In this post:
30-50% Bonus When You Buy or Gift 2,000-150,000 Marriott Points
Until 16th July, you will receive a 30-50% bonus when you purchase or gift 2,000-150,000 Marriott Bonvoy points. The offer increases the maximum purchase of points to 150,000 per year, up from 100,000.
It’s important to note that bonuses will vary based on the offer you’ve been targeted with.
30% Bonus
My account has been targeted with a 30% bonus.
Purchasing 2,000 points would get 2,600 for £18.52. Each point would be worth 0.71p.
Purchasing the maximum amount of 150,000 would get you 195,000 points for £1,388.84, still at a rate of 0.71p per point.
40% Bonus
If you’ve been targeted with the 40% bonus, you could purchase 150,000 points and receive 210,000 points. Any purchase from 2,000 to 150,000 points would be at a rate of 0.66p per point.
50% Bonus
If you’re lucky enough to have been targeted with a 50% bonus, you can purchase 150,000 points and receive 225,000. Each point would be worth 0.61p.
Worth It?
We generally don’t recommend purchasing points just to get them in a sale so you should have a particular redemption planned where the points value is cheaper than the cash value. Of course, this will depend on which offer you’ve been targeted with.
For example, the above hotel is 87,200 points, £556. Purchasing points with the 50% bonus brings the cost to £531.92, undercutting the cash rate, while a 40% bonus would cost you £575.52
Points can be especially handy for Marriott’s Stay for 5, Pay for 4 benefit on award bookings.
This offer is similar to ones we’ve seen previously, which have ranged from a 30% to 55% bonus.
Things to Note
- Points should be in your account within 72 hours
- If you’re a new Marriott Bonvoy member, your account must be at least 30 days old and have at least some ‘qualifying activity’.
- The bonus Points earned with this promotion through the Buy Points or Gift Points pages are not included in the annual purchase limit of 150,000 points.
- Most hotel taxes are not charged on award stays. Resort fees are charged.
- Points are via points.com so will not code as travel on your credit card.
You can purchase Marriott points here >>>
Aer Lingus to Launch Direct Flights from Dublin to Cancún
Aer Lingus is set to launch a new seasonal route from Dublin to Cancún, operating from 6th January to 29th April 2026.
Operated by an Airbus A330-300, flights will run three times a week on Tuesdays, Thursdays, and Saturdays. Flights will depart Dublin at 13:30 and arrive in Cancún at 19:20. Return flights leave Cancún at 21:05 and land in Dublin at 11:20 the next day.
In Cancún, you can enjoy lovely weather, golden beaches, and crystal clear waters. The region is also home to archaeological sites such as El Rey, Ichkabal, Coba, Kohunlich, El Meco, and Chichén Itzá. You can enjoy Mexican delicacies, from grilled meats to ceviche, Lobster Pizza, queso de bola, and crispy sweet Marquesitas. Cancún is popular with honeymooners and has a wide variety of family-friendly hotels.
Pricing and Redemption Options
Direct pricing from Dublin starts at £245 one-way in Economy, and from £749 in Business Class, inclusive of taxes, fees, and carrier charges. The average one-way fare is €612 (£514) for Economy and €5,176 (£4,355) for Business.
Redemptions via British Airways offer good value: Most Business Class redemptions are 90,000 Avios plus £139.10 in taxes and fees, or you can book Economy for 16,250 Avios + £122.20.
If you’re flying from the UK, fares from Heathrow (via Dublin) are competitive. Business Class is available from £1,569, and Economy from just £348. The Heathrow–Dublin segment is operated by either BA or Aer Lingus. You can also reach Dublin easily from a wide range of regional UK airports with Aer Lingus.
For more information and to book flights, visit the Aer Lingus website >>>
Virgin Red Adds Merlin Gift Cards as a New Way to Spend Points: Worth It?
There are countless ways to spend Virgin Points. You now also have the option to spend your points on Merlin Gift cards via Virgin Experience Days.
Gift cards are priced as follows:
- £25 – 5,000 points
- £50 – 10,000 points
- £100 – 20,000 points
This would make each point worth 0.5p. This is the standard value of a point for redemptions like money off Virgin train tickets and Virgin wines vouchers. However, there are much more valuable ways to spend points. You can earn Virgin Red Points and Virgin Atlantic Points and transfer points between the two programmes. The best options include Virgin Voyages cruises, flight redemptions and cabin upgrades.
However, if you have some Virgin Points lying around that you’re not planning to use for redemptions or cruises, a Merlin Gift card may be a good option for you.
These gift cards can be used to access more than 30 UK attractions (just in time for half term), including:
London:
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Madame Tussauds London
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DreamWorks Tours Shrek’s Adventure!
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The London Eye/London Eye River Cruise
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SEA LIFE London
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The London Dungeon
UK
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LEGOLAND® Windsor Resort
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THORPE PARK Resort
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Chessington World of Adventures Resort
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Warwick Castle
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Cadbury World (Birmingham)
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The Bear Grylls Adventure (Birmingham)
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LEGOLAND® Discovery Centre Birmingham & Manchester
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SEA LIFE (Birmingham, Manchester, Scarborough, Blackpool, Loch Lomond, Great Yarmouth, Hunstanton, Weymouth and Brighton)
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The York Dungeon
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The Blackpool Tower Eye, Circus & Ballroom
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Madame Tussauds Blackpool
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The Blackpool Dungeon/The Edinburgh Dungeon
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Alton Towers Resort/The Gruffalo & Friends Clubhouse/Peter Rabbit™: Explore & Play
Ireland
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SEA LIFE Bray
How to Purchase a Voucher
Click Merlin Gift Cards on the Virgin Red website or app, choose the value of your gift card, and click redeem. Your gift card will be emailed to you.
Browse the Merlin Gift Card website for your preferred attraction, click Pay with Card, and enter the 16-digit gift card code.
The gift card is valid for 12 months from the purchase date. It must be spent online, not in person, and part-payment with gift cards is not possible.
