A reader pointed out something new or old that neither of us had ever noticed. I think this is worth discussing and drawing conclusions from, though I am not drawing any conclusions yet.
Marriott has a button for requesting an upgrade.
Marriott Bonvoy elite members are supposed to receive space available room upgrades at check-in, with Platinum members and above being eligible for complimentary suite upgrades. Many Marriott regulars can attest to the fact that even if you are eligible for an upgrade, you won't get one even if it's available.
There is something new. It seems that when you use Marriott's mobile app to make a booking, you're supposed to request a room upgrade. There is a section for references and accessibility when you select a hotel.
There is a button that says "Request upgrade please" when you click that section. If you want an upgrade, you have to specifically request it, because the default is for this to be turned off.
This isn't on Marriott's website, but only the app. Either this is in the early stages of being implemented, or Marriott never did anything with this feature.
What could be the reason for this?
I will reach out to Marriott to ask for an explanation of the button.
We don't know if this is a positive or negative development.
The idea is that in some cases you may not wish to be upgraded on a flight, and I suppose the same principle applies to hotels.
The reader who made me aware of this claims that a general manager told him that Marriott corporate is now sending an email to the hotel every day with an upgrade priority list; I can't vouch for this, and I wouldn't take the statement of one hotel GM as fact.
You would think that the default would be to request an upgrade, rather than not, since there are more cases where you don't want to be upgraded than where you do want to be upgraded.
The bottom line.
A reader pointed out that Marriott has a new option under the "preferences" section of the booking process where you can request an upgrade, but by default that option is turned off. I think this is new, but it is possible that it has been there for a while.
I don't think there are major implications yet. I will report back if I learn more about this feature.
What do you think about the Marriott Bonvoy app upgrade button?
