Originally Posted by sdsearch

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.