did have a great trip home from Europe in First Class in their now retired plane. I do book a lot of flights through United using Star Alliance partners, though. I’m partial to Star Alliance airlines when I go to Europe or Asia. Sometimes the best and quickest way to top up miles for an award trip is to simply purchase miles from an airline, especially when they have 100% bonus sales going on. We all like to travel more, for less! I keep a list of airline point promos handy to see if they’ll work for me. Depending on your travel plans, this might be worth checking out.

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Visit San Francisco’s Newest Attraction: Salesforce Park

Good morning everyone.  On Monday, I finally got to experience the brand new Salesforce Park, the newest attraction in San Francisco.  The bottom levels are the new Salesforce Transit Center and the top level is the new Salesforce Park.  The park is surrounded by Salesforce buildings and is a short walk from Embarcadero Bart, Montgomery Bart, and the SF Ferry Building.  If you are planning to visit San Francisco, I highly recommend visiting the new Salesforce Park.  It is free to visit and is open everyday from 6am to 9pm.  I walked the entire park path in 13 minutes and that included taking in the sights and taking a few photos.  There are lots of tables, chairs, green spaces, and activities throughout the day.

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Up to 50% Bonus on Alaska Airlines Miles (Expires October 4)

Good afternoon everyone.  Yesterday, I received an email from Alaska Airlines stating that they have a mystery buy miles promotion with up to a 50% bonus.  I was curious if I was targeted for the 50% bonus offer, and it looks like I was.  I know a lot of people chose Alaska Airlines when they purchased their Marriott Rewards Travel Packages, but if you still need more Alaska Airlines miles, now is the time to buy more.  A 50% bonus is very generation from Alaska Airlines, so check to see if you were targeted for the 50% bonus.  Always remember to check your math before purchasing miles and points and make sure you have a redemption in mind.

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