Bonvoy lifetime/ credit cards

[Pamplemousse]

i apologize for starting a new thread if that isn’t the thing to do- I know there are other threads of this topic but I just have a very specific question that I can’t reason through this Monday morning.

I am lifetime platinum elite.

My bonvoy overview says 42 nights to titanium elite (question 1- is this lifetime or yearly?)

We own MVC but just at the owner level (below 4K)

I have the “old” Marriott visa, have not upgraded despite numerous offers- so we gets nights for spending.

We don’t travel very much- typically 4 hotel nights and 2 timeshare weeks max.

The majority of my nights come from credit card- I charge everything.


So question 2- and the major question that came from the spouse this weekend- do nights matter to me anymore if I am lifetime platnum elite?
Going back to question 1, I don’t think titanium elite lifetime is now achievable? I can’t find it mention of lifetime titanium on the Marriott site.
If it’s just yearly I won’t make 75 nights a year even with the credit card spending nights.

So why wouldn’t I just go with the new credit card and earn more bonvoy points?

Thanks for you help!

 

[drlee]

If you are lifetime Platinum, that's likely it for lifetime. You can earn Titanium status annually, or be provided it from timeshare status, but that's annual, not "lifetime". You could also earn ambassador status annually, but that's unlikely given your travel profile. To question two, Titanium benefits are very similar to Platinum. Look at the benefits page to see if working for it (or spending the money to get it through timeshare) is worth it. Given the shift away from night's recognition, I opted for the new card, but you may choose differently.

 

[JIMinNC]

I also think your logic is sound, but there are experts here on the credit cards that might see a reason for you to keep the old card, but I can’t see one.

I would tend to agree that if you already are Lifetime Platinum and can’t ever reasonably get to Titanium on an annual basis, the nights credit for using the old card means nothing to you now. The extra points and benefits with the new card would mean more.

 

[bazzap]

i apologize for starting a new thread if that isn’t the thing to do- I know there are other threads of this topic but I just have a very specific question that I can’t reason through this Monday morning.

I am lifetime platinum elite.

My bonvoy overview says 42 nights to titanium elite (question 1- is this lifetime or yearly?)

We own MVC but just at the owner level (below 4K)

I have the “old” Marriott visa, have not upgraded despite numerous offers- so we gets nights for spending.

We don’t travel very much- typically 4 hotel nights and 2 timeshare weeks max.

The majority of my nights come from credit card- I charge everything.


So question 2- and the major question that came from the spouse this weekend- do nights matter to me anymore if I am lifetime platnum elite?
Going back to question 1, I don’t think titanium elite lifetime is now achievable? I can’t find it mention of lifetime titanium on the Marriott site.
If it’s just yearly I won’t make 75 nights a year even with the credit card spending nights.

So why wouldn’t I just go with the new credit card and earn more bonvoy points?

Thanks for you help!

The only real benefit of nights is the Annual Gift Choice, which still actually requires you to have 50 Elite nights for the year.
“Choose one from the following: five Suite Night Awards™, give the gift of Silver Elite status, 40% off your favourite mattress, five Elite Night Credits or a US$100 charity donation.”
https://www.marriott.co.uk/loyalty/member-benefits/platinum.mi

 

[Pamplemousse]

The only real benefit of nights is the Annual Gift Choice, which still actually requires you to have 50 Elite nights for the year.
“Choose one from the following: five Suite Night Awards™, give the gift of Silver Elite status, 40% off your favourite mattress, five Elite Night Credits or a US$100 charity donation.”
https://www.marriott.co.uk/loyalty/member-benefits/platinum.mi

Thank you.
I have been trying to understand whether 50 nights were still needed once lifetime was reached

 

[JIMinNC]

Thank you.
I have been trying to understand whether 50 nights were still needed once lifetime was reached

Agree. That is helpful to know. So, I guess if that benefit is important to someone and with the spending night credits they could get to that level, then keeping the old card could make sense, even if they were already Lifetime Platinum.

 

[bogey21]

My question would be if one switches to Bonvoy do they lose their Marriott Lifetime Platinum elite and do they then have to qualify anew every year for Titanium Elite? Seemss to me that switching to Bonvoy is fraught with danger...

George

 

[Pamplemousse]

My question would be if one switches to Bonvoy do they lose their Marriott Lifetime Platinum elite and do they then have to qualify anew every year for Titanium Elite? Seemss to me that switching to Bonvoy is fraught with danger...

George

Not sure what you mean by “switches to bonvoy”.

Bonvoy is just Marriott's rewards program.

Members earn points that can be used for stays, etc.

I was asking about switching from one bonvoy credit card to another.
That doesn’t affect bonvoy membership at all.
You can be a bonvoy member without having a credit card.

There are yearly levels and lifetime levels.
Lifetime means just that.
And so does yearly.

There is no danger in switching credit cards- unless I liked the old one better since I can’t get it back again. But none of that affects my bonvoy membership levels.

 

[fleming4]

One other consideration stems from Marriott not allowing a person's elite status to apply to their spouse, either while both are alive or when the one with the elite status dies. I have lifetime titanium status, but that will not help my wife if I die before her. So, two years ago we started focusing on her Marriott account and are hoping to attain lifetime status for her at some point. Since this requires both a specified number of nights and a specified number of years at that elite status level, having the old Marriott card is very helpful for us. Like others have noted, we get most of our night credits from spending using the old Marriott credit card. We plan on keeping that card for that purpose, until my wife has her own lifetime elite status. At that point, we'll most likely switch to a different credit card. For any couples facing a similar situation, the old card may be useful for the nights credits.

 

[bogey21]

There is no danger in switching credit cards- unless I liked the old one better since I can’t get it back again. But none of that affects my bonvoy membership levels.

Thanks for helping me to better understand the issue...

George

 

[bogey21]

There is no danger in switching credit cards- unless I liked the old one better since I can’t get it back again. But none of that affects my bonvoy membership levels.

Thanks for helping me to better understand the issue...

George

 

[frank808]

One other consideration stems from Marriott not allowing a person's elite status to apply to their spouse, either while both are alive or when the one with the elite status dies. I have lifetime titanium status, but that will not help my wife if I die before her. So, two years ago we started focusing on her Marriott account and are hoping to attain lifetime status for her at some point. Since this requires both a specified number of nights and a specified number of years at that elite status level, having the old Marriott card is very helpful for us. Like others have noted, we get most of our night credits from spending using the old Marriott credit card. We plan on keeping that card for that purpose, until my wife has her own lifetime elite status. At that point, we'll most likely switch to a different credit card. For any couples facing a similar situation, the old card may be useful for the nights credits.

The highest lifetime status you can attain now is Platinum.

Sent from my SM-N950U using Tapatalk

 

[Big Matt]

I am lifetime Titanium (not sure how). I got a formal set of information two weeks ago about it. Must be top secret like the Freemasons or something.

 

[Saintsfanfl]

I am lifetime Titanium (not sure how). I got a formal set of information two weeks ago about it. Must be top secret like the Freemasons or something.

You earned it as part of the conversion. Currently that is the only way you can earn it. It is no longer an option to earn going forward.

 

[Swice]

My wife is lifetime Titanium (from her years of traveling before kids).
I'm lifetime Platinum. Our timeshares are connected to my number. But since there is no longer an incentive for me to collect additional night stays, we no longer use my account for regular hotel stays. Any stay which involves us paying "cash," we book with her account number to get more bonus points for each dollar spent... plus the hope that her status will jump us in line for upgrades. I travel "some" for work so my lifetime gets me lounge access for breakfast. But because Marriott has decided I can never attain lifetime Titanium, I'm no longer "only" Marriott. I'll book other chains for work depending on convenience, location and price. Granted I'm still mostly Marriott, but no longer exclusive. I even recently stayed at a Best Western

I haven't changed my credit card yet-- but when a good promotion comes along. I am now mostly use the Venture Card.

 

[Saintsfanfl]

I am willing to bet that at some point they will add another tier, and when that happens lifetime titanium will be achievable. When that occurs is a mystery but it will eventually happen. It is all the same thing though. Devaluation, new rewards and incentives, rinse, and repeat.

The new level might be the rumored Cobalt, or it could be Rust. It is just a name.

 

[BocaBoy]

I am willing to bet that at some point they will add another tier, and when that happens lifetime titanium will be achievable. When that occurs is a mystery but it will eventually happen. It is all the same thing though. Devaluation, new rewards and incentives, rinse, and repeat.

The new level might be the rumored Cobalt, or it could be Rust. It is just a name.

There is already a tier above Titanium. It is called Ambassador and also requires $20,000 of annual spend.

 

[Saintsfanfl]

There is already a tier above Titanium. It is called Ambassador and also requires $20,000 of annual spend.

I thought that was Titanium Elite with Ambassador Service but now when I look it says "Ambassador Elite Service". Did they change it or was it always like that?

Does anyone have any experience with the Your24? I find it hard to get recognized that we have a 4PM late check-out option so I cannot even imagine trying to get a property to comprehend Your24. I have been flat refused a late check-out twice in the last year. One time I insisted that they call Marriott corporate because it is my guaranteed benefit and they backed down after a while. The second time at Casa Monica in Saint Augustine I did not feel like fighting with them. Some of those boutique hotels act like they are not really Marriott.

 

[bazzap]

I thought that was Titanium Elite with Ambassador Service but now when I look it says "Ambassador Elite Service". Did they change it or was it always like that?

Does anyone have any experience with the Your24? I find it hard to get recognized that we have a 4PM late check-out option so I cannot even imagine trying to get a property to comprehend Your24. I have been flat refused a late check-out twice in the last year. One time I insisted that they call Marriott corporate because it is my guaranteed benefit and they backed down after a while. The second time at Casa Monica in Saint Augustine I did not feel like fighting with them. Some of those boutique hotels act like they are not really Marriott.

Ambassador Elite level is a separate higher tier than Titanium, but not available as a Lifetime option.
Annual qualification with the $20,000 spend is required.

 

[Dean]

I thought that was Titanium Elite with Ambassador Service but now when I look it says "Ambassador Elite Service". Did they change it or was it always like that?

Does anyone have any experience with the Your24? I find it hard to get recognized that we have a 4PM late check-out option so I cannot even imagine trying to get a property to comprehend Your24. I have been flat refused a late check-out twice in the last year. One time I insisted that they call Marriott corporate because it is my guaranteed benefit and they backed down after a while. The second time at Casa Monica in Saint Augustine I did not feel like fighting with them. Some of those boutique hotels act like they are not really Marriott.

Yes it was a fairly recent change. Just a name change, nothing else from what I saw.

 

[dmharris]

I've been a Lifetime Platinum Marriotts Reward member for years because of my extensive history of travel. Recently I received the Lifetime Titanium card. The most interesting thing is that it is seriously hefty in weight. It feels like heavy metal!

 

[bogey21]

The name Bonvoy irritates me. Anyone else...

George

 

[BocaBoy]

I've been a Lifetime Platinum Marriotts Reward member for years because of my extensive history of travel. Recently I received the Lifetime Titanium card. The most interesting thing is that it is seriously hefty in weight. It feels like heavy metal!

When did you receive this card? I am also Lifetime Titanium but have not yet received the card.

 

[bazzap]

When did you receive this card? I am also Lifetime Titanium but have not yet received the card.

Me neither, but I did read somewhere that they are sending them out over an extended timescale through the year.
I am not sure why though, are there really that many of us?

 

[TheTimeTraveler]

I've been a Lifetime Platinum Marriotts Reward member for years because of my extensive history of travel. Recently I received the Lifetime Titanium card. The most interesting thing is that it is seriously hefty in weight. It feels like heavy metal!

Actually I received a new card a couple of days ago that has the "touch" feature (which I had never heard of before).

You can have this card just get near the terminal to complete the transaction (with those retailers who have this new type of terminal). You won't need to insert or swipe the card. What is wrong with swiping or inserting?

I am not sold on this feature at this point. The card itself is no longer "hefty in weight". In fact the hefty weight cards can not be cut up with scissors and you need to send them back to be destroyed.

So in essence, I am giving up a solid, hefty weight card for one that appears to be very flimsy. Matter of fact, the new card I received can be cut up with scissors.

Seems like progress is backwards.....




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