Amex Bonvoy Brilliant Downgrade/Upgrade Strategies

The Amex Bonvoy Brilliant has a unique value proposition where they’ll differ based on the type of traveler. An infrequent traveler or a traveler who don’t stay enough nights for Platinum Elite status at Marriott hotels will get much more value from this card compared to a Marriott Bonvoy loyalist who stays more than 50 nights a year, who can only get outsized value from the 85K Free Night Certificate.

With that said, both types of travelers can implement downgrade and upgrade strategies that make the Bonvoy Brilliant worth signing up for.

First Year Value of Bonvoy Brilliant

The first year value of the Bonvoy Brilliant mainly comes from the signup bonus since the card will not give the 85K Free Night Certificate during the first year.

The default signup bonus is 95,000 Marriott Bonvoy points, which for a $650 annual fee card, just isn’t very attractive. But, it usually comes with elevated offers ranging from 150K-200K points a couple times a year, and I recommend signing up for this card whenever those offers come.

The other values come from the instant Platinum Elite status and 25 elite nights towards your next status.

The instant Platinum status can be very beneficial to those who never got to reach Platinum since it’s the sweet spot status for the Marriott Bonvoy program where you start getting free breakfast at most hotels, guaranteed 4pm late checkout, and be eligible for suite upgrades.

But, instant Platinum means nothing for those who can already reach them through organic stays. Though, the extra elite nights can possibly help with reaching towards Titanium Elite and help with lifetime status goals.

Lastly, the monthly dining credit is very straightforward and easy to use that I can’t imagine anyone with this card would have trouble using them on dining out monthly unless they forget to use them. When it comes down to Amex coupons, this is the easiest one to consistently use.

I think it’s fair to value the dining credit at its full $25 monthly volume which cuts down the effective annual fee for this card down from $650 to $350 if the dining credits are utilized fully each month.

Downgrading Bonvoy Brilliant

After the first year of card membership, downgrading the Bonvoy Brilliant can be a great move for those who don’t value the instant Platinum Elite status. The downgrade option that makes sense is the Amex Marriott Bonvoy Card with its $95 annual fee.

The main draw for downgrading the Brilliant is you can get the 85K Free Night Certificate for $95, which is even less than what you’d effectively get with Chase’s The Ritz-Carlton Card. Though this would only work on the year you’d downgrade the Bonvoy Brilliant.

Not only that, but you’d still keep the 25 elite nights earned from the Brilliant even after downgrading it. The Bonvoy Brilliant is the card that gives you the most elite nights compared to every other Marriott Bonvoy credit cards.

Downgrading the Marriott Bonvoy Brilliant can lose you Platinum Elite status if you did not reach it organically, but you still keep the 25 elite nights for the remainder of the calendar year.

Upgrading Back to Bonvoy Brilliant

Should you decide to upgrade back to the Bonvoy Brilliant, you’d be charged a prorated annual fee after the anniversary of the Amex Marriott Bonvoy Card has been charged ($95).