The only things that surprise me are:
- American Express will still issue cards with Starwood branding, rather than Marriott branding, even though earning New Marriott points. I don't see the benefit of keeping the Starwood brand alive in a token fashion. I daresay this means that the $95 American Express cards will not be considered new products, so no new account bonuses for those who have held SPG cards recently, unless applying for the $450 card. I think this puts American Express at a disadvantage with the general public, who are unlikely to think of "Starwood" when looking for a "Marriott" card
That surprised me as well. The members.marriott.com page says
STARTING IN AUGUST, MARRIOTT REWARDS®, THE RITZ-CARLTON REWARDS® AND STARWOOD PREFERRED GUEST®(SPG®) WILL COME TOGETHER AS ONE POWERFUL PROGRAM.
Individual program names will stay the same until 2019, but we’ll consolidate everything else into one set of benefits to give you easier access and more opportunities.
Really strange. All these changes, and they could make the name change at the same time? Are the card issuers shipping cards with the current names starting in August (and marketing them) and then make a switch in 2019?!