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This is a question I’ve been asking myself for years, and as I get closer to Marriott Lifetime Platinum, I’ve been considering whether it’s worth going out of my way to continue renewing Titanium Elite status. There’s no obvious answer either, as even my friends in the Miles & Points community have differing opinions.
I’ve finally come to a conclusion and decided I do care about Marriott Titanium status, but not for the obvious, hotel-related reasons.
The Value of Marriott Titanium over Platinum
Platinum Has the Important Benefits
Marriott Platinum includes all the important benefits:
- Breakfast for two
- Eligible for suite upgrades
- Guaranteed 4 PM late checkout
- Lounge access
JW Marriott Istanbul Bosphorus
Granted, the rules do vary by property: some properties are exempt from breakfast depending on the brand and their geographical location; some properties are exempt from offering breakfast even if the lounge is closed; the guaranteed 4 PM checkout does not apply at resorts; and more.
But for the most part, being a Marriott Platinum member is enough to make your stay comfortable.
It’s important to note that being Platinum does not automatically come with Choice Benefits, and you must reach 50 elite nights in order to choose between 5 Nightly Upgrade Awards, 5 elite night credits, or 3 other less desirable options.
U.S. Cards Make Titanium More Accessible
Nowadays, Platinum status is achievable just by holding a credit card. If you’re American, or you’re a Canadian with access to U.S. credit cards, you can hold the Amex Marriott Bonvoy Brilliant and get Platinum status that way.
Also with the Amex Bonvoy Brilliant, you’ll get 25 elite night credits just by holding the card. Hold the U.S. Amex Bonvoy Business as well, and you can stack another 15 elite night credits for a total of 40 without spending a single night in a hotel bed. This does not work in Canada with the 15 elite nights on the Amex Bonvoy personal and 15 on Amex Bonvoy Business.
Titanium Comes With More Choice Benefits
As far as I’m concerned, the only tangible benefit of staying at Marriott hotels with Titanium Elite status is the additional Choice Benefits you can select after reaching 75 elite nights. At 75 nights, you can choose between 5 Nightly Upgrade Awards, 5 Elite Night Credits, a Free Night Award costing up to 40,000 points, or 3 other less desirable options.
Courtyard by Marriott Tokyo Ginza
Getting another 5 Nightly Upgrade Awards or 40,000-point Free Night Award is nice, but they’re hardly worth staying another 25 nights for.
You do technically get priority over Platinum members when it comes to upgrades, but that’s impossible to quantify, and my personal opinion is it’s not really true. Upgrades are much more dependent on how smooth a talker you are, suite availability, and also the time of check-in.
You do earn 75% bonus points on spending compared to 50% as Platinum, but that’s only a 1-2% extra return depending on how you value your Bonvoy points.
Gamechanger: Aeroplan 25K Elite Status + United Premier Silver Status
This is what changed my mind on Titanium status being worth it.
Marriott Titanium comes with two low-tier airline statuses that I care about a lot: Aeroplan 25K and United Silver. I don’t fly Air Canada as much as I used to, and I do hold an Aeroplan co-branded credit card, but having any status at all makes a difference in the phone queue when calling Aeroplan. My friends without status often receive the “line is too busy, call back later” message, while I will at least make it into the queue with 25K.
Living in Ottawa, I fly United a fair bit for positioning flights, and Silver includes two fun benefits: complimentary space-available upgrades (on cash tickets) and free Economy Plus seats if available at online check-in. Economy Plus is a lifesaver on transcontinental routes like San Francisco–Chicago and my complimentary upgrades have cleared quite a few times, too. Even as a lowly United Silver, I’ve received complimentary upgrades on Ottawa–Chicago, Ottawa–Newark, Seattle–Washington DC, Houston–Vancouver, and more.
United First Class 737 Max
This year, United began releasing saver award space primarily to its own MileagePlus members, and you get the most benefit if you hold a United co-branded credit card and have United elite status. Co-branded credit card holders get access to exclusive United award space with a 10% points discount. Having elite status increases that discount to 15%.
You can make this happen in Canada by getting the Neo United Mastercard and having Marriott Titanium status.
Takeaway
Marriott Titanium Elite status isn’t worth chasing purely for hotel benefits, as Platinum already covers most of the perks that materially improve your stay. The additional Choice Benefits at 75 nights are nice, but rarely justify going significantly out of your way.
What makes Titanium worthwhile, in my view, is the airline crossover benefits. Complimentary Aeroplan 25K and United Premier Silver status add real value through better call centre access, Economy Plus seating, occasional upgrades, and access to more favourable United award pricing and availability.
