Marriott Bonvoy has already revealed its status soft landing policy for the next membership year, and it’s good news (well, at least for those who don’t requalify for their current status tier)…
In this post:
Marriott Bonvoy’s 2024 status soft landing policy
Marriott Bonvoy has announced its status soft landing policy for 2024, for situations where someone doesn’t qualify for a particular elite tier based on their activity in 2023. Specifically, elite members who don’t achieve the published criteria to maintain their status will only drop down at most one elite tier.
In other words, Ambassador Elites will at most drop to Titanium Elite, Titanium Elites will at most drop to Platinum Elite, Platinum Elites will at most drop to Gold Elite, and Gold Elites will drop at most to Silver Elite.
For what it’s worth, this policy matches Marriott’s historical approach to status soft landings. Before Marriott and Starwood merged, back when Marriott’s loyalty program was named Marriott Rewards, Marriott consistently had a status soft landing policy. With this, Marriott Rewards members never dropped more than one elite tier per year, regardless of their activity.
Obviously this wasn’t a concern for a couple of years, given the status extensions we saw due to the pandemic. However, last year Marriott brought this policy back, and that tradition will be continuing this year.
Status soft landings make a lot of sense
During the pandemic, we saw airline and hotel loyalty programs largely extend elite status several times. This made sense, given the extent to which business travel decreased for many. However, with the huge increase in leisure travel and all the new ways to earn elite status, we’ve seen elite ranks swell.
Personally I think the concept of a status soft landing makes a lot of sense. After all, sometimes life conditions change for people, and in many cases those changes are just temporary. If you drop from top tier status to no status, you don’t really have much of an incentive to stay loyal to that hotel group when your travel picks up again. By offering a soft landing, loyalty programs can try to build more of a long term relationship with members, and that’s a positive.
Bottom line
Marriott Bonvoy has a generous status soft landing policy for 2024, for those who don’t requalify for status in 2023. If you didn’t requalify for your current status tier with Marriott Bonvoy in 2023, you can expect that you’ll be downgraded at most one status level.
What do you make of Marriott Bonvoy’s soft landing policy for status?
Just a quick thought for lifetime Platinum.
I have now 7 years Platinum (currently Titanium) and might do the Titanium this year again. So if I make the titanium this year, then I would nearly be done.
2024 Titanium and 8 years
2025 (Dead Year) soft landing Platinum and 9 years. If I do not reach the level
2026 need to reach platinum again.
I have enough nights
Would this work if they do no change the program?
Thanks Chris
It appears Marriott has reconsidered and removed this policy. The new text on the website makes no mention of downgrading by only one tier:
"Members who did not re-achieve their existing Elite status in 2023 will be downgraded. These Members can enjoy their existing Elite status level until February 2024. Subsequently, starting March 2024, they will see their new Elite status with an expiration date of February 2025."
I will requalify for platinum this year and I will have 50 nights by the end of the year. There is a chance that I won’t hit 50 nights next year… so… question… With this new soft landing policy, should I venture to stay 25 more nights this year to hit titanium… and hope that they will have a soft landing policy again next year again, so that in 2025 I will at least be...
I will requalify for platinum this year and I will have 50 nights by the end of the year. There is a chance that I won’t hit 50 nights next year… so… question… With this new soft landing policy, should I venture to stay 25 more nights this year to hit titanium… and hope that they will have a soft landing policy again next year again, so that in 2025 I will at least be platinum (one level down from titanium, if I hit titanium this year in 2023)... Thoughts are appreciated!
Agree with Paul. If everyone is elite or special then there is no point. Either you meet the requirements or you don't!
This is great. I’m a Titanium now who was going to have to put in work to reach platinum this year. No longer going to put in that effort. :)
It’s removed from their site the soft landing.
If everyone is "Elite"...then no one is elite and there are no rewards or benefits to allegiance. Soem part of this story isn't being told...
Sorry, I don't like this idea. Travel is back and has been back. They need to drop 2 tiers AT MINIMUM (unless they are within 10% of requirements for that year or something. This means that someone who completely fell off could be getting an upgrade before me or at the same status as me. NOT FAIR.
Interestingly, this was standard practice for Marriott prior to the pandemic, so the fact that travel is back really doesn't play into it. If someone has been loyal enough to the brand to earn platinum status for a year, then all marriott is really doing is saying, thanks for your loyalty, you were platinum last year, and for that, we'll let you be gold this year, and then you'll be back to silver, which is...
Interestingly, this was standard practice for Marriott prior to the pandemic, so the fact that travel is back really doesn't play into it. If someone has been loyal enough to the brand to earn platinum status for a year, then all marriott is really doing is saying, thanks for your loyalty, you were platinum last year, and for that, we'll let you be gold this year, and then you'll be back to silver, which is essentially nothing. all they are doing is rewarding you for an extra year for your loyalty. not sure why we need to turn this one into something negative. we complained when they took away the soft landing, now we're complaining that they are bringing it back?
Do any airlines have soft landings? My 1K to Silver MP drop was severe.
I know BA has it, not super relevant to the US unless you value lounge access over domestic upgrades
Do you happen to know if those soft landing elite statuses also qualify for the elite lifetime years?
I pray to the travel gods that they DON'T. This is already completely unfair, and that be outlandish UNFAIR. Ridiculous concept that no doing anything would qualify for ANY benefit, much less LIFETIME status.