The Marriott Bonvoy & Singapore KrisFlyer status match offer

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When you look into the Bonvoy program closely, you’ll find that Marriott has relationships with considerably more airlines that any other hotel loyalty program and that with some airlines, like Emirates and United Airlines, it even has a reciprocal benefits agreement (of sorts).

Marriott’s relationship with Singapore Airlines isn’t as strong as strong as its relationship with Emirates and United and it only really dates back to January 2023 when members of KrisFlyer and members of Bonvoy were given the benefit of being able to transfer miles/points between the two programs.

Recently, however, the relationship between Singapore KrisFlyer and Marriott Bonvoy has been deepened by the introduction of a status match program that, for one program’s elites at least, looks potentially quite valuable.

The offer to Marriott Bonvoy elites

Marriott Bonvoy Platinum, Titanium, and Ambassador elites can apply to receive a status match to KrisFlyer Elite Silver status for a period of 12 months with no requirement for them to take any flights on Singapore Airlines to get that status.

KrisFlyer Elite Silver status usually requires members to credit 25,000 elite qualifying miles to their KrisFlyer account and offers the following benefits:

• 25% bonus redeemable miles based on the actual miles flown.
• Star Alliance Silver status.
• Complimentary standard seat selection on Singapore Airlines.
• Priority on the reservations waitlist*.
• Priority airport standby*.
• Waived or discounted service fees.
• Additional benefits when flying with Scoot.

*’Priority’ is a very relative term in this case as while Sliver Elites will have priority over non-elites, they will be behind all other elite members on the waitlists.

Bonvoy elites can also boost their KrisFlyer status to Gold elite status for a period of 12 months by crediting 4 flights to their KrisFlyer account within 6 months of linking their Bonvoy and KrisFlyer accounts.

KrisFlyer Elite Gold status usually requires members to credit 50,000 elite qualifying miles to their KrisFlyer account and offers the following benefits:

• Business Class lounge access when flying with select airlines (regardless of the cabin booked).
• Access to KrisFlyer Milestone Rewards (details here).
• Star Alliance Gold status.
• Extra checked baggage allowance on select airlines.
• Complimentary ‘Forwards Zone’ or standard seat selection on Singapore Airlines.
• Priority airport check-in.
• Priority boarding.
• Priority baggage handling.
• Gold elite status in the Shangri-La Gold Circle program + an upgrade to Jade elite status after one qualifying stay.
• Waived or discounted service fees.
• Additional benefits when flying with Scoot.

Marriott Bonvoy members who wish to take up the status match offer should link their Bonvoy and KrisFlyer accounts on this page.

Note: Members who meet the eligibility criteria to receive complimentary KrisFlyer Status because of a trial Elite status in Marriott Bonvoy, are not eligible for the complimentary KrisFlyer Elite Silver Status and/or KrisFlyer Elite Gold Status through the Preferred Partnership Program.

The offer to Singapore Airlines KrisFlyer elites

Solitaire PPS Club, PPS Club, and KrisFlyer Elite Gold members can apply to receive a status match to Marriott Bonvoy Gold elite status for a period of 12 months with no requirement for them to complete any Marriott stays to get that status.

KrisFlyer Elite Silver members can enjoy Marriott Bonvoy Silver elite status after completing 3 qualifying nights at participating Marriott Bonvoy properties within 6 months from the date of registration to accelerate to Marriott Silver Elite tier.

Marriott Bonvoy Gold elite status usually requires members to credit 25 elite nights miles to their Bonvoy account and offers the following key benefits:

• 25% bonus points on all eligible hotel spending.
• 2 p.m. late check out (subject to availability).
• Access to complimentary basic upgrades (subject to availability).
• A welcome gift of between 250 and 500 points per stay.

There are a few other benefits that Gold members can also enjoy but none of these could be described as ‘key’ as they can also be enjoyed by members with Silver Elite status.

Solitaire PPS Club, PPS Club, and KrisFlyer Elite Gold elites can also boost their Marriott status to Bonvoy Platinum elite status for a period of 12 months after completing 10 qualifying nights at participating Marriott Bonvoy properties within 6 months from the date of linking their KrisFlyer and Bonvoy accounts.

Bonvoy Platinum elite status usually requires members to credit 50 elite nights to their Bonvoy account and offers the following key benefits:

• 50% bonus points on all eligible hotel spending.
• Guaranteed 4 p.m. late check out (subject to availability at resorts and convention hotels).
• Access to complimentary enhanced upgrades including select suites (subject to availability).
• A choice of welcome gifts – points, breakfast, or an amenity (varies by brand)
• Lounge access (where available).

KrisFlyer elites who wish to take up the status match offer should link their KrisFlyer and Bonvoy accounts on this page.

Quick thoughts

As is often the case when it comes to relationships between airline programs and hotel programs, it’s the members of the airline program that get the better deal.

Yes, KrisFlyer Silver status is better than no status at all but as most Bonvoy members can enjoy ongoing Star Alliance Silver status thanks to the Marriott/United Airlines tie-in, there’s no real reason to get excited about the opportunity to have KrisFlyer Silver status for just 12 months.

KrisFlyer Gold status is a different story because it offers holders valuable Star Alliance Gold status, but because eligible Bonvoy elites will have to take four Singapore Airlines flights within 6 months to earn this status (for 12 months only), this is not going to be a particularly economical path to Star Alliance Gold status for anyone living outside of Southeast Asia (which is probably why the promotion was designed this way).

KrisFlyer elites get the better deal in this relationship because while Bonvoy Gold status isn’t a status to aspire to (2 p.m. checkouts can be very useful, but the other benefits are weak), it should be pretty simple for a lot of KrisFlyer elites to lock in Bonvoy Platinum status relatively cheaply* … and that’s a status that’s definitely worth having (see here).

*Marriott Bonvoy has thousands of properties all over the world so most people reading this article should have access to at least one Marriott property at which rates are relatively cheap.

Bottom line

Marriott Bonvoy and the Singapore Airlines KrisFlyer program are currently offering a reciprocal status match opportunity for elite members in both programs.

There doesn’t appear to be an end date for this promotion so anyone interested in making the most of what’s on offer should make sure they time their status match in such a way so as to maximize the benefits they can enjoy (i.e. don’t match until you’re close to flying with Singapore Airlines or staying with Marriott) and to give themselves the best opportunity to boost their status if they’re planning to do so (i.e. don’t match until you’re on the brink of a 6 month period in which you know that you can meet the status boost criteria).