jeanie

I was talking to a friend of mine who is an IT project manager. He said he worked on a project once where a company tried to move to a new platform without backing up its loyalty program data first. They lost it all. They hired his company to retrieve it. He said it took 8 months to go through old transactions and recalculate/compile the totals for a new loyalty program. Their customers were very angry.

In this case, he thinks a big part of the problem is that Marriott made the decision to give people the choice of keeping an SPG or Marriott legacy member number. He said that variable of allowing users to select options during the merging process was complicated from an IT perspective, and it would have been easier to merge accounts automatically.

sundrop

Likely a case of DYKWIA?

mcgahat

I doubt that but nobody knows since Marriott has really gone dark on the issues they are having.

redmaple9

so... when i merged my marriott and spg account today, i ended up retaining my spg account.

does this present a problem?

how can i change it to a marriot account?

Horace

When you went though the online process, you were given a choice. If you went through the process quickly, you might have missed it.

It's not a big deal. Within 72 hours, your account should be identical in either case. You'll just have to learn a new number.

This thread will probably be merged into the main thread about combining accounts.

CPRich

Did you start at the "click here to merge using your SPG account" or "click here to merge using your Marriott account"?

Regardless of how you did it, your account is now a Marriott account.

pharmawalk

Given the new program is owned by Marriott and SPG is literally a dead in the water sinking ship (or sunk), I opted to merge within the marriott site to maintain the same Ritz number i have always had.

CPRich

That's odd. My MR status made my LTPP on the MR side, but still my old PLT on the SPG side. I was told this was as expected until I combine the accounts.

It doesn't really matter, and I suppose seeing different results and being told different things isn't all that surprising at this point in the process.

CPRich

Points are points, and both "accounts" can access all properties.

Have you tried doing what you want to do? I'd suggest that as a first step.

Actually, I'd suggest combining accounts first, but I can't parse your paragraph on what concerns you about doing so, so I can't comment on it.

CPRich

The number is just a number. Pick one and combine them. If the number changes, learn the new number.

redmaple9

thanks! does this mean the spg branding will be gone in 72 hours?

GateGuardian

Is anyone else having issues booking SPG hotels after combing their account?
Whenever I try to book a SPG hotel, I get an invalid SPG # error. I'm guessing it's because it's still trying to book with my legacy SPG#, but when I check my profile, it shows that I've updated to the new Marriott#.... Anyways, the only way for me to book a SPG hotel right now is to log out and book as a guest. Then call SPG to attach my Marriott#.

Happy

I have tried to book SPG hotels from Marriott site. The site redirected me to SPG old booking engine to book. I have not tried to book Marriott hotels from SPG site (the new Marriott platform with SPG logo).

My concern of combining accounts is but not limited to, multiple reports on people losing their points after combining their accounts, or unable to access their accounts, or losing their records of future bookings. There are quite a few reports on such and those who suffer are still waiting for the fixes that have yet to come.

You should see the freshest data point posted in Post 629 right under your comments, that the poster tries to book SPG hotels AFTER combining his accounts, the site kept telling him his SPG number is invalid. He can NOT book SPG hotels from the new Marriott combined account if he logged in. Can only book as a guest then call to attach his number.

Now, would you still say Point is Point, it does not matter where/ how you book it?

So if the SPG site can book the Marriott hotels then I dont need to combine account just yet. But then on Marriott site I am PP but on SPG site I am only P. Some DPs said the hotels only see the status of the channel you book thru. So if booked thru SPG site, I self-downgrade myself, not to mention the potential issues mentioned in Post 629. and that is NOT the first time I saw this unfortunate happening.

Horace

The branding is just a function of which URL you use.

http://www.spg.com/ and http://www.marriott.com/ both allow you to sign in and both present your account details, but each presents different branding. You can even go back and other between the two.

kennycrudup

FWIW, I moved my SPG into my MR (obsoleting my old SPG #) and I've been able to book SPG properties OK, one as recently as two days ago.

Try logging in from an incognito-mode window/tab with your (new?) MR number; maybe the issue is lingering cookies?