Originally Posted by
yurtripper
You're forgetting the possibility that the main reason for not having linked accounts could be down to the fact that the SPG account holder doesn't even have an MR account (they only have SPG). It's important to remember that it's not the behaviour patterns of FTers that matters here, but that of the general public.
I'm not, really, since anybody could sign up for Marriott Rewards now and link them. I agree that it's the general population that matters, which is why I think your suggestion would be a terrible idea. Look at the vitriol involving LTPP vs. LTP for SPG members, and then multiply that by a gigantic factor when you consider the much smaller number of people that have lifetime status compared to the elite population at large.
If you tell someone, "if you had matched your account with a brand-new Marriott account on July 31st, you'd be Platinum, but since you didn't, you're Gold," you've lost. That statement cannot be explained reasonably to anyone -- there is no legitimate reason that people who matched should be treated differently than people who didn't. Whatever decision they make absolutely should not hinge on whether or not the member has a linked Marriott account.