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Update 10/26/2020: Great news! Marriott has extended the validity of Free Night Awards through August 1, 2021. This covers all Free Night Awards that have an original expiration date in 2020, or which will expire before July 31, 2021.
Update 4/17/2020: Good news! In addition to processing elite status extensions, Marriott has also now processed extensions for Free Night Awards and Suite Night Awards.
We just barely finished updating you on Marriott's policy changes in response to coronavirus, and now there is more good news! Marriott is giving elite members something to cheer about by extending elite status. Meanwhile, all members will get more breathing room when it comes to points expiration.
Elite Status
Most of the large hotel brands have already extended status for their elite members around the globe. In February, Marriott only extended elite status for members residing in mainland China, Hong Kong, Macau, and Taiwan. Until now, all other Bonvoy members were playing the waiting game to see if their elite status would also be extended.
Well, the wait is over. Marriott has announced that it is extending elite status for all current Bonvoy elite members. The status that you earned in 2019 is now yours to keep until February 2022.
That's obviously great news for travelers who have been essentially sidelined for over a month—with little hope for much travel in the near future. This change should already show up on the My Account page on the Marriott website.
More Bonvoy Benefits
But this elite status extension isn't the only positive improvement from this announcement. Marriott is extending its pause on points expiration and extending other Bonvoy benefits.
Points Expiration Pause
In addition to the extension of elite status for all members, Marriott is also extending the deadline for points expiration. In our last post on Marriott's policies, points expiration was paused through August 31, 2020. Now Marriott has bumped the deadline back to February 2021. Members now have even more time to make decisions about future bookings or to generate account activity to keep their account active.
Once the February 2021 deadline hits, you will need to have qualifying activity in your account within the past 24 months to keep your points. We hope that the travel world will be back up and running by then.
If travel is still constrained, consider donating some points to generate activity. A donation of just 2,500 points will support people and communities affected by COVID-19 and other crises around the world. For a full list of donation options, visit Marriott's donation page.
Or, if you would rather generate activity by earning points, check out credit cards that earn Marriott Bonvoy points.
- Earn 6X Bonvoy points per $1 spent participating Marriott Bonvoy hotels, 3X points per $1 on the first $6,000 spent in combined purchases each year on grocery stores, gas stations, and dining, and 2X points per $1 on all other purchases
- Earn 3 Marriott Bonvoy® points for every $1 on the first $6,000 spent in combined purchases each year on gas stations, grocery stores, and dining
- Earn 2X Bonvoy points for every $1 spent on all other purchases
Free Night and Suite Night Awards
We reported last week that Marriott extended the validity of active Free Night Awards and Suite Night Awards, and this most-recent announcement doesn't change that. The expiration date for Suite Night Awards is still December 31, 2021. Members who have a Free Night Award that expires in 2020 can still use it through January 31, 2021.
If you are feeling inspired to look for Free Night Award redemptions, check out our top picks for free nights at Marriott properties in the US and around the world!
Our Take
We are happy to see Marriott come through with elite status extensions for all members, regardless of where they reside. Fingers crossed that travel opens up soon and we don't have to look for more updates from Marriott—or anyone else.
For more on about how other major hotel brands are responding to the coronavirus crisis:
- Hilton Extends Elite Status, Suspends Points Expiration Due to COVID-19
- Choice Hotels Suspends Points Expiration, Provides Flexible Cancellation Policies
- Hilton Extends Free Night Certificate Validity Due to Coronavirus Pandemic
- Hyatt Suspends Points Expiration, Delays Peak Award Pricing, Provides Cancellation Options
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