Sep 4, 2018, 3:50 pm
Last edit by: Counsellor
LINK TO CHART
Legacy to New Travel Package Conversion (effective August 2018)
A Marriott supervisor can currently convert your legacy travel package into the new category mapping. If you hold a Category 6, 8, or Tier 1-3 legacy certificate, it's ideal to downgrade your certificate before converting so that points don't potentially get lost in the process.
When converting your legacy certificate to a new certificate your prior certificate is cancelled and your new certificate will (in most cases) have an expiration date that is 12 months from the date of issuance (today).
The codes for the New Category partial packages are:
5-night packages
NCx = new certificate category
QPxx = post-merger converted partial package
OCx = old certificate category
QLxx = post-merger converted partial package (only QL known so far is QL87 for NC7)
xx0T = initial package;
Pxx0 = partial package;
************************************************** *******
MARRIOT UK: +44 20 7012 7312
For best practices on converting OC to NC, I’ve copied post # 1181 here. Thank you jameswes!
(Also, never use the word UPGRADE. You must say you want to CONVERT your certs.)
IMPORTANT! Possible Points Advance Implications of March 5 category changes: There’s a (potential) issue with the category changes and Points Advance reservations. Marriott included the following information when they emailed some of us about the upcoming changes: “Points Advance — Members who wish to book a points advance redemption under the current Marriott Rewards and SPG award chart are encouraged to order redemption certificates before March 5 to lock in the rate. On March 5, redemption bookings are subject to the new unified program award chart.” We’ve reached out to Marriott to confirm the practical implications of this verbiage, as it sounds like Points Advance reservations will revert to the new pricing if they don’t have certificates attached prior to March 5. To be on the safe side, if your hotel is increasing in category be sure your TP certificate is attached to the reservation before March 5.
Concerning use of TP for peak or off-peak, see post 2179:
Legacy to New Travel Package Conversion (effective August 2018)
A Marriott supervisor can currently convert your legacy travel package into the new category mapping. If you hold a Category 6, 8, or Tier 1-3 legacy certificate, it's ideal to downgrade your certificate before converting so that points don't potentially get lost in the process.
When converting your legacy certificate to a new certificate your prior certificate is cancelled and your new certificate will (in most cases) have an expiration date that is 12 months from the date of issuance (today).
The codes for the New Category partial packages are:
5-night packages
- OC5=530T/P530 is now NC4 QP53
- OC6=570T/P570 is now NC4 QP53
- OC7=610T/P610 is now NC5 QP61 (refund value: 45K)
- OC8=650T/P650 is now NC5 QP?? (Refund value: 75k)
- OC9=690T/P690 is now NC6 QP69
- NC4 QP83 = OC5 830T/P830 (refund value: 45K)
- NC4 QP87 = OC6 870T/P870 (refund value: 75K)
- NC5 QP91 = OC7 910T/P910 (refund value: 105K)
- NC5 QP95 = OC8 950T/P950 (refund value: 135K)
- NC6 QP99 = OC9 990T/P990 (refund value: 165K)
- NC6 QP99 = OC Tier 1-3 L830 (refund value: 195K)
- NC7 QL87 = OC Tier 4-5 L870 (refund value: 315K)
- NC5 QP88 = OC7 P880 (refund value: 135K)
- NC5 QP92 = OC8 P920 (refund value: 165K)
NCx = new certificate category
QPxx = post-merger converted partial package
OCx = old certificate category
QLxx = post-merger converted partial package (only QL known so far is QL87 for NC7)
xx0T = initial package;
Pxx0 = partial package;
************************************************** *******
MARRIOT UK: +44 20 7012 7312
For best practices on converting OC to NC, I’ve copied post # 1181 here. Thank you jameswes!
(Also, never use the word UPGRADE. You must say you want to CONVERT your certs.)
New data point for the new year.
I've read/followed the majority of this thread and now that I have a plan for how to use the travel certificates I made it happen
Last July, I purchased two OC1-5 travel packages. I have an upcoming trip that I wanted to use the certificates to book two rooms at an NC5 hotel.
1) Verified that I had an extra 120,000 MR points in my account (2x60,000 to upgrade from NC4 to NC5)
2) Call the UK Marriott # in the wiki (+44 20 7012 7312). In total, the call took about 25 minutes.
3) Explain that I have a booking I wanted to make, and I wanted to Cancel my two 830T certificates and convert them to two QP91 certificates. I did need to be clear with the rep that I was going to be using additional points from my account to upgrade the certificate.
Canceling two 830T (OC1-5) added 90,000 points (2x45000) to my account
Ordering two QP91 (NC5) subtracted 210,000 points (2x105K) from my account
4) The rep said that their "specialist" wasn't in the office, but she would leave detailed notes and have him do it the next day
5) True to form, the next day (today), I got an emails saying that my old certificates were canceled and new certificates were ordered.
Email clearly states that 830T certs were canceled
Second email clearly states that QP91 certs were ordered and 210K points were redeemed
Email (and account) state that the expiration is one year from today
As typical, App is up-to-date, website doesn't show the updated information yet.
I've read/followed the majority of this thread and now that I have a plan for how to use the travel certificates I made it happen
Last July, I purchased two OC1-5 travel packages. I have an upcoming trip that I wanted to use the certificates to book two rooms at an NC5 hotel.
1) Verified that I had an extra 120,000 MR points in my account (2x60,000 to upgrade from NC4 to NC5)
2) Call the UK Marriott # in the wiki (+44 20 7012 7312). In total, the call took about 25 minutes.
3) Explain that I have a booking I wanted to make, and I wanted to Cancel my two 830T certificates and convert them to two QP91 certificates. I did need to be clear with the rep that I was going to be using additional points from my account to upgrade the certificate.
Canceling two 830T (OC1-5) added 90,000 points (2x45000) to my account
Ordering two QP91 (NC5) subtracted 210,000 points (2x105K) from my account
4) The rep said that their "specialist" wasn't in the office, but she would leave detailed notes and have him do it the next day
5) True to form, the next day (today), I got an emails saying that my old certificates were canceled and new certificates were ordered.
Email clearly states that 830T certs were canceled
Second email clearly states that QP91 certs were ordered and 210K points were redeemed
Email (and account) state that the expiration is one year from today
As typical, App is up-to-date, website doesn't show the updated information yet.
Concerning use of TP for peak or off-peak, see post 2179:
The new award redemption chart will not impact Travel Packages. After these changes go into effect, you'll be able to book a hotel within the category assigned to your Travel Package, regardless of whether the dates at the hotel are in off-peak, standard or peak rates.
Travel Package General Discussion Thread
Jun 3, 2019, 2:46 pm
#1786
Join Date: Dec 2007
Location: SFO
Posts: 4,914
Same value... but yes.
Jun 4, 2019, 9:16 am
#1787
Join Date: Aug 2017
Posts: 58
Hey ladies and gents.
I’ve got a legacy 530T which expires last week of June. Looking st converting and then booking a stay for late July with the new cert. perhaps you can confirm my plan of action.
1) Call in and “convert” my 530T to a QP53
2) Ask to speak to a CEC agent if things don’t go to plan
3) New cert should hopefully come with a new expiration date a year from the date of conversion.
4) Book 5N stay for July
5) Attach my new QP53 to it.
Did I miss anything?
Many thanks for all your help so far!
I’ve got a legacy 530T which expires last week of June. Looking st converting and then booking a stay for late July with the new cert. perhaps you can confirm my plan of action.
1) Call in and “convert” my 530T to a QP53
2) Ask to speak to a CEC agent if things don’t go to plan
3) New cert should hopefully come with a new expiration date a year from the date of conversion.
4) Book 5N stay for July
5) Attach my new QP53 to it.
Did I miss anything?
Many thanks for all your help so far!
Jun 4, 2019, 2:32 pm
#1788
Join Date: Sep 2016
Posts: 285
Hope I just didn't get Bonvoyed. Asked twitter team to deattach a 7 night certificate. Confirmed it was done but no cert exists in my account nor any activity posted. Hoping it gets rectified..
Jun 4, 2019, 3:02 pm
#1789
Company Representative, Marriott Bonvoy
Join Date: Feb 2019
Programs: Marriott Bonvoy
Posts: 690
Jun 4, 2019, 3:36 pm
#1790
Join Date: Nov 2018
Programs: AA, Delta, Marriott, IHG
Posts: 250
Long horrible story beginning with buying my 3 packages a year ago. The agent claimed to have just been trained on them but sold me the wrong ones, 50k mile instead of 120k and the wrong category on all three. That took weeks to fix.
attached one to a reservation by phone, I hadn’t done enough research it seem but I thought after last summer trails in buying them I knew how to determine if an agent was competent. I was wrong. The agent cashed my one certificate in and made a points advance reservation, which is odd since I had around a half million points.
March category realignment had my hotel increase in categories and thus when I saw the notification of more points needed I realized what happened a couple months before. Now that took a few hours on the phone to fix. Luckily I had both a good agent and then a very good supervisor who I was on the phone with for over an hour and half. The end result was two pages of a activity in my account. Packages sold packages bought points added. She near the end asked if I want the other 2 packages increased to Cat 5. I asked how much. I believe she said 20k for both, which I not sure she charged me. Great I thought I made out. Only problem is I didn’t ask packages could be upgraded again. They also showed 105k value in the app. Expiration March 2020 great.
flash forward to this weekend. I’m looking to use one in Paris but there’s only one Cat 5 hotel and much better Cat 6 options. I call the elite line agent, who answered Ritz-Carlton rewards (I used the phone number from my RC card) said sure given the value difference it should only be 60k more points but let me check. He came back and said the only way to do it was buy new packages. My current certificates could not be increased after the March actions and the redemption value was now not 105k but 5k points. They could be extended once from the March 2020 expirations dates. the agent asked if I wanted to speak to a supervisor. Which I did but no changes of category, one extension no more, and cash out value was now 5k.
My my fault for my ignorance in converting my other two packages in March or maybe not converting them to the more useful category 6 when I could. I am very lucky I was able to convert them to the current Cat 5 (35k) from the old cat 1-5 (25k) certificates.
i called again the next day and what I was told was confirmed.
my only problem with this is back a year ago fixing the mistake the Marriott agent originally made I finally got to a supervisor who asked if I just wanted the entire sale cancelled and all y points refunded, one good thing about the slow points to miles transfer was that portion hadn’t occurred yet. I agreed and had all my points back. Then 2 days later I got an email from an agent I hadn’t heard from for 10 days who said he found a way to fix my certificates. So before I could contact them I was back to the beginning. Now I really wish I would stopped that last fix.
attached one to a reservation by phone, I hadn’t done enough research it seem but I thought after last summer trails in buying them I knew how to determine if an agent was competent. I was wrong. The agent cashed my one certificate in and made a points advance reservation, which is odd since I had around a half million points.
March category realignment had my hotel increase in categories and thus when I saw the notification of more points needed I realized what happened a couple months before. Now that took a few hours on the phone to fix. Luckily I had both a good agent and then a very good supervisor who I was on the phone with for over an hour and half. The end result was two pages of a activity in my account. Packages sold packages bought points added. She near the end asked if I want the other 2 packages increased to Cat 5. I asked how much. I believe she said 20k for both, which I not sure she charged me. Great I thought I made out. Only problem is I didn’t ask packages could be upgraded again. They also showed 105k value in the app. Expiration March 2020 great.
flash forward to this weekend. I’m looking to use one in Paris but there’s only one Cat 5 hotel and much better Cat 6 options. I call the elite line agent, who answered Ritz-Carlton rewards (I used the phone number from my RC card) said sure given the value difference it should only be 60k more points but let me check. He came back and said the only way to do it was buy new packages. My current certificates could not be increased after the March actions and the redemption value was now not 105k but 5k points. They could be extended once from the March 2020 expirations dates. the agent asked if I wanted to speak to a supervisor. Which I did but no changes of category, one extension no more, and cash out value was now 5k.
My my fault for my ignorance in converting my other two packages in March or maybe not converting them to the more useful category 6 when I could. I am very lucky I was able to convert them to the current Cat 5 (35k) from the old cat 1-5 (25k) certificates.
i called again the next day and what I was told was confirmed.
my only problem with this is back a year ago fixing the mistake the Marriott agent originally made I finally got to a supervisor who asked if I just wanted the entire sale cancelled and all y points refunded, one good thing about the slow points to miles transfer was that portion hadn’t occurred yet. I agreed and had all my points back. Then 2 days later I got an email from an agent I hadn’t heard from for 10 days who said he found a way to fix my certificates. So before I could contact them I was back to the beginning. Now I really wish I would stopped that last fix.
Jun 4, 2019, 7:10 pm
#1791
Join Date: Aug 2012
Location: Canada
Programs: Marriott LTPP
Posts: 568
It seems to me that this is Marriott beginning the process of completely eliminating the travel packages altogether. I believe that they will begin to make the TP's very expensive to purchase and even harder to use. People will be afraid to purchase a TP without knowing exactly which hotel they want to book at. It's nearly impossible to predict whether a hotel will go up or down in category but they will most likely price themselves out of the TP market. Alternatively, you can guess at a hotel category you may need but you may be wrong and then you are stuck with a TP. They will then make it difficult, if not impossible to buy up/down a category so we will all be stuck with useless TP's that we wish we never bought. I suspect this will all happen within a year and then no one will be purchasing TP's at all.
Jun 4, 2019, 9:57 pm
#1793
Join Date: Oct 2016
Posts: 141
There may be some value in the travel packages when Marriott introduces peak rates. The certifactes can be booked at peak times.
Good to see another report that the new certs may be extended for a year.
Good to see another report that the new certs may be extended for a year.
Jun 5, 2019, 2:41 am
#1794
Join Date: Jan 2011
Location: HKG • Ex SFO, NYC
Programs: UA 1K, AA EXP; Marriott Amb; Hyatt Globalist; Shangri-la Diamond; IHG SpireAmb; Hilton D; Accor G
Posts: 3,319
For each category, I calculate the following savings:
Cat 4 -> 60k
Cat 5 -> 60k
Cat 6 -> 30k
Cat 7 -> 30k
Cat 8 -> 0
So… if you're actually going to be staying a week and need miles, you can get a small benefit from the package up to Cat 7. At Cat 8, you'd be stupid to do it. And really it rather rarely makes sense.
Jun 5, 2019, 2:44 am
#1795
Join Date: Jan 2011
Location: HKG • Ex SFO, NYC
Programs: UA 1K, AA EXP; Marriott Amb; Hyatt Globalist; Shangri-la Diamond; IHG SpireAmb; Hilton D; Accor G
Posts: 3,319
Jun 5, 2019, 6:19 am
#1796
Join Date: Jan 2010
Programs: UA, AS
Posts: 2,393
I would still consider buying one of the lower category TP. 100k miles would normally cost 240k points. So for 90k more you get 6*25k = 150k of value more, for 150k more you get 6*35k = 210k of value etc. Seems like doing the TP now basically gets you 60k of value at these levels.
For each category, I calculate the following savings:
Cat 4 -> 60k
Cat 5 -> 60k
Cat 6 -> 30k
Cat 7 -> 30k
Cat 8 -> 0
So… if you're actually going to be staying a week and need miles, you can get a small benefit from the package up to Cat 7. At Cat 8, you'd be stupid to do it. And really it rather rarely makes sense.
For each category, I calculate the following savings:
Cat 4 -> 60k
Cat 5 -> 60k
Cat 6 -> 30k
Cat 7 -> 30k
Cat 8 -> 0
So… if you're actually going to be staying a week and need miles, you can get a small benefit from the package up to Cat 7. At Cat 8, you'd be stupid to do it. And really it rather rarely makes sense.
Jun 5, 2019, 8:43 am
#1797
Join Date: May 2009
Location: UK
Posts: 3,951
Just to q.confirm, it is still the case that when calling to convert an OLD cert to a NEW cert (without attaching to a stay), that the validity is extended a year?
Any helpful wording to use when doing so? The last time I called to attach an OLD cert to a stay, it was a 2hr call of much confusion and mistakes on their part.
Any helpful wording to use when doing so? The last time I called to attach an OLD cert to a stay, it was a 2hr call of much confusion and mistakes on their part.
Jun 8, 2019, 1:39 am
#1798
Join Date: Oct 2016
Posts: 141
Just to q.confirm, it is still the case that when calling to convert an OLD cert to a NEW cert (without attaching to a stay), that the validity is extended a year?
Any helpful wording to use when doing so? The last time I called to attach an OLD cert to a stay, it was a 2hr call of much confusion and mistakes on their part.
Any helpful wording to use when doing so? The last time I called to attach an OLD cert to a stay, it was a 2hr call of much confusion and mistakes on their part.
Just ask to convert it, you can give them the code in the wiki for the new cert and it may help them.
I've found that a lot of agents struggle with it and some may have to put you on hold to ask someone but you eventually get there.
Same goes with attaching certs to stays. Some can do it in an instant, others take forever figuring it out. I guess only a very small amount of guests actually use these certs so they never have to deal with it normally.
Jun 8, 2019, 4:42 am
#1800
FlyerTalk Evangelist
Join Date: Aug 2011
Location: Barcelona, London, on a plane
Programs: BA Silver, TK E+, AA PP, Hyatt Globalist, Marriott LT Plat, Hilton Diamond
Posts: 13,043
It's hard to boil down to mathematics because each individual has his/her own requirements, but I suspect people are broadly better off with 5th-night free stays (optimal 20% discount) and/or simply using points on award nights they truly need. (and would otherwise pay cash for)
