Business Platinum Card from American Express
130,000 MR points
Marriott Bonvoy Announces 2020 Category Changes
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Marriott Bonvoy American Express Card
- Earn 65,000 Bonvoy points upon spending $3,000 in the first three months
- Earn an additional 30,000 Bonvoy points upon spending $20,000 in the first 12 months
- Plus, earn 15,000 Bonvoy points when you make a purchase between 15 and 17 months of Cardmembership.
- Also, receive an annual Free Night Award worth 35,000 Bonvoy points starting in your second year with the card
- Also, receive 15 elite-qualifying nights every year and automatic Marriott Bonvoy Silver Elite status
- Bonus Bonvoy points for referring family and friends
- Annual fee: $120
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Glad I saw this when I did. I’m going to need to figure out my bookings soon.
Another hit below the belt: Marriott Eliminates Elite Telephone Reservations For Silvers and Golds Without Notice…
This program becomes worthless for an average person – only business travelers can find any value in it.
We’ve all been Bonvoyed times and again…
https://viewfromthewing.com/marriott-eliminates-elite-telephone-reservations-for-silvers-and-golds-without-notice/
So, we’re about to see a massive devaluation in Bonvoy points. I can understand wanting to flee the program like rats on a sinking ship. I’ve certainly considered it. But this is, after all, just one year. Perhaps the pendulum swings back next year, and we begin to find more value where we want it. Although disappointed by this year’s category-shifting cataclysm, I’m not out just yet. Taking a step back might not be a bad idea, but I wouldn’t abandon any loyalty program entirely. You never know what tomorrow might bring.
Yeah, it’s understandable and even expected for members to react emotionally, and they definitely should be making their feelings known. However, at the end of the day the math remains simple: redeem points when the value is there (there are still plenty of $1,000+/night properties at 70k points per night, or similar cases at lower price points) and pay cash when the value isn’t there.
That threshold of when to use points and when to pay cash might have to change a little, though. I’ll definitely be reassessing my 1cpp (CAD) valuation of Bonvoy points the next time I look at my valuations.
Our USA-AMEX-Bonvoy coming for renewal which are FYF in the past and i was in dilema to renew it due to being the first USA card but now i will sure cancel.
Btw..do they have any no AF bonvoy cards to down grade or should i cancel all together by loosing the credit history ?
There are no no-annual-fee Bonvoy cards so I don’t think you’ll be able to downgrade (someone correct me if I’m wrong).
Having said that, I personally will continue holding onto the US cards, because it should still be possible (just more difficult) to get good value out of the certificate.
This is highly disappointing. The only time it might still be still worthwhile is for Christmas and NY bookings, when hotels are even more insanely expensive than the new Bonvoy rates
Given the changes, is it more favourable to focus on getting Platinum status with Hilton, instead of Marriott?
You can easily do both, since you can get instant top-tier Diamond status with Hilton just by having the Hilton Aspire card.
I have bookings at JW Marriott and Westin Perth in May on mRTW that look to both be dropping categories. Should I be cancelling and rebooking post category drop?
That, or reach out to a Bonvoy agent post-drop and ask them to credit the difference.
Is it still worth to keep the Amex Bonvoy personnal & bussiness cards pass the renewal date and pay the fees to collect the free night certificate? Or just cancel and churn every 6 months?
For the Canadian cards, the 50,000-point signup bonus is definitely worth more than the 35,000-point free night certificate.
I’d definitely continue holding onto the US cards, though, because it should still be possible (just more difficult) to get good value out of the certificate.
What Canadians need is another competitor like the US
IHG, Hyatt, Hilton all come please….
COME TO CANADAAAA
There is still the option of using Cobalt points directly rather than transfer to Marriott Bonvoy
I am shocked that Metropolitan Hotel Vancouver is increasing from a 5 to a 6. It is probably the worst hotel I have ever stayed at. Old, dirty, just plain awful. I am curious how they even determine these categories in the first place…
This is exactly the thing – so many downright mediocre hotels are going up in category, seemingly for no reason other than to discourage points redemptions.
Of course, the flip side to this, as seen in the small handful of properties that have gone down in categories, is that you can easily find top-quality but lower-category hotels in less popular places around the world.
It might be time now to transfer Bonvoy Points to Alaska Mileage?
I’m leaning in that direction too, you know. I’ll definitely be writing a post soon to explore how to get better value out of the frequent flyer transfer partners.
If you did it the full 60/25k transfer then you would at minimum retain the point value, if not increase it a bit. Using 5x cobalt to generate MP through Bonvoy isn’t a bad idea either.
I do both ????
They should rename Marriott corporation for BC Marriott, BC for "Bring Cash".
Woof. P2 and I both have renewals coming up on our bus Bonvoy cards. As if peak pricing already didn’t kick those Cat5 free nights down a notch, this now is the devaluation that says its time to move on and direct some effort elsewhere. Marriott clearly doesn’t want the business.
I don’t see how the hit to Cat 5s could possibly not result in a mass exodus from the credit cards, given how big of a selling point those free night certificates are (despite their existing shortcomings).
Man I wish Hyatt has ended up buying Starwood instead. Can you imagine the powerhouse loyalty program and aspirational properties. I feel like both companies had the right culture when it came to playing fair with elites.
Though maybe merging two giant loyalty programs with tons of members will inevitably cause devaluation no matter what…
I totally can imagine. It’s a nice daydream for sure, right about now. We probably would’ve seen a fair share of devaluations, but I’m certain there would’ve been many things that members liked being kept around and built out further as well, unlike the current race to the bottom.