Link: Apply now for the refreshed Marriott Bonvoy Brilliant® American Express® Card
Huge changes have been made to the Marriott Bonvoy Brilliant® American Express® Card (review), which is Marriott’s premium personal credit card. The card has added several awesome new perks, including Marriott Bonvoy Platinum Elite status without any sort of a spending requirement… wow! As you’d expect, the annual fee has increased as well.
In this post:
Marriott Bonvoy Brilliant Card annual fee increases to $650
Let’s start with the bad news. The annual fee on the Marriott Bonvoy Brilliant Card has increased to $650 (Rates & Fees). This applies immediately for new card applications.
For those who opened their account prior to September 22, 2022, the annual fee increase will take effect on renewal dates on or after January 1, 2023. So for a brief period, existing cardmembers can enjoy the new benefits without paying a higher annual fee.
Marriott Bonvoy Brilliant Card gets awesome new benefits
While the annual fee on the Marriott Bonvoy Brilliant Card has increased considerably, the card is also getting several new perks. There are positive changes when it comes to the ability to earn elite status, the value of free night awards, and more. Let’s cover the details of what’s changing.
Complimentary Marriott Bonvoy Platinum Elite status
The Marriott Bonvoy Brilliant Card now offers Marriott Bonvoy Platinum Elite status for as long as you’re a cardmember. This is huge, given the perks of Platinum Elite status, which include room upgrades (up to standard suites), breakfast or lounge access at most brands, bonus points, and much more.
This is where status with Marriott Bonvoy really starts to get valuable, and this is the easiest readily available pathway we’ve ever seen to Marriott Bonvoy Platinum Elite status. This will understandably interest many. Even if you’re not a Marriott loyalist, Marriott has a huge footprint, so status with the group comes in handy.
25 Marriott Bonvoy elite nights toward status annually
The Marriott Bonvoy Brilliant Card now offers 25 elite nights toward status annually (previously, the card offered 15 elite nights). Now, of course you already receive Bonvoy Platinum Elite status just for having the card, but you don’t earn the elite nights that go along with it.
So if you want to earn Marriott Bonvoy Choice Benefits (like Suite Night Awards) or go for Marriott Bonvoy Titanium Elite or Marriott Bonvoy Ambassador Elite status, this could come in handy.
With this change, you can now earn up to 40 elite nights annually just for having two Marriott credit cards, as you can earn them from one personal and one business card — you can earn 25 elite nights from this card, and 15 elite nights from the Marriott Bonvoy Business® American Express® Card (review).
If you’re an existing cardmember, you may have noticed that 10 additional elite nights have already posted to your account. That’s because of this new perk, as you’re going from 15 elite nights to 25 elite nights.
Marriott free night award worth up to 85,000 Bonvoy points
The Marriott Bonvoy Brilliant Card now offers an anniversary free night certificate every year, valid at a property costing up to 85,000 Bonvoy points. On top of that, you can always top off the free night award with up to 15,000 points, to redeem at a property costing up to 100,000 points.
This is an awesome change, as previously the card’s free night certificate was valid at a property costing up to 50,000 Bonvoy points — that’s a significant difference, and means you’ll be able to redeem this at much more premium properties.
Spend $60K, earn more Marriott Bonvoy Choice Benefits
Starting in January 2023, there will be a nice additional incentive to spend money on the Marriott Bonvoy Brilliant Card. If you make $60,000 in purchases on the card in a calendar year, you’ll be able to select an earned Choice Rewards benefit. Specifically, you’ll be able to choose one of the following:
- Five Suite Night Awards, each of which can be used to confirm a suite upgrade for one night up to five days prior to arrival
- A free night award, valid at a Marriott property costing up to 85,000 Marriott Bonvoy points
- $750 off a bed from Marriott Bonvoy boutiques
This is in addition to whatever Choice Benefits you’d ordinarily earn for crossing 50 or 75 elite nights in a year. This could be a real incentive to spend money on the card, especially when you consider the opportunity to get a free night certificate worth up to 85,000 points.
Up to $300 per year in restaurant credits
The Marriott Bonvoy Brilliant Card now offers up to $300 in statement credits per calendar year for dining purchases at restaurants worldwide. This comes in the form of a $25 credit each month. This replaces the card previously offering a $300 annual Marriott credit. Ultimately this restaurant credit should be easy enough to maximize.
What’s not changing about the Marriott Bonvoy Brilliant
While a lot has changed with the Marriott Bonvoy Brilliant Card, several things aren’t changing:
- The points earning structure on the card remains unchanged, as you can earn 6x Bonvoy points on eligible Marriott hotel purchases, 3x Bonvoy points at restaurants worldwide and on flights booked directly with airlines, and 2x points on all other eligible purchases
- You can receive a Priority Pass Select membership (enrollment required)
- You can get a statement credit for the application fee of TSA PreCheck (every 4.5 years) or Global Entry (every 4 years)
Earn 95K points with the Marriott Bonvoy Brilliant Card
If you’re interested in picking up the Marriott Bonvoy Brilliant Card, the card is offering a bonus of 95,000 Bonvoy points after spending $5,000 within the first three months.
Personally I value Bonvoy points at 0.7 cents each, so to me, that bonus is worth $665. And of course you can enjoy your Marriott Bonvoy Platinum Elite benefits when you redeem those points.
My take on Marriott Bonvoy Brilliant Card changes
Wow, the changes to the Marriott Bonvoy Brilliant Card are huge. It’s really significant that you can now earn Marriott Bonvoy Platinum Elite status just for holding onto a credit card.
Even with the annual fee on this card now being $650, I think the value here is a slam dunk. Just to do some basic “accounting” on the card:
- Most people should be able to fully utilize the $300 annual dining credit; this could be as simple as spending $25 per month at Starbucks
- I’m thrilled that the annual free night award is now valid at a property costing up to 85,000 Bonvoy points per year, with the potential to use up to 15,000 Bonvoy points to top it off, and redeem at a property costing up to 100,000 Bonvoy points; I easily value this certificate at $350, and that’s very conservative.
The way I view it, those two benefits alone justify the annual fee. That doesn’t even account for the value of Platinum Elite status, the 25 elite nights toward status, the Priority Pass membership, and more.
As a Marriott Bonvoy lifetime Platinum Elite member, the Platinum Elite status as such doesn’t add much for me. However, I welcome the 25 elite nights toward status annually. Because I also have a Marriott business credit card, that means I’m earning 40 elite nights toward status annually without actually staying a night. That gets me closer to earning Choice Benefits, which I value immensely.
Marriott Bonvoy Brilliant Card FAQs
There are some questions that I’ve been getting over and over regarding the changes to the Marriott Bonvoy Brilliant Card, so I wanted to address those in this section. If I missed any, please let me know and I’ll get them added.
Does credit card status count toward lifetime elite status?
It’s possible to earn lifetime Marriott Bonvoy Platinum Elite status by racking up 600 elite nights and having 10 cumulative years of Platinum Elite status or higher. Elite nights and status earned with Marriott credit cards count toward that requirement, including the Platinum Elite status offered by this card.
Are you eligible for the Bonvoy Brilliant Card bonus?
Marriott credit card application restrictions can be complicated. In addition to not being eligible for the welcome offer on the Bonvoy Brilliant Card if you’ve already had it, here are the other application restrictions to be aware of:
Welcome offer not available to applicants who (i) have or have had The Ritz-Carlton® Credit Card from JPMorgan or the J.P. Morgan Ritz-Carlton Rewards® Credit Card in the last 30 days, (ii) have acquired the Marriott Bonvoy Bountiful™ Credit Card from Chase, the Marriott Bonvoy Boundless® Credit Card from Chase, or the Marriott Bonvoy Bold® Credit Card from Chase in the last 90 days, or (iii) received a new Card Member bonus or upgrade offer for the Marriott Bonvoy Bountiful™ Credit Card from Chase, the Marriott Bonvoy Boundless® Credit Card from Chase, or the Marriott Bonvoy Bold® Credit Card from Chase in the last 24 months.
When do existing cardmembers have to pay the higher annual fee?
For those who had the Bonvoy Brilliant Card prior to September 22, 2022, the new $650 annual fee kicks in for renewals as of January 1, 2023.
When is the $25 monthly restaurant credit benefit live?
For both new and existing cardmembers, the monthly restaurant credit of up to $25 is effective as of September 22, 2022.
Do Bonvoy Brilliant Card authorized users get Platinum Elite status?
You can add authorized users to the Bonvoy Brilliant Card at no extra cost. However, they don’t receive Platinum Elite status, don’t receive a Priority Pass membership, don’t receive an additional monthly dining credit, etc. Authorized users can primarily just help you rack up more points through their spending.
Is Marriott imminently devaluing Platinum Elite status?
Someone suggested that an Amex chat rep claimed that Platinum Elite members will no longer get club lounge access as of 2023. A Marriott spokesperson has confirmed to me that this isn’t true, so this was just a case of a misinformed rep. That’s not to say there won’t be program changes in the future (these programs always evolve), but there doesn’t seem to be anything imminent here.
Is anything changing to the Ritz-Carlton Credit Card?
While it’s no longer open to new applicants, back in the day Chase issued the Ritz-Carlton Credit Card. For those who still have the card, note that the annual fee won’t be changing, and cardmembers will be receiving an anniversary free night award worth up to 85,000 points, rather than one worth up to 50,000 points.
Is the Bonvoy Brilliant Card worth it for existing elite members?
The single biggest perk of the Bonvoy Brilliant Card is that it offers Platinum Elite status. So where does that pit the value proposition of the card for those who already have Platinum Elite, Titanium Elite, or Ambassador Elite status?
Everyone has to crunch the numbers for themselves. As a Titanium Elite member and a lifetime Platinum Elite member, here’s my general take:
- For me, the $300 annual restaurant credit and annual free night award more than justify the card’s annual fee; I hope to consistently redeem that free night award at properties that would cost $800+ if paying cash
- I value the 25 elite nights offered annually with the card, as that will make it easier to hit 50 or 75 elite nights on an ongoing basis, which earn me Choice Benefits, like Suite Night Awards
- While this doesn’t benefit me, others will certainly value the Priority Pass membership offered by the card, to gain airport lounge access
Bottom line
The Marriott Bonvoy Brilliant Card has undergone a full refresh. While the card’s annual fee has increased to $650, the card also offers all kinds of new benefits. Cardmembers now receive Platinum Elite status for as long as they’re a cardmember, a free night award valid at a property costing up to 85,000 Bonvoy points, 25 elite nights toward status annually, and more.
What do you make of these Marriott Bonvoy Brilliant Card changes?
The following links will direct you to the rates and fees for mentioned American Express Cards. These include: Marriott Bonvoy Brilliant® American Express® Card (Rates & Fees).
Thanks for this article! I just applied (& was approved) using your link. I love your site & am happy to be able to contribute a tiny bit to support the awesome work you do.
I called AMEX today, the rep assured me that Platinum status with this card DOES NOT count toward lifetime status. She went on to specifically state that even though you have Platinum status via the card, you would still need to accumulate 50 stay credits in a year (less the 25 stay credits that come with this card) for that year to count toward lifetime status.
Your article states:
Does credit card status count toward lifetime elite status?
It’s possible to earn lifetime Marriott Bonvoy Platinum Elite status by racking up 600 elite nights and having 10 cumulative years of Platinum Elite status or higher. Elite nights and status earned with Marriott credit cards count toward that requirement, including the Platinum Elite status offered by this card.
I have now spoken with 2 supervisors at the Bonvoy Elite desk...
Your article states:
Does credit card status count toward lifetime elite status?
It’s possible to earn lifetime Marriott Bonvoy Platinum Elite status by racking up 600 elite nights and having 10 cumulative years of Platinum Elite status or higher. Elite nights and status earned with Marriott credit cards count toward that requirement, including the Platinum Elite status offered by this card.
I have now spoken with 2 supervisors at the Bonvoy Elite desk who insist that while the 25 elite nights conferred by the card count towards lifetime status, the platinum status now conferred by the AMEX Brilliant card DOES NOT, and WILL NOT, count towards years of status towards lifetime status. They go on to state that for a year of platinum status to count towards lifetime status a member MUST accrue 50 elite nights each year.
I see that you've reiterated several times in this thread that you believe that the Platinum status conferred by the Brilliant card WILL count towards status. Could you please direct me to any information you might have that would controvert what supervisors at the Bonvoy Elite desk continue to claim is untrue?
Kind Regards
I’m very conflicted about this card. The dining credit is very easy to use; but, I already get back 4% on my AMX Gold card for US dining. Therefore, I’d prefer to keep the old $300 reimbursement for stays at Marriott properties.
The free night certificate and elevated status (Platinum) has to justify the remaining $350 from the $650 annual fee. Hotel status upgrades are a crap shot domestically and I only foresee doing...
I’m very conflicted about this card. The dining credit is very easy to use; but, I already get back 4% on my AMX Gold card for US dining. Therefore, I’d prefer to keep the old $300 reimbursement for stays at Marriott properties.
The free night certificate and elevated status (Platinum) has to justify the remaining $350 from the $650 annual fee. Hotel status upgrades are a crap shot domestically and I only foresee doing 1 international trip in a calendar year. The 85K certificate is certainly a nice perk tho.
In the end, I’ll get this card to use the Welcome Bonus paired with the anniversary year certificate. However, I’m not sold that this is a “keeper” card in the same way as the Hilton Aspire card which has no limits on the value of the free night certificate and has credits that are complimentary to my other credit cards.
I guess since I didn’t use any of my $300 credit this year I only have 4 months of 25 dollar dining credits until renewal. Seems like a loss of 200 dollars benefit on something I prepaid for. As a lifetime titanium I’ve already moved almost all my stays due to poor customer service and now I have a reason to close this card. You have to be out of your mind if you get...
I guess since I didn’t use any of my $300 credit this year I only have 4 months of 25 dollar dining credits until renewal. Seems like a loss of 200 dollars benefit on something I prepaid for. As a lifetime titanium I’ve already moved almost all my stays due to poor customer service and now I have a reason to close this card. You have to be out of your mind if you get 350 dollars out of the free night certificate. I’m not staying anywhere for 85k points that I would fork over the money to stay.
I spoke to a CSA at Amex and they are paying out unused $300 Marriott credits for the year as a statement credit to "equal the field" - if this affects anyone else.
where/when did Marriott announce the changes to the Brilliant card? i’ve looked through past emails and can’t find any notification
The card is tempting. I can easily use the dining credit. Question is do I trust Marriott to not devalue and dilute the benefits. Not really. I'll keep an eye on this card to see how it plays out.
The card is tempting. I can easily use the dining credit. Question is do I trust Marriott to not devalue and dilute the benefits. Not really. I'll keep an eye on this card to see how it plays out.
Interesting info from the fine print...
Welcome offer not available to applicants who have or have had this product or the Starwood Preferred Guest® American Express Luxury Card. We may also consider the number of American Express Cards you have opened and closed as well as other factors in making a decision on your welcome offer eligibility.
Welcome offer not available to applicants who (i) have or have had The Ritz-Carlton® Credit Card from JPMorgan...
Interesting info from the fine print...
Welcome offer not available to applicants who have or have had this product or the Starwood Preferred Guest® American Express Luxury Card. We may also consider the number of American Express Cards you have opened and closed as well as other factors in making a decision on your welcome offer eligibility.
Welcome offer not available to applicants who (i) have or have had The Ritz-Carlton® Credit Card from JPMorgan or the J.P. Morgan Ritz-Carlton Rewards® Credit Card in the last 30 days, (ii) have acquired the Marriott Bonvoy Bountiful™ Credit Card from Chase, the Marriott Bonvoy Boundless® Credit Card from Chase, or the Marriott Bonvoy Bold® Credit Card from Chase in the last 90 days, or (iii) received a new Card Member bonus or upgrade offer for the Marriott Bonvoy Bountiful™ Credit Card from Chase, the Marriott Bonvoy Boundless® Credit Card from Chase, or the Marriott Bonvoy Bold® Credit Card from Chase in the last 24 months.
Lucky or anyone, how long will this current offer be available?
I just got another card and don't want to have to meet two spending targets at once.
Thanks!
Thoughts? Each person has to consider their own situation and try not to assume the worst for the future (if the worst happens in the future, i.e., no lounge access for Platinum Elite, then re-evaluate at that time). I'm absolutely sticking with the Brilliant card for at least another year. Why? I have no lifetime Elite status, I had earned Platinum Elite earlier this year and prior to this announcement was eight nights from Titanium...
Thoughts? Each person has to consider their own situation and try not to assume the worst for the future (if the worst happens in the future, i.e., no lounge access for Platinum Elite, then re-evaluate at that time). I'm absolutely sticking with the Brilliant card for at least another year. Why? I have no lifetime Elite status, I had earned Platinum Elite earlier this year and prior to this announcement was eight nights from Titanium Elite (at 67 nights). For free, I woke up with the 10 Elite night bump to 77 nights - Titanium achieved! With my new status, I was able to select a Titanium Elite choice benefit - I picked the free 40K point night, which was promptly displayed in my account. For those that don't know, Titanium Elite includes United Premier Silver status, which I registered for and received the same day! (Free upgrades to Economy Plus, etc.) My Brilliant membership anniversary happens to be the first week of October, so I will receive an 85K point night award and my membership fee will remain at $450 until the October 2023 renewal. I also exceed the $60K per year spend on the Brilliant card so, I will also earn a second 85K point night award late next year. Bottom line benefits for me, Titanium status for one year plus three free nights & United Premium Silver status. While I did prefer the $300 Marriott credit, $25 per month in dining credits is effectively the same as I do use my Brilliant card at restaurants. I also use the Global Entry credit and Priority Pass lounge access (often w/guests). My one suggestion for a massive, simple benefit improvement would be to change the night awards to point awards, i.e., instead of the 85K night, make it an 85K point boost, that way the Bonvoy member can splurge or conserve the points as they see fit. Bottom line - thank you Marriott!
38 years with Marriott, the first 7 as Gold followed by 31 as Platinum.
Why did I bother?
Because you loved their hotels
Sucker! :D
So you derived no benefit for being platinum for 31 years?
Confused about how the auto-granted status for holding a credit card counts towards lifetime years.
For a given year, does that year count as a lifetime year if I have CC-granted status at Jan 1, at Dec 31, everyday from Jan 1 to Dec 31, or some other criteria?
For example, if I open the Brilliant in Oct 2022 then close it in Nov 2023 (and I do not earn Plat “organically” from hitting 50...
Confused about how the auto-granted status for holding a credit card counts towards lifetime years.
For a given year, does that year count as a lifetime year if I have CC-granted status at Jan 1, at Dec 31, everyday from Jan 1 to Dec 31, or some other criteria?
For example, if I open the Brilliant in Oct 2022 then close it in Nov 2023 (and I do not earn Plat “organically” from hitting 50 ENC in either year) - which years (2022, 2023) count as a lifetime Plat year? Will I earn 0, 1, or 2 lifetime years?
I find the changes reduce the value of the card to me.
I am already Platinum for Life. I find the new card degrades the value of the status by spreading it to a larger number of people. This will inevitably increase the competition for any perks the status provides. Lounges will be fuller, upgrades will be harder than they already are.
I used to quickly use the $300 credit with stays at Marriott properties....
I find the changes reduce the value of the card to me.
I am already Platinum for Life. I find the new card degrades the value of the status by spreading it to a larger number of people. This will inevitably increase the competition for any perks the status provides. Lounges will be fuller, upgrades will be harder than they already are.
I used to quickly use the $300 credit with stays at Marriott properties. I don't eat at restaurants every single month, so I will no longer get the full $300 credit with the new setup.
I generally don't stay in properties where it would take 85K to spend a night. I usually spend more than one night wherever I go, and it would be inconvenient to stay one night in a very expensive property and then move to my more typical haunts. Thus, I'd waste most of the 35K extra points of the certificates (over the 50K point certificates given before).
I downgraded back to the $95 card. BTW, you can downgrade to that card, but you can't get it as a new account. The lower end card is now the Bevy card at $250/yr.
I may even just get a different card altogether. I still can still get decent value out of using Bonvoy points, but even those are getting devalued all the time.
I recently obtained the Brilliant, and am considering product-changing my Boundless to a Ritz. This way I’d earn two 85K certs per year for a more useable 2-night stay at a luxury property.
Qs:
- what is the current annual fee and key benefits of the Ritz? Do they reimburse some Marriott spend in addition to providing an 85K certificate?
- if I product change from the Boundless, does the cert hit...
I recently obtained the Brilliant, and am considering product-changing my Boundless to a Ritz. This way I’d earn two 85K certs per year for a more useable 2-night stay at a luxury property.
Qs:
- what is the current annual fee and key benefits of the Ritz? Do they reimburse some Marriott spend in addition to providing an 85K certificate?
- if I product change from the Boundless, does the cert hit on my current Boundless anniversary date, which is carried over to the Ritz?
Thanks…
Suite nights are very difficult to use. I prefer the free night instead.
Seems they will just put the lounge access etc for Titanium and above in the future. Its coming.
If you get the new Marriott Bonvoy Brilliant Card and still have the a American Express Bonvoy Card can you combine those nights toward Titanium????
No
You only get total 25 nights
So you need 50 more
If the $25 monthly credit went live as of yesterday, I Actually loaded $25 on my Starbucks account yesterday using this card. Will be interesting to see if a credit Actually shows up in next couple days.
Did it work
If everyone didn’t have platinum status before, they will now. And they’ll have 25 nights toward titanium. Meanwhile, Marriott makes ZERO improvements to titanium or ambassador benefits to make customers actually achieve those statuses. Already, some properties are getting 75 guests every night with platinum status. That doesn’t count titanium or ambassador. Commentary aside, the new benefits of the $650 card sound like basically the old Ritz-Carlton card. Before Bonvoy, didn’t the Ritz-Carlton AmEx gave...
If everyone didn’t have platinum status before, they will now. And they’ll have 25 nights toward titanium. Meanwhile, Marriott makes ZERO improvements to titanium or ambassador benefits to make customers actually achieve those statuses. Already, some properties are getting 75 guests every night with platinum status. That doesn’t count titanium or ambassador. Commentary aside, the new benefits of the $650 card sound like basically the old Ritz-Carlton card. Before Bonvoy, didn’t the Ritz-Carlton AmEx gave Ritz-Carlton Rewards platinum status?
No only gold
Any idea if the Ritz free night awards already issued will retroactively increase to 85k? I have 2 sitting in my account still showing 50k, one of which just recently issued.
@ Mike -- Nope, changes just apply to certificates issued going forward.
If your card anniversary is on or after September 22, 2022 you get 85k. So you got the short end of it.
So.... What. Platinum elite sounds great but how often do any of us get true room upgrades from this status - even when asking for it. I would guess it's 50/50 at best. And that's a stretch. Maybe the rest of the upgraded benefits provide equality to a $200/yr additonal cost but I'm doubtful and the card already costs alot for the value provided. I'm not seeing this as anything but a revenue driver for...
So.... What. Platinum elite sounds great but how often do any of us get true room upgrades from this status - even when asking for it. I would guess it's 50/50 at best. And that's a stretch. Maybe the rest of the upgraded benefits provide equality to a $200/yr additonal cost but I'm doubtful and the card already costs alot for the value provided. I'm not seeing this as anything but a revenue driver for Marriott with questionable value. Maybe if they moved everyone up to Titanium Elite but even that is barely recognized by most properties I stay at.
What do you mean 50/50 at best. Unless it's sold out I always get an upgrade 100%. Sometimes one floor higher, sometimes a few rooms further from the elevator, sometimes a few rooms closer to the elevator (per FD, a shorter walk to the pool is an upgrade).
Oh and the suites they are selling online when you check-in is just a nonexistent inventory error by the property.
Heck even a soldout high...
What do you mean 50/50 at best. Unless it's sold out I always get an upgrade 100%. Sometimes one floor higher, sometimes a few rooms further from the elevator, sometimes a few rooms closer to the elevator (per FD, a shorter walk to the pool is an upgrade).
Oh and the suites they are selling online when you check-in is just a nonexistent inventory error by the property.
Heck even a soldout high floor room suddenly appears when you discover that your current room is broken.
If the properties are keeping up this game, it doesn't matter if there are 30 Titanium + 90 Platinum checking in tonight or 30 Titanium + 3500 Platinum. Rooms are always unavailable. While Amex scores an extra $200.
Far less than 50/50 in my experience -- as in, almost never. I find this status almost entirely worthless, other than the marginal value of increased points earning. I'm surprised at the number of commenters who seem to think this status provides something of value.
I like it for lounge/breakfast benefit, that's worth it to me alone.
I've been Platinum for last 10 years due to the lounge/breakfast perk. Hopefully there will be no downgrading in that perk.
This will likely have me cancel my Chase RC card (need 30 days) and switch to this new card. There has been little improvement in those benefits besides the 85K award (vs 50K) for the free night.
Current have the personal Bonvoy from legacy SPG and Amex Business. I'm considering cancel the SPG and apply Brilliant. Will I get another 25 nights credits if approved this year which will put me into plat and get the choice benefits?
All those years being loyal and earning platinum status was just a waste of time and money...
How I wish Hyatt would do this for Globalist!!!
More point devals, program restrictions, exceptions, gotchas, etc. incoming. I'm not falling for any more Bonvoy tricks. Ive divested from Bonvoy. Just Hyatt with Hilton backup for me.
I like these changes. I was going to cancel this card but I will keep it now, at least until I’m lifetime plat which will only take a few years now. Having the 85k free night is huge because that allows me a yearly splurge for a night in NYC at one of the fancy hotels on Central Park.
I'm one of the lucky ones who had my $300 Marriott credit post on 9/21/22. I am now going to pay my $450 annual fee next month and "double dip" with another $300 of monthly $25 dining credits until next year, when I plan to cancel or downgrade. My question - At the end of this CY I will have 9 (of 10) years towards Platinum elite status. Qualifying with 50 nights next year will...
I'm one of the lucky ones who had my $300 Marriott credit post on 9/21/22. I am now going to pay my $450 annual fee next month and "double dip" with another $300 of monthly $25 dining credits until next year, when I plan to cancel or downgrade. My question - At the end of this CY I will have 9 (of 10) years towards Platinum elite status. Qualifying with 50 nights next year will be a breeze, assuming I get 40 ENCs based on having the Brilliant and Bonvoy Biz cards. I assume that once my Brilliant card 25 ENCs post next year (February timeframe, I think), they are there to stay for 2023, regardless of whether I cancel/downgrade the Brilliant card in October 2023. Correct?
@ Bob J -- Correct, once the elite nights post, they don't take them away, even if you cancel the card later in the year.
One wonders why Marriott decides to discriminate those who earn (lifetime) status by actually staying at their properties so heavily - 40 ENCs a year, just for owning two cards?
I want to preface this by saying I am not a huge fan of Marriott and I have been very unhappy with Bonvoy in the past. I was a Marriott loyalist years ago but switched over to Hyatt primarily because of “World of Hyatt”. I have been a Hyatt Globalist for years now and still prefer Hyatt even though they have a much smaller footprint. I simply love the Globalist benefits at Hyatt.
Even...
I want to preface this by saying I am not a huge fan of Marriott and I have been very unhappy with Bonvoy in the past. I was a Marriott loyalist years ago but switched over to Hyatt primarily because of “World of Hyatt”. I have been a Hyatt Globalist for years now and still prefer Hyatt even though they have a much smaller footprint. I simply love the Globalist benefits at Hyatt.
Even considering the above info I will get this card. It's not often you get a useful status instantly. Most credit cards offer very low-tier status. Platinum Elite is the sweet spot in the Bonvoy program, offering tangible benefits I will actually use. Breakfast and Suite Upgrades are what I am looking for in a card. This card earned status is much greater than Explorist and just below Globalist in World of Hyatt (WHO) in my opinion. Compared with the WHO card which only gives you the lowest, and virtually useless, Discoverist status, the Bonvoy card simply blows it out of the water. I do wonder if Hyatt will have to respond as their car now offers far inferior benefits? Pandemic-reduced travel means I am having to stretch this year to re-earn my Globalist status, taking advantage of 2x point and nights promo to get my last few days in before the end of the year.
The fact that they can tempt this long-time Hyatt loyalist shows it's an effective bit of marketing. I will likely stay at Marriott properties more often because of it. If I wind up having some great experiences and stays, Hyatt could easily lose a lot of business. (I admit I could easily have bad experiences too). Will 2023 be my final year as a Hyatt Globalist? Will I go back to Marriott after years away? Even I don’t know. I will check back in in 2024.
Just another step towards overcrowded lounges, lower chance of upgrades and as numbers grow probably a cut back in what hotels offer as breakfast or evening offerings.
As a UK member, the only way to qualify is to spend money in hotels and stay with max of 10 elite nights awarded with Marriott credit card and 5 elite nights at 75 nights.
Airlines are following same pattern.
Is this card available in the UK or is it only a US offer?
@ Andrew Sheppard -- Unfortunately it's US-only.
Now what about Chase's premium bonvoy card or the Ritz Carlton card - seems the benefits of both of those are like the $250 card only a higher annual fee (e.g. gold status, 50k certificate, etc) and the Black card instead of the RC card or the premium Chase marriott personal card makes more sense. It seems Marriott is now focusing on it's partnership with Amex vs Chase. I wonder if Amex is giving them more reason to do so and in what way.
@ iamhere -- This comes down to the agreement that was made when Marriott and Starwood merged. At the time it was decided that Amex got the small business and premium card, while Chase got the no annual fee and mid-range card. I would argue that Chase's market share is probably bigger, since no annual fee and sub-$100 annual fee cards are probably going to be more popular.
I would assume that both Amex and...
@ iamhere -- This comes down to the agreement that was made when Marriott and Starwood merged. At the time it was decided that Amex got the small business and premium card, while Chase got the no annual fee and mid-range card. I would argue that Chase's market share is probably bigger, since no annual fee and sub-$100 annual fee cards are probably going to be more popular.
I would assume that both Amex and Chase agreed to the new $250 annual fee card based on both being allowed to issue the card.
At that point the Ritz-Carlton Card could no longer be issued by Chase, which is why we're not seeing much changing there.
This just screwed over their best customers. Before, when you spent $70k you went from Gold to Platinum. Now, everyone gets Platinum and people who spend more than $60k get 50% off a Marriott mattress. Higher spenders should have been able to earn titanium... not the bullshit "choice of gift" What a slap in the face. Time to lower my spend to bare minimum and find a Visa for airline points!
Wait you spent $70k on a Mariott card
Why?
Just like the fear that Hilton offering Diamond status through the AMEX Aspire card was unfounded and has yet to materialize (there has been virtually no effect on the HH Diamond status years after the Aspire was launched), the same will be true of the fear that these changes to the Brilliant card will 'dilute' the BONVoY Platinum status, as expressed in many comments like this one:
Just like the fear that Hilton offering Diamond status through the AMEX Aspire card was unfounded and has yet to materialize (there has been virtually no effect on the HH Diamond status years after the Aspire was launched), the same will be true of the fear that these changes to the Brilliant card will 'dilute' the BONVoY Platinum status, as expressed in many comments like this one:
And the reason the BONVoY Platinum status won't be affected because it can be earned the "easy way" is also given in a comment below:
That is why the BONVoY Plat status won't be "diluted."
I've said it many times and will say it again: a hotel status earned in one program (call it "Prog A") through a co-branded CC does those who earn that status no good unless they are willing switch and direct a sizable chunk of their spending and business Prog A's brand. That is because, as the second comment above illustrates, someone who earns status the "easy way" in Prog A but is already loyal to another program, will continue to preferentially patronize the latter program, and only direct their business at Prog A when their primary program is not available or offers no good options. That is, even if I get the Brilliant card and the Platinum status that comes with it, I will continue to give most of my business to Hilton, my primary program, and consider BONVoY only when Hilton offers no good options. As a result, I will not take advantage my BONVoY Platinum status enough to affect or "dilute" the status overall.
By contrast, if I already patronize BONVoY and struggle every year to earn the Platinum status, I would jump at the opportunity get off of the "hamster wheel of constant status chasing" and get the Brilliant card so that I would earn the status the "easy way" every year. However, because I am already loyal to BONVoY, I continue to direct most of my business at the brand even though I no longer need to do it to earn status. Therefore, in the end, the folks who stand to benefit the most from getting the Platinum status the "easy way" through the Brilliant card are folks who are already loyal to...BONVoY!
Awesome post @DCS
Good comment, DCS
I have lifetime plat elite status with over 4,300 nights. Giving away that status level without earning the level is a real shot at every person that put in the time. Beyond disappointed.
Sucks to be you! LOL! ;)
I asked Amex today about the renewal of my Brilliant card that occurs in December. In contrast to what the article says, the agent said that the higher fee of $650 starts immediately, rather than just for renewal dates in 2023. I shared this article with the agent, but they held firm that all renewals after today are $650.
Ben, can you verify?
@ AndyC -- Straight from the press release:
"The Marriott Bonvoy Brilliant® American Express Card annual fee will be increasing to $650. For Marriott Bonvoy Brilliant® Card Members who opened accounts prior to September 22, 2022, the new annual fee will take effect on those Card Members’ annual renewal dates on or after January 1, 2023."
Thanks for confirming. Yes, it’s very clear increase is in 2023. I also found this in the email sent by Bonvoy: “Starting at your next renewal date on or after January 1, 2023, the annual fee for your newly enhanced Marriott Bonvoy Brilliant American Express Card will increase from $450 to $650.”
I am considering product changing/upgrading my Chase Marriott Bonvoy Boundless to the Ritz Carlton in November (when my annual fee is due). I’m also looking at the Amex (Revamped) Marriott Bonvoy Brilliant. With this revamp of the Brilliant, do I still need to get the Brilliant first before the Ritz as not to impact the Amex Brilliant bonus? Thanks in advance for your help & sorry if this (or something similar) has been asked and answered already.
@ PatONearlJr -- Here are the relevant terms:
"Welcome offer not available to applicants who (i) have or have had The Ritz-Carlton® Credit Card from JPMorgan or the J.P. Morgan Ritz-Carlton Rewards® Credit Card in the last 30 days, (ii) have acquired the Marriott Bonvoy Bountiful™ Credit Card from Chase, the Marriott Bonvoy Boundless® Credit Card from Chase, or the Marriott Bonvoy Bold® Credit Card from Chase in the last 90 days, or (iii)...
@ PatONearlJr -- Here are the relevant terms:
"Welcome offer not available to applicants who (i) have or have had The Ritz-Carlton® Credit Card from JPMorgan or the J.P. Morgan Ritz-Carlton Rewards® Credit Card in the last 30 days, (ii) have acquired the Marriott Bonvoy Bountiful™ Credit Card from Chase, the Marriott Bonvoy Boundless® Credit Card from Chase, or the Marriott Bonvoy Bold® Credit Card from Chase in the last 90 days, or (iii) received a new Card Member bonus or upgrade offer for the Marriott Bonvoy Bountiful™ Credit Card from Chase, the Marriott Bonvoy Boundless® Credit Card from Chase, or the Marriott Bonvoy Bold® Credit Card from Chase in the last 24 months."
Really hope this gets people to cancel. :-)
A $650 annual fee CC and you only get secondary rental car insurance coverage. Seems to be cutting corners by not offering primary coverage for a high end card.
@ Brian Gasser -- In fairness, primary rental car coverage has never been a strong suit of Amex. The issuer doesn't really do rental car coverage in the same way you'll find on some other premium cards. That's because those premium cards are generally Visa Infinite cards, and of course Amex cards don't have that.
In fairness, Amex rental car premium protection (the paid version) does provide a better coverage with fewer exclusions for a nominal fee. I have opted for this over Chase several times depending on my rentals.
Ben, did you also see that the Bonvoy Business card has TWO new benefits?
~7% off all hotel rooms Standard Rate
~Automatic Gold Status
Also, the new Chase Bountiful card isn't showing up in the Bonvoy App yet. Says 4 Personal, 1 Business. Has "New Card" above Bevy, and "New Benefits" above Brilliant + Business. Nothing about Bountiful to be found.
@ BenjaminGuttery -- Yep, those changes were announced back in July, and were indeed positive. :-)
https://onemileatatime.com/news/marriott-bonvoy-business-amex-changes/
Hahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahaha I’ve been Bonvoyed
So a question for Ben and anyone else - I am lifetime Titanium so the change to Platinum doesn’t do anything for me (although I feel bad for all the Platinum and lifetime Platinum members since this is a huge devaluation for you).
Basically I pay $650 for $300 in restaurant credits (which I will use and value at $300) plus one free night at an 85,000 point property. I know I can get...
So a question for Ben and anyone else - I am lifetime Titanium so the change to Platinum doesn’t do anything for me (although I feel bad for all the Platinum and lifetime Platinum members since this is a huge devaluation for you).
Basically I pay $650 for $300 in restaurant credits (which I will use and value at $300) plus one free night at an 85,000 point property. I know I can get $350 value on that night but curious if you feel I should keep the card? Marginal for me as the other benefits don’t matter since either duplicate of other cards (precheck and Priority Pass) or no value (25 bonus nights when retired and already lifetime Titanium is worthless IMHO).
Thoughts??
@ AC -- That's a great question! How many nights per year would you say you spend at Marriotts? I think the 25 elite nights could come in handy with earning Choice Benefits, given that it's based on your annual elite nights, rather than your lifetime status. Between having the Bonvoy Brilliant and Bonvoy Business, I get 40 elite nights per year, so I only need to stay 10 actual nights to earn my first set of Choice Benefits.
@ Ben -- Could you elaborate (or have you elaborated elsewhere) on why you value the Choice Benefits? The last couple of years, I've opted for the Suite Upgrades, but my experience is that they almost never clear and that on the few occasions they do, the "Suite Upgrade" is like "entry level room but with a slightly bigger closet." I've never ever gotten anything resembling a suite. Am I doing it wrong?
@ Rose -- I try to be strategic about using my suite night awards, and I typically have great luck. No, they won't generally clear if you're trying to go to Hawaii over a holiday period, but I've had them clear a vast majority of time. For example, this year alone I've used them at the St. Regis Aspen, Gritti Palace Venice, St. Regis Venice, King George Athens, and Hotel Grande Bretagne Athens, and in...
@ Rose -- I try to be strategic about using my suite night awards, and I typically have great luck. No, they won't generally clear if you're trying to go to Hawaii over a holiday period, but I've had them clear a vast majority of time. For example, this year alone I've used them at the St. Regis Aspen, Gritti Palace Venice, St. Regis Venice, King George Athens, and Hotel Grande Bretagne Athens, and in each case they got me a "proper" suite. I shared more about my strategy with SNAs in this post:
https://onemileatatime.com/guides/marriott-suite-night-awards/
If I may ask, where and what time of year have you tried to use them?
Thanks, Ben. I've tried to use them mostly for weekend trips in Southern California-- San Diego in May, Ventura in mid-July, Manhattan Beach in in September. Never had any luck. I did get a "suite" in April of this year at the St. Regis NY, but I've stayed in that hotel many times before and can confirm the "suite" in question was just a Grand Luxe room, which is just a *slightly* bigger version of their standard room.
Well done Marriott. You’ve just made like those that earn their elite status the hard way look like a complete twat. I literally spent ten of thousands of my hard earn money on a paid stay to earn Titanium status and now, out of the blue, you offered an instant Plat status just for having the card.
Cheers Marriott!!!
Why does it matter to you if you go for Titanium rather than Platinum?
You’d think that for those who earned lifetime platinum or higher the hard way, Marriott would offer Titanium or Ambassador - or even a reduced card fee. But no. Huge devaluation.
As a Lifetime Titanium, these changes are almost worthless. An additional $200 fee, the change from $300 Marriott spend to $25 restaurant spend per month is laughable.
I’m 2 years away from obtaining platinum for life (been doing it the hard way by staying at hotels). Perhaps, can stop trying so hard and just get the card. Does anyone know if getting platinum status by having the brilliant card counts towards to the 10 years required for platinum for life?
@ William -- Historically elite status earned with credit cards does indeed count toward the lifetime status requirement.
@William - I'm in the same spot. With the 10 additional nights hitting my account my annual night count for this year hit 52 (I would have gone over anyway with booked travel through YE). I'm now sitting at 8 years Platinum or higher. It would be really helpful if Marriott would tell us if having the card counts as a year of Platinum status for lifetime status. My guess, as Ben noted, is that it's unlikely.
@ DLPTATL -- I've officially confirmed with a Marriott spokesperson that this counts toward lifetime status.
Wow, devalued yet again. What a schmuck I am.
I agree with the others I work my ass off to get my 50 + nights and now all you need is a specific credit card.
Not a Happy Marriott member
So get the card and lose the nights. Seems like you'll come out ahead
So with my two Marriott AmEx cards I will be Patinum without staying. I guess I will stay at Hyatt most of the time and at Marriott when it is convenient and Hyatt not available.
Would have been helpful to mention in the article (or any of its related links) that this is limited to US address applications before I went into the application process.
Don’t you automatically assume that for any credit card information on this site?
Is there ever credit card information that applies to non US customers?
It looks like they're not offering Titanium with $75k spend, like they did with Platinum previously?
@ Brian -- Correct, there's no way to spend your way to Titanium with this card. However, you can earn up to 40 elite nights per year if you have the Bonvoy Brilliant and Bonvoy Business, so then you'd just need 35 more elite nights to earn Titanium.
restrictions for applying? I already have a Bonvoy Business AMEX and a chase Bonvoy Boundless.... Just looking for easy Plat status, with 2 cards, Titanium is easy 25+15..
Can we get a signup bonus instead of just upgrading the card or will upgrading the card get us the bonus....??
@ shawn -- Upgrading doesn't get you the bonus, unfortunately, you need to apply outright. As far as restrictions on the application go, here they are:
"Welcome offer not available to applicants who (i) have or have had The Ritz-Carlton® Credit Card from JPMorgan or the J.P. Morgan Ritz-Carlton Rewards® Credit Card in the last 30 days, (ii) have acquired the Marriott Bonvoy Bountiful™ Credit Card from Chase, the Marriott Bonvoy Boundless® Credit Card...
@ shawn -- Upgrading doesn't get you the bonus, unfortunately, you need to apply outright. As far as restrictions on the application go, here they are:
"Welcome offer not available to applicants who (i) have or have had The Ritz-Carlton® Credit Card from JPMorgan or the J.P. Morgan Ritz-Carlton Rewards® Credit Card in the last 30 days, (ii) have acquired the Marriott Bonvoy Bountiful™ Credit Card from Chase, the Marriott Bonvoy Boundless® Credit Card from Chase, or the Marriott Bonvoy Bold® Credit Card from Chase in the last 90 days, or (iii) received a new Card Member bonus or upgrade offer for the Marriott Bonvoy Bountiful™ Credit Card from Chase, the Marriott Bonvoy Boundless® Credit Card from Chase, or the Marriott Bonvoy Bold® Credit Card from Chase in the last 24 months."
In other words, in your situation it's fine if you have the Bonvoy Business. You just can't have acquired the Bonvoy Boundless in the past 90 days, or have received a new cardmember bonus on the Bonvoy Boundless in the past 24 months.
Of course this is subjective, but I’m not sure I would pay $350 for an 85k cert - especially if I only had one. Appreciate the review though.
I used my $300 property credit this year. Does that matter with regards to the $25 monthly dining credit? And does that monthly dining credit start right away (meaning only a week-ish to use September's credit)?
@ Keith -- Nope, you can essentially double dip this year if you're an existing cardmember, which is awesome. The new dining credit applies as of September 22, 2022, so that is now live.
Any thoughts on whether the Aspire will follow with an increased annual fee?
@ WT -- The Aspire Card is definitely in "too good to be true" territory, and has been for years. While I haven't heard any rumors about this yet, I imagine it's only a matter of time.
Current Lifetime Platinum here (frustrated that there is no way to get Lifetime Titanium any longer). This card seems pretty useless to me at this stage with the much higher fee.
Is there any option to downgrade to other than the new mid-tier Amex Bonvoy card? That one also seems pretty useless and expensive. But the low-tier $95 Bonvoy card is Chase only. Does Amex allow downgrades outside of Bonvoy? (this is my longest-tenured card...
Current Lifetime Platinum here (frustrated that there is no way to get Lifetime Titanium any longer). This card seems pretty useless to me at this stage with the much higher fee.
Is there any option to downgrade to other than the new mid-tier Amex Bonvoy card? That one also seems pretty useless and expensive. But the low-tier $95 Bonvoy card is Chase only. Does Amex allow downgrades outside of Bonvoy? (this is my longest-tenured card so wouldn't want to fully cancel...)
I currently have a $95 Amex Bonvoy card, legacy SPG and they still service it. If you call them up I would imagine they would be able to downgrade you to this one, or at least another Amex card hopefully.
But otherwise no, you wouldn't be able to switch an Amex to a Chase card or something like that
I have lifetime Titanium. What’s in it for those who do if anything I wonder?
if you already have the Chase Boundless Bonvoy card (personal), can you still get the 25 ENC from this new personal Amex Bonvoy Brilliant card?
I hold both, and 10 more ENC just fell from the sky. So yes.
Correct, but it's EITHER or. Not 25-15 for personal cards. You CAN get that OF you have a Business Card and this card though.
Not a fan of these changes. I've been platinum for the last few years and have found the status nearly useless. I basically never get upgraded, and even when I try to use a "suite night" upgrade, have only had it go through a single time. And the "breakfast benefit" is worthless to me -- I'm not a breakfast eater, and most of my travel is for business where I get reimbursed for meals anyway....
Not a fan of these changes. I've been platinum for the last few years and have found the status nearly useless. I basically never get upgraded, and even when I try to use a "suite night" upgrade, have only had it go through a single time. And the "breakfast benefit" is worthless to me -- I'm not a breakfast eater, and most of my travel is for business where I get reimbursed for meals anyway. And if I'm traveling with family, I want a better food experience than whatever I can get for free at the hotel anyway. Replacing the easy-to-use $300 annual stay credit with a $25/month food coupon is an obvious downgrade too. It's probably time for me to downgrade this card.
Can you apply the Brilliant and the business card from AMEX at the same time and get both bonuses?
@ GW -- Yep, those are the two cards from Marriott you can apply for at the same time while being eligible for both bonuses. More on that here:
https://onemileatatime.com/guides/marriott-credit-card-eligibility-rules/
I thought my current Brilliant 50K certificate in my account would change to 85K this morning, like the added the 10 elite nights, but no.
@ 100K -- Yeah, that's only for free night certificates issued going forward.
I just hit my Bonvoy brilliant anniversary a few weeks ago, do you think a 50k certificate or an 85k certificate will post to my account?
The changes to the card are horrible for existing Platinum members, but great for those who might not otherwise attain the status. Put another way, Bonvoy and Amex put psychology to good use and are managing to gas up cardholders and others who salivate at the notion of elite status (for whatever reason). In reality, I'm interpreting these results as:
1) Free nights at most Bonvoy properties will be, at minimum, north of 85,000...
The changes to the card are horrible for existing Platinum members, but great for those who might not otherwise attain the status. Put another way, Bonvoy and Amex put psychology to good use and are managing to gas up cardholders and others who salivate at the notion of elite status (for whatever reason). In reality, I'm interpreting these results as:
1) Free nights at most Bonvoy properties will be, at minimum, north of 85,000 points per night starting in January. Higher for high-profile properties.
2) Platinum status, while valuable on paper, will become next to worthless in practice. I will be very interested to see how hotels divvy out their upgrades when the number of Platinum members skyrockets. My hunch is they won't, or they'll limit them to Titanium and above (if that).
3) Marriott's breakfast benefit is next on the chopping block. It's already impossible to decipher between the multiple policies for legacy Starwood, legacy Marriott, certain independent brands, and those that offer no benefit at all. I see the Hilton strategy of a set discount being applied to all hotels, and sooner rather than later. I also expect all hotels to quietly raise the prices of everything they offer so nothing is given away "for free."
4) I can see points becoming even further devalued, to the point that crediting Bonvoy stays to an airline partner might actually be the better value, depending on redemption.
I have Marriott Gold and travel regularly to a beach location for work. The Gold status alone has been quite useful for room upgrades. So these Marriott statuses are quite useful for me.
But people do love to complain, don't they.
Not sure how to describe the situation. It looks like people who actually stay 50 nights for Platinum Elite status and people who already are lifetime Platinum Elite Member all suddenly become idiots now. Good job, Marriott.
Good job idiots! ;p
so all these years of staying with MAR to get lifetime platinum was all for not. Bonvoy really sucks.
You don't have to spend $650 a year for the rest of your life to have platinum status.
Except we spent thousands and expected thousands of dollars in upgrades. Now we will never get an upgrade because any idiot paying $650 will be fighting for the same space.
Platinum based on nights are upgraded before Platinums based on having the credit card. Read the release.
More coupon clipping from Amex. Really starting to hate all these monthly credits. If they were taking away the $300 Marriott credit, which was so easy to use and give us monthly coupons, they should have at least increased the value of the coupons. Ugh.
@DCS
How does these changes compared to the Hilton Aspire which is still at $450
Compared to Marriott Amex Card now at $650
I’m shocked OMAAT’s favorite Hilton membership/credit card shill hasn’t commented already.
Somebody better check on him.
Also, properties like Al Maha are pricing around 104k... huge surprise there (sarcasm). Just out of range of the certificates. Why not just make it good at any property or allow you to top off as much as you want... We know there will be leakage so they will still make bank.
I do agree that with luxury hotel prices skyrocketing through 2022 and likely to continue in 2023, Marriott's implementation of variable pricing like with Hilton means that a lot more high-end properties could price over 100K per night if cash rates are north of $900-$1,000 than they previously could have.
For that reason, I think I would want to see what pricing looks like next year before valuing an 85K certificate too much higher than a 50K certificate.
You can still use the certificate there and pay the difference in points.
there is rumor that Platinum benefit will shrink, no access to lounge and breakfast starting next year, if so, I guess lots of ppl will cancel or downgrade this car
I actually HOPE they do this. Yhe elite ranks got swollen during the last 3 years with everyone getting extended and then even those that traveled little getting major boosts up to the next level. This will make them swell even more. I'm Titanium and have been for last 4-5 years. Many hotels tell me that they have 2 dozen Titaniums and a dozen Ambassadors staying at the same time I do, so no room grade is available. Total BS.
Fantastic
Ugh... Renewal is January 7th
Bold, Bevy, Brilliant, buh bye.
This card is simply not worth it anymore ✌
Devalues platinum status even further for those who earn it the hard way.
Yes, it's a bit of a slap in the face to those of us who worked and spent hard for many years to achieve lifetime Platinum status. With most of the perks available from other cards, it's hard to justify paying $350 a year for a "free" night just to break even with the annual fee.
Any news about the rumored mid-level cards from AMEX and Chase?
@ John Thompson -- Yep, see here:
https://onemileatatime.com/news/marriott-bonvoy-bevy-bountiful/
Curious also about free authorized users. Especially for priority pass. I have the Ritz card and one of the main reasons I keep the card is for the unlimited guest lounge access. Wondering limits on priority pass for this card.
@ Chris -- Authorized users on the Bonvoy Brilliant don't get many incremental perks, and don't get a Priority Pass membership. Rather it's mainly a way to earn points for authorized user spending.
People are valuing unlimited way too much.
I can't remember that last time I actually needed to swipe in more than 2 guests.
Friends and Family either had their own or is an authorized users that comes with 2 guest each.
Even for non-Amex, restaurants don't normally take more than 2 guests, most even just 1.
But it is still a good benefit.
Will be a reason to ditch the Ritz Card if they don’t match benefits.
@ Kevin -- Here's what I'm told about the Ritz Card:
"Card members who have The Ritz-Carlton Rewards™ Card from Chase, which is no longer available to new applicants, will receive the new 85K Anniversary Free Night Award. There is no change to The Ritz-Carlton Rewards™ Card annual fee."
Solid… hopefully the Platinum status and ENC’s transition as well
@Kevin
And they will match the AF too? The card becomes almost useless at $650.
I'd rather they keep the AF, already surprised they upped to 85k but the devaluation probably was the main factor as 85k is the new 50k.
Here's the thing with Hilton too, people got Diamond from credit cards but most of those don't really stay more than a handful of nights per year. If you don't even stay 20...
@Kevin
And they will match the AF too? The card becomes almost useless at $650.
I'd rather they keep the AF, already surprised they upped to 85k but the devaluation probably was the main factor as 85k is the new 50k.
Here's the thing with Hilton too, people got Diamond from credit cards but most of those don't really stay more than a handful of nights per year. If you don't even stay 20 night with Marriott, maybe having Platinum doesn't really benefit you nor would it dilute your upgrade pool that much. There are way too many Platinum here in the US already.
Something good might come out of this too. Imagine people stop staying 50 nights to get Platinum. SNAs would have fewer circulations.
But yeah, the LT Platinum are the people who got screwed the most. At least some consolation would be letting them make another run for LT Titanium, not that Tit makes much difference these days.
So what? the big benefit is the platinum status. Which RC doesn't offer now.
Can you add Authorized users for free and do they get plat too?
@ Steven -- You can add authorized users at no extra cost but they don't get Platinum status.
What would Y'all think that an Auth User would just get Platinum Status and free Priority Pass memberships and all this other stuff. It's kinda insane how much people expect to get for free from these cards.
Given how much hotel owners and even some guests complain that so many Marriott elites are out there, I am kind of surprised that Marriott is giving free breakfast and lounge access to premium credit card holders. There is a lot of speculation about changes to Platinum status - I haven’t seen anything announced but wonder if downgrades are inevitable at some point.
Until then the card is great
"Marriott is giving free breakfast and lounge access to premium credit card holders."
The properties won't, so that's an easy perk to give away! Bonvoyed!
When does everything kick in? Do we get the extra 10 nights for this year, or does the 25 nights start in 2023? For those of us that got the card when it was first introduced (as an SPG card, if I recall) and just paid the annual fee, and haven't received the free night certificate yet, will we get an 85k point certificate?
Sorry I missed the comment where you already answered the part about the extra 10 nights.
good question. i got the email stating in 8-12 weeks the 50k night was coming, but since they haven't credited my account yet, wondering the same thing...will it actually be credited at 85k?
How does elite nights credit work for 2022? Will they top everyone up (from 15 to 25 nights) for existing cardholders or does that start for 2023 status year?
@ Evan -- They'll top you off in 2022. I actually had 10 extra elite nights post overnight, so I think it already happened. :-)
So if one has the chase card and then gets the amex one- do we get elite nights from each or does one have to be a business card?
The problem is that I never stay at Marriott just because it's a huge point sinkhole. The valuation is terrible.
Love Marriott, but if I get this card it will be just for the SUB so I can transfer to an airline.
I heard Marriott will only allow titanium members into the lounge starting next year, if that's true, it is a major downgrade for Platinum.
@ Joe -- Where did you hear that? I haven't heard anything suggesting that will happen.
Flyer talk. A post states that an Amex chat agent reported that, as of January 2023, Platinum Elite status will not provide lounge access.
@ nii -- Interesting. I hadn't even heard that rumor, though it sounds to me like a case of a misinformed agent. I doubt an Amex chat rep, of all people, would be the first to know about changes to the Marriott Bonvoy program.
The other evidence cited was that the Brilliant card "advertisement" mentions bonus points on Marriott stays as the only benefit of Platinum Elite status.
Obviously, this is a huge point to be confirmed or dispelled.
For what it's worth, I just followed up with a senior Marriott communications official on this, and he said this claim was news to him. So that agent was simply misinformed. That's not to say changes couldn't happen in the future, but that particular claim doesn't seem to be accurate as of now.
Who reported this? I specifically keep platinum status for the lounges.
I would be really annoyed, I have been working on Lifetime Platinum for the lounge access/breakfast, if they remove that then my efforts were wasted. The lounges are typically not busy at all, in my experience.
And with the declining quality of the service in North America, it's even more frustrating. My last experience in a Sheraton, the breakfast was stale muffins, toast and coffee. There was no one else in the lounge. Imagine...
I would be really annoyed, I have been working on Lifetime Platinum for the lounge access/breakfast, if they remove that then my efforts were wasted. The lounges are typically not busy at all, in my experience.
And with the declining quality of the service in North America, it's even more frustrating. My last experience in a Sheraton, the breakfast was stale muffins, toast and coffee. There was no one else in the lounge. Imagine needing to be Titanium for that.
I am not for it, but I wonder if they could end up with different perks in the US, where a lot more people have status, vs the rest of the world.
It is nearly impossible for M to continue 4pm guaranteed C/O and breakfast for plat given they let so many ppl become lifetime plt and brilliant CC users to have it as well. RIP to the best mid level hotel tier. All hail the Titanium!
@ Jason -- Yeah, guaranteed 4PM check-out is a hard perk for hotel programs to continue to offer, especially with swelled elite ranks. I'm curious how that plays out over time.
It's already cut somehow - try 4pm c/o at any FFI / CY in the countryside and you'll get the very warm maintenance welcome every 30 min lol
Oh, and also that "prepare to send every hotel to court" mentality - they just tell you they don't have breakfast for titanium/plat, then mysteriously generates one once you argue with them with your phone on Marriott website. No one GAF about that miserable breakfast, but...
It's already cut somehow - try 4pm c/o at any FFI / CY in the countryside and you'll get the very warm maintenance welcome every 30 min lol
Oh, and also that "prepare to send every hotel to court" mentality - they just tell you they don't have breakfast for titanium/plat, then mysteriously generates one once you argue with them with your phone on Marriott website. No one GAF about that miserable breakfast, but be prepared to ruin the day at every M brand.
Bye Felicia, going to Hyatt.
when they stop grandfathering of Titanium they must have wanted to downgrade Plat. those freefall night credits during pandemic actually worked against even LTP then, now this card.
The real question is if the new annual fee (which is one if the highest out there) will cause enough cardholders to downgrade. If so there won't be a huge swelling of plats diluting the value. I guess time will tell
$650 is steep. While it’s nice to have the feee night award, that assumes you actually want to use it. More and more I hate Marriott. I see this as I’m paying $200 more and not really getting that much more value.
@ Brian -- I'm curious why you wouldn't want to use the free night certificate? If you stay at Marriotts with any frequency, an 85K free night award is more valuable than a 50K free night award, no?
No it is not necessarily more valuable. If I want a 3 or 4-night stay, I can get a great place around 50k, and pad with points if needed for a 60k property. Then buy the other nights with a reasonable cash or points rate. With an 85k cert, now we're at a very expensive property, even more if padded to 100k. My out of pocket expense is now high. Not everyone will think it's worth paying more for this cert.
Agreed, the free night certificate is nice but if I want a 3 night stay at the Ritz, the other 2 nights in cash could now cost me around $800+ out of pocket.
This is my main concern and reason to most likely not get the Brilliant (and also why I doubt I will ever consider Hilton Aspire either). It's hard to generate enough Marriott points in most cases to realistically make a multi-night stay at a high-end property work on points. So that otherwise leaves you needing to get a ton of quantifiable value from Platinum status at low or mid-tier properties to make the math work...
This is my main concern and reason to most likely not get the Brilliant (and also why I doubt I will ever consider Hilton Aspire either). It's hard to generate enough Marriott points in most cases to realistically make a multi-night stay at a high-end property work on points. So that otherwise leaves you needing to get a ton of quantifiable value from Platinum status at low or mid-tier properties to make the math work beyond a certificate that only "really" might be usable to you at a property costing around 50K-75K per night.
The best use case is for people who already would stay at high-end properties and pay cash for them at least once per year. Now they are potentially getting one night of their stay free (up to 100,000 points with top-up), which is a nice bonus. A big spender who doesn't have other cards can earn a second night on top of that.
In my local area, 50,000 points gets lot of great properties for a special occasion like valentine’s day. Or can be comboned with 50,000 points for a nice weekend
Hardly any 85K properties in Canda, which means travel. Then to make it worthwhile and stay 2-4 nights, you’d be spending at least a couple hundred thousand marriott points.
Would much rather a lower priced card with a less valuable certificate. Old Bonvoy brilliant was a no brainer keeper card.
Will the free platinum status count towards your lifetime platinum year count?
@ Mark -- Elite status earned with credit cards does count toward lifetime status, whether it's elite nights or years of status.
That being said Mark, only 25 ENC's will actually post to your LT account, NOT 50 each year. But it will say that your "Platinum or Higher" for that year too.