On Wednesday March 4th, the Bonvoy category changes that I mentioned in this post will take effect. That means you have just a bit over a day to pull the trigger on any current categories before then.
In this article
Things to Consider with the Bonvoy Category Changes:
- If the category of a Marriott Bonvoy hotel you want to book is going up, book it now and make sure you actually have the points pulled. a Points Advance reservation will NOT hold your rate.
- If you want to use credit card free night certificates, likewise, you need to book and apply the cert by the end of Tuesday. So if your card gives you Category 5 certificates, which all Marriott Bonvoy credit cards do except for the Bonvoy Bold (no cert) and the Bonvoy Brilliant (50k cert), and your hotel will become a Category 6, you’ll want to book that by tomorrow.
- Likewise, if you have a 40k free night certificate from a Titanium Choice benefit, see if you need to apply that now to a preferred hotel.
- If your hotel goes down in price, you’ll want to rebook – but you’ll need there to still be rooms available for points to do this.
- One last note: an off-peak Category 1 can be a fantastic way to squeak in your last few elite nights to requalify for status. Find the one nearest to where you live. It may well be going to a Category 2 (mine is) and that doubles the cost in points. If so, book what you’ll need for both 2020 and 2021 now. (I did)
Bonvoy?
Let me know here, on Twitter, or in the private MilesTalk Facebook group.
You can find credit cards that best match your spending habits and bonus categories at Your Best Credit Cards.
New to all of this? My “introduction to miles and points” book, MilesTalk: Live Your Wildest Travel Dreams Using Miles and Points is available on Amazon and at major booksellers.
