Status: checked against official sources; automated independent review
GUIDE
How to monitor frequent-flyer programme changes
Monitoring frequent-flyer programme changes means re-reading the official terms pages that govern your airline, hotel and card accounts on a fixed schedule and writing down what changed and when it takes effect. The rules are built to move: Marriott Bonvoy's Program Rules let the company change, amend or cancel the programme with or without notice, even where a change affects the value of points or the ability to obtain an award, and they say such changes are effective when posted on Marriott Channels unless the company states otherwise. [4]
Facts checked: 18 October 2026
Key takeaways
- Programme terms are the controlling document and can change without notice: Marriott Bonvoy's Program Rules allow changes to accrual and redemption rates, redemption levels, qualification requirements and the rules for forfeiting points. [4]
- A page update is not the same as an effective date. At Marriott, amendments take effect when posted on Marriott Channels or otherwise communicated, unless the company states otherwise. [4]
- Airline qualification windows are stated separately from the announcement: United's 2026 Premier window runs from 1 January to 31 December 2026 and status earned in it is valid through 31 January 2028 [6]; Delta's 2027 Medallion status is earned on 2026 calendar-year spending and is valid until 31 January 2028. [9]
- Card-earned credit sits on a separate line. Delta SkyMiles Platinum, Platinum Business, Reserve and Reserve Business American Express card holders receive an MQD Headstart of $2,500 MQDs per card type each Medallion Qualification Year, and MQD Boost adds $1 MQD per $20 of eligible purchases on the Platinum cards or per $10 on the Reserve cards; Delta's terms add that American Express relies on the merchant's transaction date, which may differ from the purchase date, to decide which Qualification Year a purchase counts in. [9]
Which official pages should you watch?
Build the watchlist from the pages a programme would point to if you disputed a balance, then add the programme's own change page where one exists. Marriott Bonvoy publishes its Loyalty Program Terms & Conditions as one document marked updated October 2026, and says the current Program Rules supersede all previous terms applicable to its legacy programmes. [4] Qantas Frequent Flyer keeps a Program changes page that lists upcoming changes with their launch dates. [7] [8]
| What you are tracking | Page to watch | What the page settles |
|---|---|---|
| Hotel earning, expiry and elite rules | Marriott Bonvoy Loyalty Program Terms & Conditions [4] | Qualifying Activity every 24 months; missing-credit requests within one year; how amendments take effect |
| Airline status overhaul timetable | Qantas Frequent Flyer Program changes [7] [8] | Launch dates of 8 December 2026 and 2027; which sub-programmes are retired |
| Airline qualification thresholds | United MileagePlus: How to earn Premier status [6] | 2026 qualification window, Premier Silver to Premier 1K levels, four paid flight segments |
| Spend thresholds and card-earned credit | Delta SkyMiles: How to Get Medallion Status [9] | 2027 Medallion thresholds earned on 2026 spending; annual reset of Medallion Qualification Dollars |
Hotel and card programmes reward a second list of pages rather than a longer first one: a hotel comparison pass belongs with the terms page, not instead of it. Hotel loyalty comparison checklist
How do you record an effective date?
- Separate the posted date from the effective date. Marriott's rules are marked updated October 2026 and state that changes are effective when posted on Marriott Channels or otherwise communicated, unless the company says otherwise; continued participation after that point counts as acceptance. [4]
- Log each dated item on its own line. Qantas launches Status Credit rollover and Status Credits on the ground on 8 December 2026, with the single Status Credit target, new lifetime milestones and new tier benefits arriving in 2027, and changes to Status Credit retain targets taking effect later in 2027. [7] [8]
- Note whether counting reaches backwards. Qantas counts activity from the Membership Year you are in on 8 December 2026 towards Status Credits on the ground, including activity before that date, but awards nothing until 8 December 2026; if your Membership Year ends before that date, points earned in that year do not count. [8]
- Record the qualification year, not just the calendar. United's 2026 Premier window runs from 1 January to 31 December 2026, with status earned then valid through 31 January 2028 [6]; Delta resets Medallion Qualification Dollars on or about 1 January each calendar year and they do not roll over. [9]
- Copy the governing sentence. Marriott states that where the English and a translated version of the Program Rules differ, the English-language version governs. [4]
How do you tell a confirmed change from a rumour?
A change is worth acting on when three things line up: the rule appears on a page the programme controls, it is written as a rule or as a dated change notice, and it tells you when it starts. Marriott meets the first two by making amendments effective on posting or communication [4], and Qantas meets the third by publishing launch dates on its Program changes page. [7]
Specific numbers are the test. Qantas does not simply say that unused Status Credits will carry over — it publishes a rate and a cap for each tier, launching 8 December 2026:
| Tier | Share of excess Status Credits rolled over | Maximum rolled over each Membership Year |
|---|---|---|
| Silver | 25% of Status Credits earned above 300 | 100 |
| Gold | 50% of Status Credits earned above 700 | 350 |
| Platinum | 50% of Status Credits earned above 1,400 | 500 |
| Platinum One | 50% of Status Credits earned above 3,600 | 500 |
Members on Status Hold are not eligible for the rollover, and rolled-over Status Credits do not count towards the Loyalty Bonus, Platinum Bonus Reward, Platinum One Bonus Reward, Lifetime Status or Status Accelerators. [7] [8] Offer-level wording is a different file again, which is what the airline promotion terms checklist is for.
Use published end dates to close an entry rather than delete it. Points Club, Points Club Plus and Green Tier are retired on 8 December 2026, the last day to attain Points Club, Points Club Plus or Green Tier is 7 December, and vouchers and lounge invitations issued before the retirement date stay valid under the current Terms and Conditions. [7] [8]
Finally, store the page the programme says it will keep current. Qantas states that it may change which points-earning activity counts for Status Credits on the ground at any time, and that the eligible activity in effect will be published on qantas.com. [8]
Exceptions and limits
- Notice is not guaranteed. Marriott may amend its rules with or without notice. [4] One scoped carve-out applies to members with Chinese citizenship residing in the Chinese mainland: where an adjustment is likely to have a material adverse impact on core rights and interests, Marriott gives prior notice in a reasonable manner, and a member who does not accept the change may cancel membership before the effective date. [4]
- Termination is a separate event. Marriott may end the programme in whole or in part with six months' advance notice to active members, or with less notice where required or permitted by law. [4]
- Card-earned MQDs move on their own timetable. MQDs from an eligible Delta SkyMiles American Express card may take 8 to 12 weeks after the eligible transaction posts to the card account; Delta may cancel, rescind or void MQDs, or cancel or downgrade status, where the card is cancelled or downgraded to a non-eligible card within 60 days after the MQDs are deposited or after the card renewal date; and a member may receive at most four $2,500 Headstart deposits across all eligible cards in a Medallion Qualification Year, for $10,000 MQDs in total. [9]
- Closed changes still explain present rules. Delta stopped awarding Medallion Qualification Miles on 1 January 2024, and the window to convert a remaining rollover MQM balance closed on 31 December 2024. [9]
- Attainment and retention can diverge. Qantas says the Status Credits needed to attain Silver, Gold, Platinum and Platinum One are not changing, while the retain targets published for the change — Silver 300, Gold 700 and Platinum 1,400, each including four flights with a Qantas (QF) or Jetstar (JQ and GK) flight number — take effect later in 2027. [8]
- Activity rules run between checks. Marriott forfeits points, awards and benefits after 24 consecutive months without Qualifying Activity, and gifting, transferring or receiving points does not count as Qualifying Activity [4]; Qantas points stay active by earning or using Qantas Points within 18 months. [8] Where a balance lost value rather than expiring, the mechanics sit under points devaluation and programme terms amendment.
Frequently asked questions
Where do programmes publish rule changes?
Marriott Bonvoy posts amendments on Marriott Channels or communicates them directly, and changes are effective from that point unless it states otherwise. [4] Qantas Frequent Flyer keeps a Program changes page that lists upcoming changes with launch dates. [7]
Can a change apply to activity from earlier in the year?
It can. For Qantas Status Credits on the ground, activity from the Membership Year you are in on 8 December 2026 counts, including activity before 8 December, although nothing is awarded until the launch date. [8]
Do awards already booked survive a rule change?
At Marriott, awards redeemed before points are forfeited remain valid unless cancelled after the applicable points expiration date. [4]
What happens to vouchers when a sub-programme closes?
Qantas vouchers and lounge invitations issued before the retirement of Points Club, Points Club Plus and Green Tier remain valid under the current Terms and Conditions. [8]
Can card spending move an airline status total without a programme change?
Yes, for the cards the programme names. Delta's MQD Boost awards Medallion Qualification Dollars for eligible purchases on the Delta SkyMiles Platinum, Platinum Business, Reserve and Reserve Business American Express cards, and because Delta's terms say American Express relies on the merchant's transaction date, timing and returns can shift the total within the same Qualification Year. [9]
Sources
Sources accessed on 18 October 2026. Programmes not covered here include American Airlines AAdvantage, The British Airways Club, Cathay, Singapore KrisFlyer and World of Hyatt; terms for other programmes sit in the glossary.
- Marriott Bonvoy Loyalty Program Terms & Conditions, checked 18 October 2026
- United MileagePlus: How to earn Premier status, checked 18 October 2026
- Qantas Frequent Flyer program changes (US version), checked 18 October 2026
- Qantas Frequent Flyer program changes (Australian version), checked 18 October 2026
- Delta SkyMiles: How to Get Medallion Status, checked 18 October 2026