Lurkers, I purchased two Category 1-5 Travel Packages which I want to attach to a legacy SPG hotel. I was unable to do that before the conversion, of course. Before the conversion, the hotel was a Category 4, so I reasonably expected that a Category 1-5 certificate would cover me, especially with repeated assurances that we wouldn't be losing any value. The hotel at which I wanted to use the hotel part of the packages is now a Category 5, so that should have been OK. But now, even though I bought Category 5 Packages and the hotel is a Category 5 hotel, the validity of the certificates is apparently based on points, and I cannot use them where I want.

I don't feel that this is fair. Category 5 certificates should be redeemable at Category 5 hotels, it seems to me. While I understand that you're not going to restructure the entire program, perhaps you would consider:

1) Allow pre-August 18 Travel Packages to be redeemed based on Category alone, or
2) Allow me to upgrade by paying the difference between the Travel Package I purchased and the one I actually need for the Category 5 hotel.

Thank you.

Dr. HFH

Hi,

I was told the travel packages is upgradable and the expiry date is extendable, so I purchased 2 packages.
The new terms make the travel package very unattractive, I would like to cancel them and get a refund of the points if I can.
Had I known it cannot be upgraded and the expiry date cannot be extended, I would probably not purchase one.
I feel I was misled.

Thanks.

Hi,

If you have an old category six certificate do you get 30000 points back and a new category 5 hotel certificate or a new category 4 hotel certificate?

Thank you.

Hi Alexandra,

Thank you for the update. As a holder of a Tier 1-3 certificate this is great news and a step in the right direction. However, I sincerely hope Marriott would consider allowing a one-time upgrade/downgrade for these certificates. I have absolutely no problem paying the proper price (whether that be the upgrade price from old Tier 1-3 to old Tier 4-5, or from new cat 6 to new cat 7), but without knowing how certificates mapped before the merger I guessed wrong and am stuck. Now I have essentially tossed away a good chunk of points on a cert that I don't even need. The refund value is nice (I would get 225k back) but still wipes away a good chunk of the points I've spent a good deal of time accumulating to spend at the St Regis Maldives.

Thank you for all your hard work as well as all the hard work of the other Lurkers.

Except that NONE listed in the first post by Marriott Insider is working.

People need to visit the Marriott Travel Package thread to see all sorts of failures when following the steps outlined in the first post.

The refund request was met with an email to tell the customer contact "Reservation"... for example

another poster received email telling him they are experienced "technical difficulty" and would take (unknown) tine to resolve his refund request.

Nobody is able to use a legacy cert for a reward booking, myself included, called 11pm to 2 call centers, supervisors tried hard to help but system would not allow it.

So much for the Ad Hoc PR Spin and the "successfully pass the Pressure Test". LIES after LIES.

Psa: if you have an existing travel package certificate already attached and you cancel the booking, you might be unexpectedly refunded 45k points instead of getting a cat 1 through 4 new cert.

Guess who actually needs the 7 night and ended up with 45k points.. All because I wanted to change hotels

If a lurker or Marriott insider is able to assist that would be appreciated too...

​​​

Yep, I tried this morning to use one of mine and two separate agents said it's impossible at this time.

Hi guys! The blackout is over! Except we only told you guys and not our reps/supervisors who actually do the work.

How many cat 6 hotels when you bought your cert are still cat 6?

Most hotel got downgraded in the squish, so it doesn't affect my cert in the least.

Official link
 

First, I would like to thank William and his team for your help in passed few years.
But for the TP issue, I really hope you can give us an official link of announcement/T&C. I'm tired of this kind of semi-official info that no CSR nor web support team know.

Nor the corporate has told the system that it should behave! now that we are satisfied that the system has passed the "pressure test" so no more blackout.

It is not the reps / supervisors not willing to help but their hands are tied because system simply would not accept it.

Oh, some supervisors blamed the info being NOT correct as it was from blogs not "official".

So can we trust the first post is being "Official" communication directly from a vetted Company Representative, because that is exactly the same information Marriott has informed the bloggers who then in turn wrote their articles...

Originally Posted by YeahThatsKosher https://www.flyertalk.com/forum/imag...s/viewpost.gif
I was specifically quoted by Marriott agents that my Category 6 package would be able to be used at a Category 6 hotel. Reading the threads here I see I was not the only one told this information.

I still expect to use my certificate at a category 6 hotel, otherwise I have been defrauded.


QUOTE=Hipplewm;30111397]How many cat 6 hotels when you bought your cert are still cat 6?

Most hotel got downgraded in the squish, so it doesn't affect my cert in the least.[/QUOTE]



I was told today by a UK customer service rep that a cat 6 cert purchased before 8/18 was still a cat 6 cert. She then asked me to hold when asked for her name for reference and she went to speak to a supervisor. She said her supervisor confirmed it. A cat 6 cert purchased before 8/18 is still valid at cat 6 hotels.

Guys, I really don't understand the drama about packages...
Someone forced you to buy those package before the merger?

Yeah, some of those CSR have said some doozies over the years.......

That said I bought my TP for the express reason of gambling. I never expected to hit the lotto, just come out ok
cat 6 to cat 5 post merger is almost a lottery win, most of the post merger cat 6 are cat 8 and 9 pre merger
Most of the cat 5 post merger (What our cat 6 TP will supposedly downgrade too) were cat 6 and 7 pre merger

To me that is a hell of a win.

Somebody needs to send out a search party to find William.