Marriott Bonvoy Upgrade Waitlist: Your Place in Line, in the App

Marriott is testing an airline-style upgrade list that tells Bonvoy elites how many upgrades are available for their stay and where they rank in line. One Mile at a Time’s Ben Schlappig reports the feature is in beta at a small set of hotels, with expansion to more than 250 hotels in the US and Canada planned by early November. For Platinum members who plan trips around suite upgrades, it’s a first look inside a process members have mostly had to guess at.

What Happened

The in-app page is titled “Your Complimentary Upgrade Status.” Per OMAAT, it shows the estimated number of upgrades available for the member’s dates and bed type, and the member’s position in line. The example in the article shows zero upgrades available, with the member ranked second. Marriott will notify members one day before arrival if an upgrade is confirmed.

Some rules carry over from the existing program. Complimentary upgrades remain subject to availability, with Platinum and above described as the typical eligibility level. Nightly Upgrade Awards are processed first and aren’t counted in the numbers the list displays.

Why It Matters

The list gives elites real information for the first time, but OMAAT notes how much it leaves out. The article doesn’t explain how members are ranked: whether by tier, by rate paid, or by something else. It doesn’t say which rooms count as an upgrade, so a higher floor and a suite may look the same in the count. And a confirmation one day ahead sits awkwardly with how upgrades work at many hotels, where they are processed overnight or on the day of arrival. OMAAT has also reported that some Marriott hotels post signs listing how many elite guests are on property, and that the company uses an AI tool to help assign rooms.

Schlappig appreciates the transparency but suspects a commercial motive. Airlines built upgrade lists and then got more aggressive about selling the same seats, and he suggests Marriott could follow, selling upgrades in advance or eventually letting members pay to skip the line. That is speculation, and the feature is still a beta. It is worth reading alongside the elite inflation at Platinum Stack Archive covered earlier, since more elites means more people in the same line.

What This Means for Travelers

Even a basic count helps with planning. If the list shows zero upgrades available a week out on a stay where a suite matters, that is a signal to apply a Nightly Upgrade Award, book the suite directly, or move the stay, rather than hoping for a check-in surprise. A high position in line with several upgrades available is a reason not to pay for one.

Source: One Mile at a Time

Content created with AI assistance and reviewed for accuracy.