The Singapore Airlines x Marriott Bonvoy Preferred Partnership Programme has got a lot of people excited, and understandably so.
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| Match KrisFlyer to Bonvoy |
| Match Bonvoy to KrisFlyer |
- With just 10 nights (instead of the usual 50 nights), Solitaire PPS, PPS Club and KrisFlyer Elite Gold members can qualify for Marriott Bonvoy Platinum
- With just four flights (instead of the usual 50,000 Elite miles), Marriott Bonvoy Platinum, Titanium and Ambassador members can qualify for KrisFlyer Elite Gold
These are significantly reduced thresholds compared to the usual, and I’ve already started planning my roadmap to 10 nights.
Now, I’ve received quite a few questions about how long status is valid for, and how qualifying nights are defined. I reached out to Marriott Bonvoy, and have finally received some official confirmation.
Recap: Marriott Bonvoy status match & challenge for KrisFlyer members
| KrisFlyer Tier | Instant Match To… | Status Accelerator Challenge |
 Solitaire PPS Club & PPS Club |
 Gold |
Platinum (10 nights in 6 months) |
 KrisFlyer Elite Gold |
||
 KrisFlyer Elite Silver |
N/A | Silver (3 nights in 6 months) |
Before we get into the questions, a quick recap of how this all works.
Solitaire PPS Club, PPS Club, and KrisFlyer Elite Gold members:
- Can register to receive an instant status match to Marriott Bonvoy Gold
- After registering, will be upgraded to Marriott Bonvoy Platinum should they subsequently stay at least 10 qualifying nights in a six-month period
KrisFlyer Elite Silver members:
- Do not receive any instant status
- Can register and earn Marriott Bonvoy Silver when they stay at least 3 qualifying nights in a six-month period
There’s also a status match and challenge in the opposite direction from Marriott Bonvoy to KrisFlyer, which I won’t address here (but might in a separate article).
Key questions
How long is status valid for?
My understanding of the general rule governing Marriott Bonvoy elite status is that it’s valid for:
- The rest of the year of qualification (Year X)
- One year after qualification (Year X+1)
- January and February of the year after the year after qualification (Year X+2)
So here’s how it’d work for a Solitaire PPS, PPS Club or KrisFlyer Elite Gold member:
| Registers in | MB Gold till | Completes 10th night in | MB Platinum till |
| Dec 2023 | 28 Feb 2025 | Dec 2023 | 28 Feb 2025 |
| Dec 2023 | 28 Feb 2025 | Jan-Dec 2024 | 28 Feb 2026 |
| Jan-Dec 2024 | 28 Feb 2026 | Jan-Dec 2024 | 28 Feb 2026 |
Obviously, once you qualify for Marriott Bonvoy Platinum, your Gold status is overridden.
Put it another way:
- a member who completes the status accelerator challenge in December 2023 will have Marriott Bonvoy Platinum till 28 February 2025
- a member who completes the status accelerator challenge in January-December 2024 will have Marriott Bonvoy Platinum till 28 February 2026
It’s for that reason I said you should time your final qualifying night to come as early in 2024 as possible, but not before 1 January 2024.
However, there has been some confusion because the Singapore Airlines website says “the status is valid for 12 months from the date of registration” while the FAQs say “the status is valid for at least 12 months from the day of registration”. To further complicate matters, a few readers pointed out this FlyerTalk thread which says:
- If a member qualifies for status in January or February in Year X, their status will only be valid till 28/29 February of Year X+1
- If a member qualifies for status in March to December in Year X, their status will be valid till 28/29 Feburary of Year X+2
I’ve clarified this matter with Marriott Bonvoy, who have told me the following:
Anyone who achieves a status (through earning based on program guidelines) this year, will keep that status through February 2026
-Marriott Bonvoy
So it’s basically the rule I stated at the start of this section: qualify in 2024 and enjoy status till February 2026, simple as that.
Do award stays count towards qualifying nights?
In the original Preferred Partnership Programme T&Cs, “Qualifying Night” was defined as follows:
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Part D Clause 1 (Original) For purposes of these Preferred Partnership Rules, a โQualifying Nightโ shall mean a โStayโ as defined in the Marriott Bonvoy Program Rules. |
Marriott Bonvoy programme rules include paid, award and cash + points nights as qualifying nights, which led me to conclude that you could use points to pay for some or all of your nights- hence my plan to stay 10 nights at the AC Hotel in Penang @ 5,000 points a night, which with the 5th night free benefit would come up to 40,000 points.
However, this contradicted the eDM sent out to members, which explicitly stated that only paid nights would count towards the challenge.
Marriott Bonvoy has since issued the following clarification:
We can confirm that there was a discrepancy in the terms and conditions relating to the “Qualifying Night” for the Marriott Bonvoy Silver Accelerator Challenge provided to KrisFlyer Elite Silver Members, as well as the Marriott Bonvoy Platinum Accelerator Challenge provided to Solitaire PPS Club, PPS Club, and KrisFlyer Elite Gold Members. We have since updated the terms and conditions that define a “Qualifying Night”.
-Marriott Bonvoy
The revised section now reads as follows:
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Part D Clause 1 (Revised) For purposes of these Preferred Partnership Rules, a โQualifying Nightโ shall mean a night as part of a stay at a Participating Property where the Joint Member pays a Qualifying Rate, provides the Joint Memberโs Marriott Bonvoy Account number upon booking, at check-in or before checkout, and personally stays in the reserved guest room. A โQualifying Rateโ is the rate a Marriott Bonvoy Member pays for a stay in a guest room at a Participating Property which qualifies to earn Points or Miles (as defined in the Marriott Bonvoy Program Rules). Qualifying Rates include most business and leisure rates, such as rates found on Marriott.com without an application of a discount code, standard and premium retail rates, advanced purchase rates, corporate negotiated rates, and national/regional/local government rates. Award Redemption Stays, including Cash + Points Awards,โฏFree Night Awards, or a Points redemption (as each such term is defined under the Marriott Bonvoy Program Rules), are not eligible as Qualifying Nights under the Preferred Partnership Program. |
Note the part in red, which is the crux of the matter. Only paid nights will count towards the qualifying night requirement.
However, if you’ve made travel plans in reliance on the original T&Cs, here’s some good news:
We will honour all award redemption stays for programme members who enrolled in the programme prior to the amendment to the terms and conditions, and sincerely apologise to all programme members for the inconvenience caused.
-Marriott Bonvoy
In other words, so long as you registered before the T&Cs were updated on 3 January 2024 (the date of the update was provided in the email I received; you won’t find it stated in the T&Cs), paid, award and cash + points nights will all count towards your qualifying nights.
Your actual stay dates are irrelevant; all that matters is when you registered to link your accounts. Go figure I hadn’t registered yet, so my “Platinum for 40,000 points” plan is in tatters (all things considered though, 10 nights for Platinum is still very achievable with a Johor/KL mattress run, and I’ll be looking at some options in the weeks ahead).
Now, a quick word on implementation. Once registered for the status accelerator, your Marriott Bonvoy account will display a tracker of your progress towards the 10 nights (or 3 nights, if you’re gunning for Silver) requirement.
If it was Marriott Bonvoy’s original intention that only paid nights qualify, then I doubt their IT is set up in a way for the tracker to take this exception into account. In other words: don’t panic if your award or cash + points nights don’t move the tracker (though I’m sure some will anyway…).
You’ll just have to take it on faith that Marriott is tracking this on their back end, and wait for your upgrade to come through after the 10th night. The T&Cs are silent on the timeline for account upgrading, so I’d give it a couple of weeks before worrying.
I also want to address a few other questions I’ve received, but do note that unlike the ones above, these have not been explicitly addressed by Marriott Bonvoy. I’m offering my own interpretation, so take it with a pinch of salt.
When is this match & challenge available till?
I’m guessing this question is asked because there are existing Marriott Bonvoy Platinums who know they can’t requalify based on their 2023/2024 activity, and want to use this avenue to get back Platinum after their status drops to Gold on 1 March 2024/2025.
The short answer is that the T&Cs of the Preferred Partnership Programme do not state any end date, so no one knows except Marriott Bonvoy and KrisFlyer. In other words, this match and challenge continues “until further notice”.
For what it’s worth, my sense is that this is being positioned as a long-term partnership, so I’d be very surprised if it doesn’t last at least 12 months.
Can I use this to renew my existing Marriott Bonvoy Platinum status?
No. This is not an initiative for existing Marriott Bonvoy Platinums to requalify at a reduced threshold (though it can be used by those who have dropped to Gold to qualify for Platinum status again- see above point).
If you’re an existing Marriott Bonvoy Platinum member, registering for this programme simply wastes your opportunity to take advantage of the status accelerator at a later point in time (since the six-month window to accumulate 10 nights starts ticking from the time you register, and if you’re already Platinum then there’s no requalification benefit).
Wait for your account status to drop to Gold or lower, then register.
I already hold Marriott Gold courtesy of the AMEX Platinum Charge. Am I eligible for the status accelerator to Platinum?
Yes. All that maters is that you’re not an existing Marriott Bonvoy Platinum at the time of registration.
Can I take advantage of this offer every year?
No. The status accelerator is a one-time thing, and the clock starts ticking from the moment you register. All subsequent requalification is based on Marriott Bonvoy’s usual terms, i.e. 50 nights a year for Platinum.
For example, someone who completes the status accelerator challenge in 2024 will have status until 28 February 2026. To enjoy status beyond 28 February 2026, he/she must complete at least 50 nights from 1 January to 31 December 2025.
What happens if my KrisFlyer status lapses in the middle of the status accelerator?
Marriott has confirmed with me that all that matters is your status at the time of linking your accounts.
For example, if you’re a KrisFlyer Elite Gold who:
- Registers for status accelerator in January 2024
- Status expires in March 2024
- Completes status accelerator in May 2024
You will still get upgraded to Marriott Bonvoy Platinum, notwithstanding the fact that you are no longer a KrisFlyer Elite Gold at the time of completing the status accelerator.
Conclusion
Marriott Bonvoy has clarified that any elite status earned in 2024 will be valid till February 2026, so completing the status accelerator early in 2024 is key to stretching your benefits period.
Unfortunately, only paid nights will count towards the status accelerator, unless you registered before 3 January 2024, in which case you can rely on award nights or points + cash nights as well.
I’m attaching links to the T&Cs and FAQs for the Preferred Partnership Programme. Be sure to read them because they cover quite a few of the questions I’ve seen.
Great timing – and thanks for the clarity.
i just received the following email from Marriottโฆ stating I have to compete my stays by end of Jan to qualify.
im Working on the 6 months requirement – and ignoring their email – think thatโs fair?
(to add more confusionโฆ I stayed 5 nights in one stay , so no idea why only 3 are tracking)
a lot of people got that “complete by 30 jan 24” message, which i can only put down as an IT error.
I just received the same email after staying 3 nights last month. My KF Gold is expiring this month. Hence, it must the reason why the accelerator program only last til the end of this month.
Meanwhile, I do not have the tracker on my app anymoreโฆ
Is your KrisFlyer Elite status expiring? Mine just expired 31st Dec and I also got the email to complete 10 nights to qualify for Marriott Platinum by 31 Jan.
Yes – expired 31/12/23.
So there probably is some logic.
T&C stated that 6months after registration. My KF gold also expired 31st Dec, and I have planned to do the 10th night only on March. Guess I will try my luck and keep my reservations (using Bonvoy Gold instead of my Accor Plat and IHG Diamond) and see what will come out of after 10th night. If I dont get it, will only make me condemn and boycott the Bonvoy program permanently lol
I called Bonvoy this morning – spoke to the Bangkok call centre. Very good English. She confirmed the requirement is 6 months from registration and therefore I need to complete 10 nights by end of June.
I still believe the end Jan written in the email (that Iโm now getting everyday) is due to the SQ gold expiring – but the terms definitely say 6 months. They do also however say you must have a valid gold account.
I donโt think itโs possible for me to do another 7 nights this month, so preparing for a bit of a battle!
I also figured that 2 nights of my 5 night stay were before I registered. So they obviously work on stay dateโฆ not final checkout date. This is why I only have 3 nights.
Received email from Marriott today confirming end of June deadline for the 10 nights. Happy days!
Seems like this doesn’t work if you are already Platinum on Bonvoy – doesn’t seem to roll over
Read the article dude
Please can you give further information about the reverse process: Using Marriott Platinum to get Krisflyer Gold. My KF Gold will expire in March but I am M Platinum so want to leverage that to get back to KF Gold
Iโd like to see that discussion as well. Iโm Bonvoy Platinum and achieved KrisFlyer Silver through this program but want to fly the 4 flights necessary to achieve Gold. My question is: does a Scoot flight count towards the 4?
Based on the T&C, the flight should be strictly in Singapore Airlines metal/airplane. Scoot flight does not apply.
Thank you.
If I currently hold Bonvoy Platinum status which will drop to Gold after March, can I register for the promotion now and start earning these 10 nights as long as the last qualifying night is after March?
I donโt think you should apply while youโre platinum. Should wait until gold, then link and then do the 10 nights.
Suppose I have 9 nights planned before March will those not count if I apply as long as the one final night is after March when the status has downgraded to gold?
You should only enroll after your status dropped into Gold or below. So in your case, the 9 nights will be wasted.
Thank you Aaron for this great article. Would really appreciate the reverse as well! (Bonvoy to KF)
Dear all… I called SQ and got the following info from the relevant dept (info relayed by customer service officer) My Bonvoy Platinum status will lapse on 1 March and I intend to sign up for the match and challenge to get KF Gold. Was informed tat so long as I signed up before 1 March as a Platinum Bonvoy member… I will STILL HAVE 6 MONTHS FROM THE DATE OF SIGNING UP to clock 4 SQ flights. Apparently, I do not need to chalk up the 4 flights whilst still a Platinum member. I double confirmed and was reassured… Read more »
Hi
Does anyone know if the free Amex stay under the Platinum Charge card at St Regis would count as a qualifying night for the purpose of this promotion?
So: TL;DR: don’t register now: Register on March-1. Then book & complete a 10 night stay within six months OR before your SQ Gold status expires, whichever is sooner. Then Bonvoy status will be matched until Mar ’26;and it doesnt matter when/if SQ Gold subsequently expires. What is a safe time margin between the tenth night and SQ Gold expiry? Two weeks perhaps?
I think you can register now if you have a stay soon – from above from the article it suggests new status will be valid until Feb 26 now in any case.
But yes agree that you should register as late as possible before your first eligible night, to maximise the 6 months to complete, so long as before SQ gold expires.
Margin between 10 nights and gold expiring – I wouldnโt think a few days maximum.
Need to complete before SQ Gold expires?
I am working on the other way round… using my Bonvoy Platinum to get my accelerated SQ Gold.
I intend to sign up in Feb and was told by SQ that even though my Bonvoy Platinum lapses in March, it’s ok so long as I complete 4 flights from the time I signed up for the challenge.
> One scenario thatโs been raised is that of a KrisFlyer Elite Gold whose status expires in March 2024. If he registers for the status accelerator in January 2024 and completes it in May 2024, will he be eligible for Platinum status? @Aaron I am the one who raised this question in the previous post, as per my real condition. Would be glad if you can get and post some confirmation from Marriott and SQ ๐ Also, wishful and silly thinking, can we link both memberships back-to-back? (ie. Use KFEG to get Bonvoy Plat, then after KFEG expires at the… Read more »
Can this stack up with Citibank Prestige 4th night free benefit?
Did anyone else stop receiving the daily update from Marriott about this promo? Last Friday, Saturday, Sunday and Monday I received the same email, around the same time each day, telling me I need 7 nights before 31st Jan. Then since then, nothing. Wondering whether that means they are sticking to the 6 months from registration, or whether they are going to enforce the 31st jan for those whose KFEG expired 31/12/23. I have a decision to make… If deadline is 31st Jan, I need a 7 night mattress run… cost approx $600usd. otherwise, if they keep to 6 months,… Read more »
Hi, thanks for the article. I registered on 13 Dec 2023 ie before 3 Jan 24. I got upgraded to kfeg immediately.
Recently from early Jan I did 10 nights of award stay however was not tracked in the 10 nights progress bar. Contacting Bonvoy customer service they replied saying award stay, cash+points are not eligible as qualifying nights. What should I do now? Can you share who gave your the above info regarding honouring for those register before 3 Jan? Thanks
The comments are provided by a marriott spokesperson. I would recommend waiting a few weeks to see if the upgrade comes through.
Are you saying it’s an automatic back end thing or do we need to contact somebody specific to trigger they check and count it? Worried because have stays planned and platinum is important.
Just to update. I completed my 10th night, (all are award nights) on 19/3 emailed customer service and today my account have been upgraded to platinum. Unsure validity of status though, can’t see in the app.
Hi Aaron, can I check if I do not have any Krisflyer status but am already a Marriott Bonvoy Gold member, can I still qualify for Marriott Platinum status with 10 nights stay within 6 months from the first stay?
No.. you need SQ Gold to start the fast track to Marriott platinum.
Hi, does anyone know if I can book 2 rooms for 5 nights to qualify for the match?
Usually doesnโt workโฆ. But Iโve just finished a 2-night stay with 2 rooms, so Iโll let you know in a few days how it posts.
@jas my stay posted as 2 nights (not 4). Ie only one room counts
Linked my accounts from KFEG to MB (was already Gold), but keen for the accelerator. Got the email, but the promo and counter still not showing up after a week on my account website promo section after a week of linking. CS is useless (talk with KF; wait). Anyone with the same issue? Keen to book, but will move spend if not on acelerator.
I have a counter on the website, but not on the app. And on the website it says nothing about the name of the promotion – but itโs moving up as I stay in hotels, and says something like โmaximum 10โ
Thanks Tom. I have nothing on either the website or the app. Will try once more CS during Asia hours. Hopefully they are more helpful than the US CS.
When did you get the email? Did you get Marriott email after the 1st paid qualifying stay (1st stay out of the 10 stays in 6 months) after linking acocunts? Linked my accounts KFEG and MBG but did not get any emails (have not made my 1st stay yet), did not see promo, counter on my account website.
Anyone know if this promotion can be combined with the “Earn 1,000 Bonus Points & 1 Bonus Elite Night Credit Each Night.” promotion (https://www.marriott.com/loyalty/promotion.mi?promotion=HE24&lk=2000006842&nck=92429909&ck=2080444) so that Bonus Elite nights are also counted towards the 10 qualifying nights; meaning five paid nights plus five bonus elite nights?
I tried to signup to this promo but It wouldnโt allow me. I assumed this was because I was already signed up to the Accelerator.
Hi Aaron,
Thanks for the clarification. Just one question please. As outlined in the general MB T&C section 4.2.a.ii, “At Protea Hotels, City Express, and Four Points Express, Members will be awarded one (1) Elite Night Credit for every two (2) Qualifying Nights for each Qualifying Stay completed.” So if I’m gunning for the 10 nights to Platinum program by staying those brands, does it mean I have to stay -20- nights or can I still just do 10?
Thanks!
i just completed the 10days stay requirement and upgraded to Platinum but Marrott sent me an email stating “Now enjoy Marriott Bonvoy Platinum Elite status for 12 months.”
So i’m not sure it is only 12 months or till Feb 2026 for this new status. it is indeed confusing.
if you qualified today it will be feb 2026. marriott does not downgrade statuses at other times during the year.
Good to know, thanks for the info. Just that Marriott’s message is misleading, can we also see the membership validity in the Marriott app?? I cant seems to find it at all. thanks.
KF Gold expiring for me at the end of January and as Marriott Titanium have used your guide and applied for accelerator for the 2024. If you unlink Bonvoy and Krisflyer then relink, will I get silver then can I reapply for the accelerator in 2025?