Marriott Bonvoy “soft landing” for the upcoming 2026 elite year has just been announced, and it’s once again quite generous for members.

What is a “soft landing”?

Before we dive into the specifics, what exactly is a “soft landing”? It’s quite simple. Let’s say you don’t meet the requirements to requalify for your status level. Regardless of how far off you were (even if you made zero progress towards status), you’ll end up getting one elite status level lower than you had.

As an example, let’s assume in 2025 you had Titanium Elite status with Marriott Bonvoy. Further assume that you made no effort to requalify at all but only ended up with 15 elite nights. As Titanium Elite status requires 75 elite nights, you won’t requalify for that same status level. If you were basing it purely on what you earned, you’d be a Silver Elite (requires 10 elite nights per year). However, a “soft landing” policy would instead put you at Platinum Elite (normally requiring 50 elite nights per year).

The Marriott Bonvoy “soft landing” policy for 2026 elite status

The Marriott Bonvoy FAQs describe what will happen to your elite status in 2026:

• Members who achieved the same status level will see their same status level extended in January 2026 to be valid through February 2027.
• Members who earned a higher status level already will see their new status level reflected in their accounts as valid through February 2027.
• In March 2026, “Members who did not re-achieve their existing Elite Status were offered one tier below their current status through February 2027”.

As clarification, the FAQs also state that your status will never drop below the level of lifetime status you earned.

Timing for lifetime year counter increments also announced

When your lifetime year counter gets incremented matters the most for those pursuing Marriott Bonvoy lifetime status. Naturally, it’s needlessly complicated:

• In 2025, the member earns a higher elite status
  • Credit for 2025 will be added at the time of achievement in 2025
  • Credit for 2026 will be added on January 1, 2027, unless a higher level is achieved during 2025
• In 2025, the member renews the same status level
  • Credit for 2025 will be added on January 1, 2026
  • Credit for 2026 will be added on the third week of January 2026
• In 2025, the member failed to renew their status level
  • Credit for 2025 will be added on January 1, 2026
  • Credit for 2026 will be added early March 2026 for status one level below the 2025 level

It tends to scare members when some get an increase to their lifetime year counter while others do not. Transparency helps on when members get an updated counter, but it’d be easier if everyone just gets credit at the same time, such as March 1 of each year.

The Marriott Bonvoy “soft landing” policy is good for customers

Undeniably, it’s customer-friendly to have a “soft landing” policy. After all, life events come up (like changing jobs or having a child) that negatively impact earning ability. A customer who was once loyal has a better chance of becoming loyal again in future years than a member who was never loyal. The Marriott Bonvoy “soft landing” policy allows for members to still feel a reason to remain loyal to Marriott instead of encouraging these members to look elsewhere.

Of course, it can also promote perverse incentives within the program.

If the member always believes this offer will be there, they could earn Titanium Elite status one year (75 elite nights) and then earn nothing the next (or, more accurately, not worry about earning any status). That member would get downgraded to Platinum Elite. Then, earn Titanium Elite status fast enough the next year, and you could conceivably earn just 75 elite nights to guarantee a baseline of Platinum Elite status for two years.

We don’t anticipate a change in this approach since it’s something Marriott Bonvoy has done for a long time. If members were gaming the system up until this point, they would have changed the program. After all, Marriott is the one with all the data and it’s their discretion to go above-and-beyond for members with this regard.

Are you taking advantage of the Marriott Bonvoy “soft landing” policy?

Suggested reading:

• Case in Point: The Way I Value a Marriott Point
• The Value of a Marriott Bonvoy Elite Night
• Review: JW Marriott Parq Vancouver