Marriott Bonvoy Offering Soft Landings for Elite Members Next Year

Updated: October 28, 2024, 9:22am CDT

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What Is a Soft Landing?
Final Thoughts

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Marriott Bonvoy is once again offering its soft landing policy for elite status next year. If you do not achieve the requirements for elite status by the end of 2024 (for the 2025 program year), you’ll automatically be downgraded 1 elite tier rank until 2026.

This is the first time Marriott has made this information readily available. While the policy existed in previous years, it’s now available online to make things simple. Here’s what you should know.

What Is a Soft Landing?

In most cases, Marriott Bonvoy elite status requires you to earn a specific number of nights over a year. If you fail to earn the required amount of nights, you won’t earn that elite tier. In order to still capture your loyalty as a member, Marriott Bonvoy is allowing you to fall back only 1 rank if you don’t earn your same elite status again.

For example, if you’re currently a Marriott Titanium Elite member but fail to stay the 75 nights required for Titanium Elite, you’ll fall back 1 level to Platinum Elite. Until February 2026, you’ll enjoy the benefits of Platinum Elite and will have the opportunity to again earn the 75 nights required for Titanium Elite. Should you not earn enough nights for Platinum Elite (50), you’ll fall back 1 level to Gold Elite, and so on, until you no longer have status.

Here is how the soft landing will work for the 2025 membership year for those who fail to earn status in 2024:

If you fail to earn Ambassador Elite, you’ll drop to Titanium Elite
If you fail to earn Titanium Elite, you’ll drop to Platinum Elite
If you fail to earn Platinum Elite, you’ll drop to Gold Elite
If you fail to earn Gold Elite, you’ll drop to Silver Elite

Marriott Bonvoy Upgraded Points — Image Credit: Upgraded Points

Marriott Bonvoy does this so it can still retain some loyalty from you as a member, and the policy is finally spelled out in the Frequently Asked Questions section here. If the program simply dropped you to no status at all, you might consider moving your loyalty to another hotel chain entirely, so Marriott Bonvoy gives you the benefit of the doubt and offers you something if you’re willing to stay.

While this soft landing policy only impacts you if you don’t earn the requirements by the end of the year, there’s still plenty of time to complete more nights towards your next elite rank. You have more than 2 months left in the year, which should be plenty of time in most circumstances for you to keep up your chosen elite status level.

Hot Tip:

Some Marriott Bonvoy co-brand credit cards offer elite status as a perk, so be sure to check your card’s benefits to see if you already earn elite status and don’t have to stay the required amount of nights annually.

Final Thoughts

This soft landing policy is great for road warriors who may not be able to stay enough nights this year to retain their current Marriott Bonvoy elite status levels. Rather than have no status next year, you’ll still be able to enjoy some benefits, just with the tier lower than where you’re at now.