Marriott Bonvoy Announces Elite Status, Points and SNA Extensions - Dynamic Pricing for Award Stays to Start from March 2022
Marriott Bonvoy has just announced that they will be extending the validity elite statuses for members through February 2023 - this is regardless of whether the status was earned in 2020, or earned in 2019. A few other extensions for Suite Night Awards, Marriott Bonvoy point expiry, and Free Night Awards have also been announced but there is a negative change coming - the number of points required for a free night or award stay will soon be dynamic, and directly correlated to the Flexible Rate of the property.
Photo Credit: The Ritz-Carlton Maldives, Fari Islands
Elite Status to Be Extended Through February 2023
All Marriott Bonvoy elite members will be able to keep their statuses for another year, regardless of whether you have earned it in 2021 for 2022 or not. If you are an elite member with a status due to be downgraded after February 2022, you will get to keep it for another year. For those of you who have earned it for 2022 by hitting the number of required nights this year, there will be no change to your status expiry.
Suite Night Awards to Be Extended Through June 2022
Suite Night Awards that were expiring in 2020 were given a new expiry date of December 2021 - now the expiry on these SNAs will once again be extended through 30 June 2022, giving you more time to utilise them in the year ahead. As the bulk of Marriott properties in Singapore are still closed for leisure stays, most of them are expected to reopen in Q1 2022.
Flexibility to Top-up Points for Free Night Awards
If you have a free night award certificate, you will soon be able to combine them with up to 15,000 Marriott Bonvoy points. For example, if you have a Free Night Award Certificate for a stay of up to 40,000 points, you will be able to top-up the remaining number of required Marriott Bonvoy (up to 15,000) points if you wish to redeem for something of a higher category, or for a property during peak period.
Marriott Bonvoy Points Expiration to be Extended Through December 2022
If you have expiring Marriott Bonvoy points, they will be extended through December 2022, giving you more time to utilise them for award stays (remember to redeem five consecutive nights for the most bang for your buck as that will give you the cheapest night free). With that said, it does seem likely that Marriott Bonvoy will be implemented dynamic pricing for award stays starting from March 2022 - it will come into full effect in 2023 - so do make sure to lock-in those redemption stays as quickly as possible.
Photo Credit: W Melbourne
Dynamic Pricing on Award Nights
Hotel categories will slowly be phased away starting from March 2022 - this means that there will no longer be 'sweet spots' for redemption moving forward. The number of Marriott Bonvoy points required for a free night will soon coincide with the daily rate of the property, and it is highly likely that the program will be reduced to a glorified cashback loyalty program moving forward (much like how the Accor Live Limitless program is like).
If you are sitting on a large number of Marriott Bonvoy properties, now is a great time to start planning for them. Singapore has just announced two new VTL arrangements with Switzerland and Australia - this might just be the perfect opportunity to burn some points and travel in style for less while you still can.
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