@BronzeTrader wrote:
@YoungMoney06 wrote:The one thing I will say be on the look out for is the "free night" offering.
Here's the verbiage:
Receive 1 Free Night Award every year after your Card renewal month. Award can be used for one night (redemption level at or under 85,000 Marriott Bonvoy points) at a participating hotel. Certain hotels have resort fees.
I emboldened and underlined the key part. I point this out because they used this same verbiage on my AMEX Delta Platinum card for a companion certificate. Asked them about the companion certificate after opening the card and was told it's only after annual renewals.
So there is a good change there is NO free night for your first year... only after your card renewal month.
This is always true with almost all hotel and airline cards.
Yeah I misjudged. I know the Amtrak CC provided a companion certificate and an upgrade coupon that was eligible immediately after the card was opened and each renewal year.
So I had assumed the same with the Delta Platinum.
@BronzeTrader wrote:
@YoungMoney06 wrote:The one thing I will say be on the look out for is the "free night" offering.
Here's the verbiage:
Receive 1 Free Night Award every year after your Card renewal month. Award can be used for one night (redemption level at or under 85,000 Marriott Bonvoy points) at a participating hotel. Certain hotels have resort fees.
I emboldened and underlined the key part. I point this out because they used this same verbiage on my AMEX Delta Platinum card for a companion certificate. Asked them about the companion certificate after opening the card and was told it's only after annual renewals.
So there is a good change there is NO free night for your first year... only after your card renewal month.
This is always true with almost all hotel and airline cards.
Yes, as @BronzeTrader said, this is often true with hotel and airline cards, @YoungMoney06. However, I'll note that in the case my AMEX Marriott Bonvoy Brilliant added in November 2021, I *did* receive the 85K free night award in the first year I had the card. If I'm not mistaken, my Chase Marriott Bonvoy Boundless first free night was after I paid the renewal fee. Still, even in that case, as long as you're keeping the card, it all works out. You're just getting the "freebie" at the END of the year you paid the fee instead of at the beginning.
@BronzeTrader wrote:But, neither Chase Ritz card nor the AmEx Bonvoy Brilliant card had the 85,000 free night until just a couple months ago. The FNs have always been 50,000 as far as I remember.
I had to look it up to see if I could find documentation but I knew I had the 85K point free night, @BronzeTrader. Turns out they were offering 85K free nights as part of the SUB promotion last November, along with the enhanced 150K Bonvoy point offering. (See the screen shot I posted on my approval here.). But yes, the normal night redemption outside the SUB was enhanced from 50K to 85K only recently.