Marriott didn’t make any big changes this week other than to restrict the points advance bookings—which is a good thing for most Marriott elites—and to announce the start of what already had been announced almost 18 months ago with peak and non peak awards.

The minor change to 5th night free awards was an obvious correction necessary for the new peak and non peak award rates.

Characterizing these as big changes when they were announced so long ago seems pretty curious and downright funny to me.

Sorry, but all of this has been considered and discussed—over a year ago. The points advance restrictions are new, indeed...but that isn’t what is causing this stir. There’s another thread to discuss those changes, of course.

The frenzy now about peak and non peak is unnecessary and more about discomfort with change than anything to do with the specific changes.

Some people just cant accept change. Or blow it out of proportion.

The illustrious SPG program that everyone loved and thought was the best in the hotel loyalty market: it had peak and standard awards.

A lot of noise around the fringes, indeed.