Originally Posted by
Kacee
$75k.
Marriott Gold for UA Gold under the "old" Marriott structure was a sweet deal for UA elites, I'm surprised it lasted as long as it did.
And some would say United Silver is a sweet deal for Marriott elites, particularly those who don't spend much time in the air to accumulate status. The value of E+/free baggage vs. breakfast/lounge depends a lot on travel patterns and needs. Marriott hotels and lounges in the US are generally pretty dumpy, so the benefit is also most useful for those traveling in Asia/Europe.
The point being, both United and Marriott agreed to this reciprocal benefit arrangement in 2013 and it has continued more or less intact since. One side can't just change it unilaterally by stripping out the most useful benefits without expecting some retaliatory benefit reductions. If both sides are truely happy with the status quo, then the benefits will remain at parity.
Raising the reciprocal requirement to UA Plat or 1K would also change the balance of this equation, because far fewer UA elites would benefit than by leaving it at Gold.