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Accor’s Live Limitless loyalty program has announced a series of measures to keep its members happy and engaged while the travel world in at a standstill, and it has followed in the footsteps of Hilton Honors, Marriott Bonvoy, the World of Hyatt, and Radisson Rewards by confirming that it will be extending elite statuses through next year.
Accor has announced 4 positive moves that should please its Live Limitless members:
Accor Status Extensions
Accor Live Limitless members will see their current status (the status earned in 2019 and being enjoyed in 2020) extended through to 31 December 2021.
Status Nights & Points Rolled Over
Status nights and points earned between 1 July 2020 and 31 December 2020 will be rolled over into the next qualifying year (2021) to give ALL members a “jump-start” as they look to earn elite status for 2022.
Points Expirations Paused
Under normal circumstances, Accor Live Limitless points are valid for 12 months after they’re earned and their expiration date is extended for a further year each time more points are credited to an account.
With most people currently unable to travel, Accor has announced that all points expirations will be paused though 15 December 2020.
Suite Night Upgrades Extended
Accor Live Limitless Platinum and Diamond members with unused suite night upgrades in their accounts as of 31 December 2020 will have the expiration date of those upgrades extended by 12 months.
Thoughts
Accor Live Limitless was the last remaining major hotel loyalty program not to have extended elite statuses through to the end of next year (even IHG Rewards came around a few weeks ago) so it’s good to see the program finally catching up. With most people unable to travel since early March, with no signs that travel will be easy or encouraged for the next few months, and with all other hotel programs extending statuses, Accor didn’t really have any option but to follow along.
It’s good to see Accor rolling over status nights and points into 2021 but it’s interesting to note that only nights and points earned from 1 July 2020 will be getting this treatment. What about the nights and points earned at the beginning of the year? This is almost certainly a decision taken by Accor to try to encourage people to travel in the second half of this year, but I’m not sure it will be viewed as a very fair policy by travelers who spent substantial sums with Accor in January and February.
If you haven’t made any stays at Accor properties since the middle of last year (and if you haven’t earned any points in any other way) your points would probably be due to expire in the next couple of months…but not any longer. The freeze on expirations through 15 December 2020 will give ALL members a bit more time to earn more points and reset their expiration clocks, but the fact that the freeze won’t extend into 2021 just shows how keen Accor is to get people staying in its properties before the end of the year.
Last but not least we have the generous decision to extend suite night expirations through to the end of next year and this is a move which puts Accor on a par with Marriott whose Bonvoy upgrades have also been extended by a year. With major travel in 2020 looking unlikely for most people, it’s nice for ALL members to know that one of their more coveted perks will not be going to waste.
Bottom Line
Accor Live Limitless may be a little late to the status extension party but at least it has finally turned up. There’s plenty of good news for members in these announcements but a few may be disappointed that the elite status credits they earned in the first half of the year will not count for much.