AAupgrade wrote
"Regarding SPG, I just called them yesterday to make an SPG50 reservation for the end of next January and there was no availability. The CSR told me to call back at the beginning on January as they wouldn't have availability for an SPG50 until then. I also did some math on the SPG awards and the earn rate/reward ratio is much, much worse than MR. HHonors earn rate/reward ratio is very competitive with MR."

As a loyal flyertalker I always register for all of the promos postes on the SPG board.I then plan my travels around these promos.Now I conceed that most travellers are not able to do this as they need to be at a certain locale at a certain date(and sometimes at a certain property)for buisness.I,on the other hand have total freddom to choose 70% of the time.The other 30% is when my boss needs me to be close to her when she is out of town.

With my stay pattern thus I have been very happy with the SPG award program and my earnings in it.I find it comperable-even slightly better than MR.But there is no way to put this down in a concrete manner-since the bulk of my points come from promos that are not available to all SPG members.

Spg properties and customer service on the other hand have been leaps beyond Marriotts declining program.