FlyerTalk Forums - View Single Post - Official Announcement: SPG and Marriott Programs to Merge on August 18th

Jul 29, 2018, 9:29 pm

#103

sdsearch

FlyerTalk Evangelist

Join Date: Jan 2005

Location: home = LAX

Posts: 25,934

Quote:

Originally Posted by CJKatl

The CSRs clearly misunderstand what is happening. CSRs have been a wealth of misinformation since April. Again, how do you think Marriott is going to run the legacy program if the points are awarded and spent in the new program, the website and app are moved into the new program and status levels are only recognized in the new program? It has been mentioned that the CSRs will be using the two different systems for now, but both systems are being moved to the new program. The CSR will need to figure in which system each guest;s information is in, but 18SPG legacy program itself ends on Aug 18th at 6:00 am. The marketing materials are very clear. CSRs do not run the company.

Sorry, but the clear marketing materials that go into detail on what changes will automatically happen on Aug 18 and letting members know after the changes they should combine their accounts leave zero room for the CSR to be right. Combining accounts, which despite your earlier post has not happened yet, takes place after all the accounts have been moved into the new program so not merging will be irrelevant to your being moved into the new program,

How can everyone be moved the new program and yet be able to (a) earn Starwood old-Platinum (not Marriott) elite status by doing 25 stays before Dec 31 (not Aug 18), and (b) qualify for legacy Marriott Lifetime Rules (using lifetime points) until Dec 31 (not Aug 18), if the legacy programs really completely disappear on Aug 18?

Something does not add up. Some vestige of the legacy programs in some form must continue for these two things (promised by Marriott and/or by StarwoodLurker) to be possible until Dec 31.

Now, they could move legacy trackers from both legacy programs into one new platform, so this does not prove that the platforms must stay separate, but at the very least counters of annual/lifetime status from the different programs have to maintained separately somewhere until the end of the year, and so at least in that sense the two legacy programs are continuing to some degree until the end of the year.