Marriott 40% points bonus, Avios boost up to 500%, and Air India business to Thailand from €1,698

Hey {{first name | reader}},

Happy Wednesday! Halfway through the week. Today's lineup: a Marriott points sale with two legitimately insane redemption ideas, an Avios boost that sounds too good to be true (and has some important fine print), and a sneaky Air India business class deal to Southeast Asia.

Here's what's inside today's post:

If you're short a few points for a redemption, Marriott is running a buy-points promo right now with up to a 40% bonus. The promo runs Feb 3 to Mar 26, 2026, and at the top tier you're effectively buying points for 8.9 USD x 1000 points.

✅ Worth it when you're topping off for a specific booking (especially if it unlocks a high-cash-rate night, or a longer stay where points pricing makes sense).

✅ Worth it if you've already found availability and you're just bridging the gap.

❌ Usually not worth it as a "buy now, figure it out later" move—Marriott pricing can move, and you don't want a pile of points without a plan.

My simple rule:

If buying points makes your all-in points stay cheaper than cash (after fees/taxes you'd pay either way), then it's in play. If it's "close," I usually lean cash unless the stay is peak season and you want flexibility.

Here are two "this is why you hoard Bonvoy points" hotels you can drop straight into your redemption wishlist (and they're both legitimately bucket-list level):

1) Al Maha, a Luxury Collection Desert Resort & Spa (Dubai desert)

If you want an "I can't believe this is bookable with points" redemption, Al Maha is a classic. It's a luxury desert conservation reserve property with private pool "tents," wildlife, and a very special occasion vibe — and it's all-inclusive (minus alcohol), which is why the math can get silly in your favor.

Why it's a great points play: cash rates can be high, but you're also covering a lot more than just a bed (meals + experience), so the real value per point often beats most city hotels.

Cash rates can go for over $1,500 USD, or you can book it for around ~108,000 Bonvoy points/night (pricing varies by date because Marriott is dynamic).

2) JW Marriott Masai Mara Lodge (Safari lodge)

This one is for the "I'd rather spend points than my children's inheritance" crowd. A safari lodge is usually the definition of wild cash rates, and when award nights appear, Bonvoy can be a sneaky way to do it.

Check out this stay: You can book the Deluxe Sunset, All-Inclusive Safari Experience, 1 Bedroom Suite, 1 King, River view, Patio for 5 nights for 3 adults for 856k Bonvoy points. This equals $7,620 USD. I know it is high, but this room in cash goes for a whopping $5,430 USD avg/night, $27,152 total per room. You are saving $20k for the stay!!!

The thing is: you need planning for this. As Marriott only lets you buy up to 150,000 points per calendar year, before any bonuses.

There are two Avios angles floating around right now, and it's important not to mix them up:

BA Club members can pay to boost Avios transactions by up to 500%, and it applies to Avios earned in 2025 and 2026 so far (with some exclusions). Deadline is Feb 6 at 5pm (17:00).

Why it matters:

Because Avios aren't just BA. If you're the kind of person who uses Avios for Qatar, Finnair, or BA partner awards, this can be a very cheap way to bulk up—if you actually have eligible transactions to boost.

Important reality check:

This isn't "buy unlimited Avios." It's boosting eligible transactions in your BA Club account. Before you get excited, log in and see what's actually eligible for your account—then decide if the cost per Avios makes sense for what you're trying to book.

Finnair is also running a buy Avios promo (separate from BA's boost). It can be useful if you specifically want Avios in Finnair Plus, or you're strategically building balances across the Avios ecosystem.

The sale ends tomorrow, February 6th, and they offer up to a 50% bonus on purchased Avios, bringing the cost down to 16.5 USD per 1000 points.

Key note: BA's "Boost" promo is about eligible earned transactions—so if your plan is "I'll buy Avios on Finnair and then boost them," that may not work the way you think. The safe move is: treat these as two separate tools, and only use the boost if your account shows eligible transactions.

If you're trying to get to Southeast Asia in business class without lighting your wallet on fire, Air India is currently pricing some surprisingly low fares from Milan.

Starting prices (roundtrip, Business):

Travel window: departures available January through March.

What's included: business class perks + 2×32kg checked bags.

The important fine print (aka: "is it lie-flat the whole way?")

These routings depart form Copenhagen and connect via Delhi

So yeah — Air India may not be the flashiest operator on these routes, and for Thailand/Malaysia you might end up with a recliner on the short hop…

How I'd frame it:

What I'd do before booking:

That's it for today. More deals and strategies coming your way on Friday.

Catch you in the clouds, 

Tomi