Platinum Status: Devaluations / changes inevitable after credit card changes?
 

The Amex Bonvoy Brilliant changes now make Platinum very easy to get. Benefits like breakfast and lounge access now seem like a bit much to offer. Will these be curtailed?

$650 is still an expensive annual fee. The Hilton Aspire at $450 offers a lot more value and hasn't seen negative changes to diamond. That makes me believe the number of people who actually sign up to these very premium cards remains quite low or many people have status regardless.

apart from getting rid of free breakfast and replacing it with a voucher that gets you a muffin and coffee if you are lucky...

Similar situation happened when UA Gold elite included MR Gold status which had (what is now bonvOY Plat benefits). Lounges were overrun until bonvOY devalued Gold to not include breakfast and sent UA Gold elite packing

Given that Marriott was already giving away Platinum status to new Bonvoy Brilliant applicants last year, perhaps, the numbers aren't as high as we might think. I can't imagine that Marriott would allow this change if it caused the Platinum numbers to increase to a prohibitive amount, but perhaps, that is just wishful thinking...

I wouldn't really say they devalued Marriott Gold - they just renamed it.

Don't forget that during that period, SPG Gold was getting lounge access at Marriotts. And SPG Gold was incredible easy to get.

$650 is a very steep barrier, and only people that travel a lot will impact the lounges. If you're already traveling a lot (or into credit cards), you probably already have Plat via other means.

Not every person can justify a $650 card fee and there’s a whole world of people outside of the USA who are unlikely to be able to access this card anyway.

the people you have to feel bad for is the LT Platinum that earned their benefits the hard way spending $100k+ which can now be obtained via a $650/an. fee. Crazy

This is a very fair point - I just had a conversation with my parents who hold the Bonvoy Brilliant but travel rarely (once every two months or so). Giving folks like them Platinum won't affect the lounges and breakfasts significantly (even though my mother claims my father used the lounge access they have from the Ambassador Platinum gift this year to eat 15 strips of bacon all at once).

Regardless of the overall # of Platinums...

If you own a hotel and Marriott says to "treat our best and most frequent guests well" and then you find out that the "best guests" are just a bunch of people who paid $650, why would you deliver elite benefits of any relevance? Especially since Marriott clearly isn't enforcing the rules any more?

This is likely why some properties have already been telling Platinums that they are restricting suite upgrades to Ambassador members, as seen in some reports on this forum. Platinum hasn't been "best guest" for a while now.

gonna probably be no more automatic lounge access if not upgraded to club level (a la Hilton gold), though those that qualify for the card and use it in the USA won’t probably feel the difference with the lack of lounges or offerings anyways… if Bonvoy goes down this route, it’ll hurt the card ineligible members overseas the most.

maybe also cut down on the 4pm late checkout to 2pm and maybe enhanced upgraded up to club level only, and not standard.

only way to differentiate between platinum (now available through cc) and titanium and ambassador.

Yeah though say you have a European or Hawaiian vacation or honeymoon planned. For many it may be worth getting the card for a year for the breakfast and other benefits just for that trip. The devaluation will be mostly due to the increased number of Platinum guests.

Honestly I earned Hilton diamond for years before I got it via credit card and I’m not noticing a big difference in treatment. Not sure Marriot will be any different. While I did get decent treatment overseas the Us was laughable. From what I read it’s similar here. It’s been a minute since I’ve stayed with Marriot but the new card has me willing to give them a go as a Hyatt backup.

Every time something is given away with CC's, devaluation follows, When Caesars partnered with Wyndham and one could match to their at the time highest level, Diamond, it did not take long for Caesars to add 2 extra Diamond tiers: Diamond Plus and Diamond Elite. Only Diamond Plus and Diamond Plus have automatic access to their Laurel Lounges.

I guess Bonvoy should have never renamed their 3 flavors of Platinum. I guess Platinum, Platinum Elite, and Platinum Ambassador is coming back! There is no way they can keep the current Platinum benefits while giving it away with CC's, based on what we've already seen from Hilton and other hotel chains that have done this.