Disappointed in Marriott
Aug 27, 2018, 4:33 am
#31
FlyerTalk Evangelist
Original Poster
Join Date: Nov 2002
Location: BOS, MHT
Programs: AA ltg, B6, DL, UA, AS, SPG/Marriott Plt, HH, Hyatt
Posts: 10,052
Aug 27, 2018, 4:41 am
#32
FlyerTalk Evangelist
Original Poster
Join Date: Nov 2002
Location: BOS, MHT
Programs: AA ltg, B6, DL, UA, AS, SPG/Marriott Plt, HH, Hyatt
Posts: 10,052
+1
Long time SPG guy, but this was just another entry in the ‘it was a great program...but they died/went bankrupt/got bought’ file. And this perspective is from someone sitting on 1.1M in points and LTPP status. I was also a Pre-merger SPG plat and do recognize they were the last good one...welcome to reality.
These are not bank accounts (not that those are safe either in reality) and overtime do depreciate in value.
Overall, I think ‘we’ got about as fair a deal as we could from Marriott on this one. I was personally expecting much worse...
Surely you can see my angst though, and that of many here in FT...
It is a big adjustment and it is going to be harder to get points when using your credit cards etc... I did a ton of spend because of my business, etc...
Reality is that every program devalues. Trust me I know this. Have been into all things miles and points since 1999. Well my first miles ticket I earned and redeemed was well before that... back when I got a northwest airlines certificate mailed to me upon redeeming 20k points and gave it to my dad who wanted to see his sick mother in Canada. He was able to basically walk into the airport and just pick a flight... any flight that was Domestic US or Can going anywhere he wanted on the day he walked in... And if there was a seat on it , which in those days there always were, and they came with a free meal, you could use the cert! So he did.
So yeah of course I know things change. I know we had a good run with such programs as SPG and airlines of the past for many years.
When I used to post a lot in here (mostly in the milesbuzz areas) those were the good days of deals and promos and ways to earn miles beyond many's wildest imagination. Much of that is gone now. More adjustments to have to get used to. And yeah, miles and points certainly aint as secure as other things... (yes banks arent either lol) but seriously, with all being said in here about everyone having to shut up and just take it and suck it up and get used to it... when was the last time in recent history that you saw something really good, cool, easy, great deal, smooth and old school -like come along? Nowadays it's all about devaluing and getting tighter, not better. I need to see some proof of it being decent first.
Ya feel me?
Aug 27, 2018, 5:12 am
#33
FlyerTalk Evangelist
Original Poster
Join Date: Nov 2002
Location: BOS, MHT
Programs: AA ltg, B6, DL, UA, AS, SPG/Marriott Plt, HH, Hyatt
Posts: 10,052
My other take on this new reality is this:
Like i dunno bout you but if i was buying widgets at $1 a piece and they went up to $5 a piece and you couldnt even get em as easily i would be pissed off
are people just intentionally obtuse and like abuse?
What am I missing?
Like i dunno bout you but if i was buying widgets at $1 a piece and they went up to $5 a piece and you couldnt even get em as easily i would be pissed off
are people just intentionally obtuse and like abuse?
What am I missing?
Aug 27, 2018, 5:28 am
#34
Join Date: Jul 2018
Location: Italy
Programs: Accor Gold, Marriott Titanium, IHG Diamond , Amex Platinum
Posts: 1,484
I find the starting post from MarathonMan very interesting
I think the point of view of a customer having 1.2 mln points needs to be considered.
I was thinking to join Marriot rewards since next year, and share the 110 nights per year I always do with Accor
reading about MarathonMan’s experience...not so sure to do it :-)
for me the first thing to join a Hotel reward program is the easiness to redeem free nights.
With Accor is very easy, because points are “cash”, without any limit or Black out dates or peak periods
if with Marriot rewards it’s so difficult...perhaps better to don’t loose time and nights.
Thanks MarathonMan to your full review
I think the point of view of a customer having 1.2 mln points needs to be considered.
I was thinking to join Marriot rewards since next year, and share the 110 nights per year I always do with Accor
reading about MarathonMan’s experience...not so sure to do it :-)
for me the first thing to join a Hotel reward program is the easiness to redeem free nights.
With Accor is very easy, because points are “cash”, without any limit or Black out dates or peak periods
if with Marriot rewards it’s so difficult...perhaps better to don’t loose time and nights.
Thanks MarathonMan to your full review
Aug 27, 2018, 5:30 am
#35
Join Date: Aug 2018
Posts: 902
I can see the devaluation for the CC folks and those coming from the MR side. For those coming from the SPG side without a credit card the merger has been a small, but not neglectable, improvement from the previous programme.
This IT debacle has been disappointing. But overall I don’t think anything disastrous has yet happened, except for those rare reported cases of people missing points and stays/nights.
In my case all my past SPG stays are on my activity log, just not yet on the ytd nights counter. It is mildly annoying as I could be ambassador by now, but not complaining and am quite sure they won’t be assigning new ambassadors in the near future.
One upcoming award stay suddenly disappeared from my SPG profile, but I could easily track with the “find a stay” lookup tool. So, no big deal there. Actually, beforw the stay disappeared I was able to use the new chat function on the app to get in touch with hotel and request an airport pickup, which was kind of neat.
On my MR account everything is ok and a recent post-merger stay has already posted there (btw, this was a RC award stay and I got a whole bunch of points on incidentals, which is a novelty).
This IT debacle has been disappointing. But overall I don’t think anything disastrous has yet happened, except for those rare reported cases of people missing points and stays/nights.
In my case all my past SPG stays are on my activity log, just not yet on the ytd nights counter. It is mildly annoying as I could be ambassador by now, but not complaining and am quite sure they won’t be assigning new ambassadors in the near future.
One upcoming award stay suddenly disappeared from my SPG profile, but I could easily track with the “find a stay” lookup tool. So, no big deal there. Actually, beforw the stay disappeared I was able to use the new chat function on the app to get in touch with hotel and request an airport pickup, which was kind of neat.
On my MR account everything is ok and a recent post-merger stay has already posted there (btw, this was a RC award stay and I got a whole bunch of points on incidentals, which is a novelty).
Aug 27, 2018, 7:05 am
#36
FlyerTalk Evangelist
Join Date: Apr 2008
Location: LGA/JFK/EWR
Programs: UA 1K1.75MM, Hyatt Globalist, abandoned Marriott LTT (RIP SPG), Hertz PC
Posts: 21,167
Yes on the redemption side. But SPG folks ARE CC folks too, so we get hit. AND if room availability tilts towards the Marriott way (standard rooms can still be for sale but not available for points), earning more points becomes less relevant when you can't get the rooms you want...
Aug 27, 2018, 7:18 am
#37
Join Date: Feb 2008
Location: In the air
Programs: Hyatt Globalist, Bonvoy LT Plat, Hilton Gold, GHA Tit, BA Gold, Turkish Elite
Posts: 8,718
Yes on the redemption side. But SPG folks ARE CC folks too, so we get hit. AND if room availability tilts towards the Marriott way (standard rooms can still be for sale but not available for points), earning more points becomes less relevant when you can't get the rooms you want...
Aug 27, 2018, 7:58 am
#38
FlyerTalk Evangelist
Original Poster
Join Date: Nov 2002
Location: BOS, MHT
Programs: AA ltg, B6, DL, UA, AS, SPG/Marriott Plt, HH, Hyatt
Posts: 10,052
Yes on the redemption side. But SPG folks ARE CC folks too, so we get hit. AND if room availability tilts towards the Marriott way (standard rooms can still be for sale but not available for points), earning more points becomes less relevant when you can't get the rooms you want...
and as such, those points become worth LESS
Aug 27, 2018, 9:07 am
#39
Join Date: Aug 2018
Posts: 902
Yes on the redemption side. But SPG folks ARE CC folks too, so we get hit. AND if room availability tilts towards the Marriott way (standard rooms can still be for sale but not available for points), earning more points becomes less relevant when you can't get the rooms you want...
Aug 27, 2018, 10:43 am
#40
FlyerTalk Evangelist
Original Poster
Join Date: Nov 2002
Location: BOS, MHT
Programs: AA ltg, B6, DL, UA, AS, SPG/Marriott Plt, HH, Hyatt
Posts: 10,052
Aug 27, 2018, 3:21 pm
#43
FlyerTalk Evangelist
Original Poster
Join Date: Nov 2002
Location: BOS, MHT
Programs: AA ltg, B6, DL, UA, AS, SPG/Marriott Plt, HH, Hyatt
Posts: 10,052
Sep 1, 2018, 8:29 am
#44
Join Date: Dec 2016
Location: WAW
Programs: A3(*G), Marriott Platinum, Hilton Diamond, IHG Diamond Ambassador
Posts: 2,534
Get up right now and go to the window. Open it, and stick your head out, and yell: ‘Marriott! I’m as mad as hell, and I’m not gonna take this anymore!’