Originally Posted by
captainramius
- instead of automatically upgrading cardmembers to Gold status, they're now offering "credit for 5 nights to help you achieve elite status faster" -- I cannot imagine how *eliminating an automatic upgrade* to elite status can possibly help us get the benefit FASTER;
The card did not offer automatic upgrade to Gold status in the past.
- the SPG50 promotion is also being eliminated "few cardmembers used the benefit" -- do I really have to comment on this one? the lamest of excuses;
In addition to few cardmembers using the benefit, many (but not all) cardmembers -- including many (but not all) FTers -- complained that SPG50 was not of value to them. I would guess that the number of members who have benefited from SPG50 pales in comparison to the number that have felt deceived whenever they first tried to use it.
I hate to see FTers badmouth the Starwood Lurkers. You know that they are Starwood employees. You know that they have a job to do. I hope you also understand that they often have an option to not post at all. I would rather them post information than decide that it's not worth it because they'll just risk getting harassed. If I disagree with the marketing spin in a post, I can recognize it as just that.
I could be wrong, but I suspect that some of the marketing wording in some posts gets handed to them. And I suspect that they sometimes argue back to the marketing folks to tell them that their first draft is bunk.