If you book a 2-night hotel stay on Expedia using promo code TY5K09 you’ll earn a 5,000 Thank You Point bonus.
Frugal Travel Guy suggests it as a hail mary ot get to 90,000 Thank You points prior to March 1, getting in before the devaluation of the program.
I’m a bit more conservative. Sure, if you have no other plays it’s worth trying. As Rick notes, it’s unclear whether you have to check in to get the bonus (though on an Expedia pre-paid hotel I doubt it) or whether the points will post in time (my gut says no). As a result I wouldn’t spend incremental dollars to ‘buy’ Thank You Points this way, even the property he suggests @ $15/night.
But if you’re going to be booking hotel rooms anyway (by March 1 for stays through May 1), and Expeida turns out to be a reasonable place to do it, this bonus is still better than a hole in the head (as it were), even post-devaluation (when points top out at 1 cent apiece in redeemable value). And Expedia bookings earn cashback via Fatwallet as well.
What exactly are Thank You points? Can you double dip with Expedia bookings (i.e. get your Marriott or Priority Club points as well as the Thank You points)?
There is a tradeoff involved – booking with Expedia special rate typically do not qualify for hotel program points or counts toward elite qualification. Key word is typically – YMMV.
Granted, 5000 thank you point is equivalent of $50 in gift cards.
What does 90,000 thank you point get you? Is that something worth have before or after March 1st?