Daily Getaways Great Deal Tomorrow-Marriott Travel Cards
The Daily Getaways promotion has been raging on, to rave reviews–ok not really. Which is why I haven’t mentioned it until now, that I think there is something worth getting in on.
Tomorrow at 1:00 PM EDT (10 AM here on the Left Coast) they are running a sale on Marriott TravelCards-which can be redeemed for anything from hotel stays, to dining in their restaurants and even spa treatments.
Marriott Travel Card
On the surface this is a pretty good deal, but it becomes an AMAZING deal when you consider the fact that you get an extra10% off for using any American Express card. So here are the options, with the price for using an American Express in parenthesis:
- $44 ($39.60) for $50 Marriott TravelCard [150 Available]
- $ 89 ($80.10) for $100 Marriott TravelCard [290 Available]
- $222 ($199.80) for $250 Marriott TravelCard [452 Available]
- $445 ($400.50) for $500 Marriott TravelCard [201 Available]
- $890 ($801) for $1,000 Marriott TravelCard [50 Available]
I became curious about what TravelCard denominations are at the best value, so being an Engineer, I put together the spreadsheet below to calculate this information quickly.
The first column labeled “LIMIT” is important because it is the maximum number of TravelCards that can be bought in a single purchase. It should also be noted that to analyze the cost, I divided the card value (say $50) by the cost to purchase them ($44 or $39.60 with AMEX), so the larger the number, the BETTER the value. In other words, it is the dividend available, per dollar spent, ie 1.14 and 1.26.
| LIMIT | VALUE | Regular | AMEX | Reg. $/$ | AMEX $/$ | |
| 5 | $50.00 | $44.00 | $39.60 | 1.14 | 1.26 | |
| 5 | $100.00 | $89.00 | $80.10 | 1.12 | 1.25 | |
| 2 | $250.00 | $222.00 | $199.80 | 1.13 | 1.25 | |
| 2 | $500.00 | $445.00 | $400.50 | 1.12 | 1.25 | |
| 1 | $1,000.00 | $890.00 | $801.00 | 1.12 | 1.25 |
What is interesting to note, is that the deal is actually slightly better for lower end of the scale. I can’t claim to be an expert on economics, but it is surprising because instead of receiving a better deal for buying a larger quantity (think Costco or Sam’s Club) you could a better deal for buying less.
What this means for me is that instead of buying 1 single $500 card for $400/$445, I can get a better value and spend less by buying 10 $50 cards (in 2 orders) for $396/$440. Go figure.
Anyway, I know it is maybe a little late to share this when it is less than 24 hours away, but I am glad to share the path to great travel!
| LIMIT | VALUE | Regular | AMEX | Reg. $/$ | AMEX $/$ | |
| 5 | $50.00 | $44.00 | $39.60 | 1.14 | 1.26 | |
| 5 | $100.00 | $89.00 | $80.10 | 1.12 | 1.25 | |
| 2 | $250.00 | $222.00 | $199.80 | 1.13 | 1.25 | |
| 2 | $500.00 | $445.00 | $400.50 | 1.12 | 1.25 | |
| 1 | $1,000.00 | $890.00 | $801.00 | 1.12 | 1.25 |
Point Me to the Miles 