Originally Posted by
stephenandrew
I am not a lawyer so can't comment on the validity of your perspective, but my immediate thought was "wow--they are just points". I realize that the points have some material value, but you do have some options before they are devalued, e.g. cashing them in now. Are those options ideal?---probably not, but atleast we got about 3 months notice about the changes in the rules. Make some plans--tkave a well deserved vacation on Marriott. I assume that Marriott has done this sort of thing before, e.g. changed the redmption values or bumped category 6 hotels up to category 7 hotels, etc. You may, understandably, not be happy about the change , but the change is likely not without precedent.
Not quite as you say. What if members (and there are such) have accumulated few million points (3-5) and, for example, are about to retire from their job, and then start traveling around. Maybe they do not or cannot just cash in all their points next year as you say and they were building on this program, and were loyal to MR, to allow them to enjoy latter. If its just a few points (such as 40K-100K) maybe yor point could (with difficulty but still could) pass. But not when one has few million points and simple cannot cash them all to waste.
A program is a program. Now, if that would have been done from now on, not on older points, that is fine. You can say from now on, any additional points you accumulate have different rules, or there are no point awarded at all (fine... that is perfectly within the right of MR to do). Not on retroactive points that were already basically paid as there is nothing free, all of this is built into the room price.
I recall a situation with United Air, and their MP program. I think it had to do with the expiration of miles, or something like that. At some point, united changed the rules, but for the old miles, has separated them from the "new" miles. They were accounted for for MP members separately, as I believe those miles could not expire or had some other benefits (cannot recall now the details).
MR should have done something similar here. Again, if someone who has a few million points want to be the lead of a lawsuit against MR, I am sure there will be a lawfirm to take this case as a class acction...
TL