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Update: In October 2021, Marriott further extended Free Night Awards and the pause on point expiration. See this post for full details.
Great news for Marriott Bonvoy members. Marriott is — once again — extending the validity of both Free Night Awards and the expiration of Marriott Bonvoy points.
As the pandemic drags on, Marriott is recognizing that many travelers are still hesitant to book both flights and stays. So, it's nice that Bonvoy members will have added time to redeem both free nights and points.
Previous Marriott Bonvoy Extensions, COVID-19 Developments
This isn't the first time Marriott has made changes to the Bonvoy program as a result of the COVID-19 pandemic.
In February 2021, Marriott made changes to elite status requirements and temporarily reduced rates for stays booked with points. Marriott's most recent announcement includes changes to how long you have to redeem points and free nights before they expire. Here's what Bonvoy members need to know about the policies related to the validity of their points and free nights.
Marriott Bonvoy Points, Free Night Awards Validity Extended
Marriott is extending the validity of Bonvoy points yet again. Typically, Bonvoy points expire after 24 months of account inactivity. However, Marriott is pausing expiration until March 31, 2022. The previous extension kept Bonvoy points valid until August 1, 2021. So, this means members have an additional 8 months to generate activity or use your expiring points. Generating Bonvoy activity can now be as simple as ordering Uber Eats thanks to a new partnership between Marriott and Uber. Update: Points expiration pause has been further extended through December 31, 2022.
Free Night Awards are also getting an extension. Any Marriott Free Night Awards that were set to expire in 2020 or before January 2, 2022, are included in this round of extensions. The expiration date on these Free Night Awards will be extended until January 3, 2022. Update: These Free Night Awards have been further extended through June 30, 2022.
The changes made to the validity of both Bonvoy points and Free Night Awards include points and free night awards earned from stays, co-branded credit cards, and other promotions.
Related: Top Picks for Marriott Bonvoy Credit Card Free Nights
The Bottom Line
This is fantastic news for Marriott Bonvoy members. As vaccination rates continue to climb and cases fall in the United States, travelers are slowly returning to roads, airports, and hotels. However, there are still quite a few travelers who aren't ready to get back on the road.
Thankfully, Bonvoy members that aren't quite ready to resume their travels won't need to worry about their points or free night awards expiring anytime soon. With this most recent round of changes to points and free night awards, Bonvoy members won't see any points expire until December 31, 2022. And free night awards will remain valid until June 30, 2022.
Were you concerned about the validity of your points or free night awards? Do these most recent changes offer any peace of mind?
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