In episode 35 of Miles Ahead: The Canadian Points Podcast, Daniel, Jeff, and Josh from FrugalFlyer.ca take a look at the state of the Marriott Bonvoy loyalty program, starting with some of the recently launched excellent offers on the co-branded Marriott Bonvoy cards, both in Canada and the United States.
They discuss Marriott Bonvoy’s new global promotion for bonus elite qualifying nights and points, and how members can best take advantage. They also look at where the program is today and what has changed over the last few years.
The episode wraps up with the team sharing how they utilize the loyalty program and how they get the most value out of their stays and points redemptions. They also make some predictions as to what is coming for the Marriott Bonvoy program in the future.
(00:57) Big Welcome Bonuses on Marriott Bonvoy Cards
American Express Canada and American Express US are both offering massive bonuses on their co-branded Marriott Bonvoy cards. Now would be a great time to add any of these cards to your wallet.
- Current Welcome Bonuses on Marriott Bonvoy Cards
- Up to 110,000 points on the Marriott Bonvoy® American Express®* Card
- Up to 110,000 points on the Marriott Bonvoy® Business American Express®* Card
- Up to 200,000 points on the American Express Marriott Bonvoy Brilliant Card (US)
- Up to 175,000 points on the American Express Marriott Bonvoy Bevy Card (US)
- Up to five free night certificates (worth 50,000 points each) on the American Express Marriott Bonvoy Business Card (US)
(04:03) New Marriott Bonvoy Global Promotion
The current Marriott Bonvoy global promotion offers an additional 2,500 points and 1 bonus elite qualifying night when you stay at a brand for the first time during the promotion period. While this is a solid offer, it does pale in comparison to what we have seen in years past.
(06:37) Maximizing the Marriott Bonvoy Global Promotion
If you are close to Platinum or Titanium status, there are several good ways to capitalize on this limited-time global promotion, including hotel hopping in a major city or resort area where there are several different Marriott brands close by.
(12:53) The Current State of Marriott Bonvoy
There’s still a lot to like when it comes to Marriott Bonvoy, but there have been concerning developments. Some new brands are only earning 0.5 elite qualifying nights and fewer points per dollar spent. Certain properties are not honoring elite benefits or are minimizing their impact through changes such as reducing breakfast offerings.
Redemption pricing continues to increase, too, particularly for aspirational properties. You can also top up free night certificates with 25,000 points (was previously 15,000 points) as a new development, which is a positive change, but it doesn’t make redemptions any cheaper.
(20:51) What Marriott Bonvoy Is Still Good For & How We Maximize The Program
Even with all of the changes, Marriott Bonvoy still offers some great pockets of value and will continue to be the default hotel loyalty program of choice for Canadians. Looking outside of North America will usually result in higher-value redemptions and better elite recognition.
(26:28) The Future of Marriott Bonvoy
While the Frugal Flyer team doesn’t actually know the direction the Marriott Bonvoy program will take in the future, they speculate as to what they think is coming.
(33:40) Conclusion
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