Originally Posted by
380Flyer
I do hope that Gold MR will only be available to UA 1K; and
UA Premier Gold will only be available to MR Platinum members from 2014.
Only if the above happens will I only be satisfied with the programme. At the way it's structured at the moment, I am boycotting Marriott unless they can give me assurance of what I've mentioned above.
Await your feedback Marriott on this issue.
I am not happy with the current structure of this new programme.
Marriott Plat here (and also AA Exec Plat; no status on UA, because I avoid UA).
I'll be writing Marriott to express my disappointment at this needless expansion of the Marriott Gold membership. Dilution of benefits is a huge problem for loyalty programs. And this is an enormous dilution. As it is now, the Concierge Lounges are too crowded. Also, most front desks do not differentiate among Golds and Platinums for room upgrades, it's often first come = first served. I can deal with that as long as the Marriott Golds are staying 50 nights compared to my 75 nights, limiting the competition.
But now, literally hundreds of thousands of UA travelers have been gifted Marriott Gold status.
The UA Silver status is a joke of a bone to throw at Marriott Plats in return. No lounge access, minimal (25%) bonus miles, no upgrades realistically, and a pot shot at Economy plus.
This is a lose-lose proposition for Marriott elites in my opinion.