High value SPG members: Marriott screwing us on LTPP because they can't do IT
Nov 29, 2018, 6:19 pm
#31
Join Date: Nov 2014
Location: New York
Programs: MB-LTT , HH-Diam., HGP-Expl.
Posts: 778
1. Marriott always tracked lifetime points, SPG never did. So as other have said above, it's not Marriott's fault that they can't offer 750+ nights plus 2 million lifetime points to SPG members.
2. The whole reason they required 2 million lifetime points is because it was not easy to achieve. Many people got to 750+ lifetime nights without getting anywhere close to 2 million lifetime points. They started panicing earlier this year and cooking up every possible way to get to 2 million points in a hurry, which resulted in this thread:
....
So are you sure you would really have been at 2 million lifetime Starpoints or more at this point? How could you know, without SPG ever showing that to you (that I'm aware of), unless you had 2 million actual (not lifetime) points as of this moment? And, in any case, what should they have counted 2 milllion lifetime Startpoints or some other number, given the Starpoints were completely differently valued than all other hotel points? You may think that it should have been 2 million divided by 3 perhaps, but that might be over-generously low. I found that at SPG I earned way more points by doing one-nights stays as a SPG Plat than any other way, because the Plat check-in bonus was so huge (500 Starpoints, the equivalent of 1500 of today's points), while the earnings on inexpensive hotel rates (the only kind I book, because no one reimburses me) were puny by comparison at 2 or 3 Starpoints per dollar. So someone who was SPG Plat and stayed only one-night stays (especially at relatively inexpensive hotels) earned a lot more points per night than someone who stayed multiple nights and/or wasn't SPG Plat (at least at similarly-inexpensive hotels).
Anyway, it's just a theoretical discussion at this point, because SPG never kept track of lifetime points, and thus had no such information to transfer to Marriott.
And, that, in turn, explain also why the way to qualify for lifetime status using lifetime points is ending, because they could continue using it once SPG members were folded in fully. So it's just the several months "limbo" because Aug 18 and Dec 31 where things are "colliding".
2. The whole reason they required 2 million lifetime points is because it was not easy to achieve. Many people got to 750+ lifetime nights without getting anywhere close to 2 million lifetime points. They started panicing earlier this year and cooking up every possible way to get to 2 million points in a hurry, which resulted in this thread:
....
So are you sure you would really have been at 2 million lifetime Starpoints or more at this point? How could you know, without SPG ever showing that to you (that I'm aware of), unless you had 2 million actual (not lifetime) points as of this moment? And, in any case, what should they have counted 2 milllion lifetime Startpoints or some other number, given the Starpoints were completely differently valued than all other hotel points? You may think that it should have been 2 million divided by 3 perhaps, but that might be over-generously low. I found that at SPG I earned way more points by doing one-nights stays as a SPG Plat than any other way, because the Plat check-in bonus was so huge (500 Starpoints, the equivalent of 1500 of today's points), while the earnings on inexpensive hotel rates (the only kind I book, because no one reimburses me) were puny by comparison at 2 or 3 Starpoints per dollar. So someone who was SPG Plat and stayed only one-night stays (especially at relatively inexpensive hotels) earned a lot more points per night than someone who stayed multiple nights and/or wasn't SPG Plat (at least at similarly-inexpensive hotels).
Anyway, it's just a theoretical discussion at this point, because SPG never kept track of lifetime points, and thus had no such information to transfer to Marriott.
And, that, in turn, explain also why the way to qualify for lifetime status using lifetime points is ending, because they could continue using it once SPG members were folded in fully. So it's just the several months "limbo" because Aug 18 and Dec 31 where things are "colliding".
Because of the Starwood Amex card, which I found attractive for everyday spending, I had well over 2MM SPG points just from the credit cards. Although I had Marriott cards as well, I rarely used them because the value of a MR point was so low.
Although it was possible to earn one elite night per $3,000 spent, I would rather earn 1.5 Ultimate Rewards or 1.5 Membership Rewards which I value at 2.25 cents (1.5*1.5) than 1 MR point which I value at 0.75 cents per dollar. At those rates, it would cost $45 ($3,000 * (0.0225 - 0,75) per elite night credit which seemed excessive.
Nov 29, 2018, 6:54 pm
#32
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Neither one. The most valuable customer is based on $$$ spent, not nights, and only for the immediate past, not years gone by. What you've done in the past really has no value.
Nov 29, 2018, 7:07 pm
#33
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Join Date: Jun 2006
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interesting >
[1% of B2B (less than 1% total) is 28% of room revenue]
Originally Posted by starwood
top 2 percent generated 30 percent of our organization’s profits
B2B accounts for nearly 70 percent of Starwood's overall room revenue
top 1 percent in accounts drives 40 percent of Starwood's B2B revenue
B2B accounts for nearly 70 percent of Starwood's overall room revenue
top 1 percent in accounts drives 40 percent of Starwood's B2B revenue
Nov 30, 2018, 12:02 am
#34
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They could even do the 50% retrospective penalty on points at Element if they wanted to match the Marriott LS offerings (though that's a drop in the bucket given limited number of properties and years of existence).
BTW, this is exactly what UA did with its data to gross up BIS to EQM to match CO...even for the craptastic Marriott IT, it wouldn't be that hard.
Nov 30, 2018, 12:04 am
#35
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Not true at all - I have earned 3 legacy Gold years (now new Plat) from Marriott just due to the RewardsPlus partnership with UA. Those shouldn't count of course, but not surprising given Marriott's terrible IT.
Nov 30, 2018, 2:23 am
#36
Join Date: Feb 2008
Location: In the air
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If we’re talking business logic here, it’s important to note that lifetime status is not actually about “recognition” once someone has spend a certain number of nights, it’s about incentivising those who have not yet done so.
Nov 30, 2018, 6:19 am
#37
Join Date: Apr 2017
Programs: Bonvoy ambassador - lifetime plat / Hilton diamond / hyatt globalist / AA CK baby!
Posts: 867
As a spg gold lifetime member who doesn't have enough years as platinum, but with far more than enough points to qualify if Marriott was looking at spend - what gets me is that Marriott right now is offering ltpp. But only for this first year. Why? Why offer a lifetime perk to a member that may have spent less than me, may have stayed less nights, and then don't give me the opportunity to earn that status myself. I wouldn't complain if they upped the qualifications for ltpp, but to shut me out from earning it is a slap in the face.
Nov 30, 2018, 8:40 am
#38
Join Date: Jun 2011
Location: PHL
Posts: 656
As a spg gold lifetime member who doesn't have enough years as platinum, but with far more than enough points to qualify if Marriott was looking at spend - what gets me is that Marriott right now is offering ltpp. But only for this first year. Why? Why offer a lifetime perk to a member that may have spent less than me, may have stayed less nights, and then don't give me the opportunity to earn that status myself. I wouldn't complain if they upped the qualifications for ltpp, but to shut me out from earning it is a slap in the face.
Nov 30, 2018, 9:09 am
#39
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People born in the late 90s on will also never be eligible for LTPP regardless of how many gazillion dollars they spend.
I think people are losing perspective here. If you stay 75+ nights/yr, you will always have PP status. If you don’t, it really won’t make much difference. The extra 16% points is inconsequential especially if you aren’t staying that much. People keep fantasizing about “future benefits”. Very few loyalty programs actually get enhanced.
I think people are losing perspective here. If you stay 75+ nights/yr, you will always have PP status. If you don’t, it really won’t make much difference. The extra 16% points is inconsequential especially if you aren’t staying that much. People keep fantasizing about “future benefits”. Very few loyalty programs actually get enhanced.
Nov 30, 2018, 9:26 am
#40
Join Date: Mar 2003
Location: Los Angeles, CA
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As a spg gold lifetime member who doesn't have enough years as platinum, but with far more than enough points to qualify if Marriott was looking at spend - what gets me is that Marriott right now is offering ltpp. But only for this first year. Why? Why offer a lifetime perk to a member that may have spent less than me, may have stayed less nights, and then don't give me the opportunity to earn that status myself. I wouldn't complain if they upped the qualifications for ltpp, but to shut me out from earning it is a slap in the face.
Nov 30, 2018, 11:46 am
#41
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Posts: 100,368
In response to post #28 above, which I forgot to quote:
Legacy MR practice IIRC was NOT to send the lifetime card until you fell to that status level or below. So for instance as PP, I didn't get my LTP card from MR.
Legacy MR practice IIRC was NOT to send the lifetime card until you fell to that status level or below. So for instance as PP, I didn't get my LTP card from MR.
Last edited by MSPeconomist; Nov 30, 2018 at 11:53 am
Nov 30, 2018, 11:55 am
#42
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People born in the late 90s on will also never be eligible for LTPP regardless of how many gazillion dollars they spend.
I think people are losing perspective here. If you stay 75+ nights/yr, you will always have PP status. If you don’t, it really won’t make much difference. The extra 16% points is inconsequential especially if you aren’t staying that much. People keep fantasizing about “future benefits”. Very few loyalty programs actually get enhanced.
I think people are losing perspective here. If you stay 75+ nights/yr, you will always have PP status. If you don’t, it really won’t make much difference. The extra 16% points is inconsequential especially if you aren’t staying that much. People keep fantasizing about “future benefits”. Very few loyalty programs actually get enhanced.
The same is true for all the billions of "people" who are not yet born or even not yet conceived, plus all of their descendants.
Nov 30, 2018, 12:01 pm
#43
Join Date: Aug 2014
Location: MSP
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Posts: 100
Now you know why. Even semi-competent IT people that are CompTIA Security+ certified learned not to have open remote desktop ports to the Internet. Their "IT people" are probably just sitting there watching Netflix all day.
Nov 30, 2018, 12:29 pm
#44
Join Date: Apr 2017
Programs: Bonvoy ambassador - lifetime plat / Hilton diamond / hyatt globalist / AA CK baby!
Posts: 867
People born in the late 90s on will also never be eligible for LTPP regardless of how many gazillion dollars they spend.
I think people are losing perspective here. If you stay 75+ nights/yr, you will always have PP status. If you don’t, it really won’t make much difference. The extra 16% points is inconsequential especially if you aren’t staying that much. People keep fantasizing about “future benefits”. Very few loyalty programs actually get enhanced.
I think people are losing perspective here. If you stay 75+ nights/yr, you will always have PP status. If you don’t, it really won’t make much difference. The extra 16% points is inconsequential especially if you aren’t staying that much. People keep fantasizing about “future benefits”. Very few loyalty programs actually get enhanced.
I have ammassed spg points worth tens of thousands of dollars via my stays. In my case 16% would be about $6k. Im only 43 and travel 95% the time for leisure. I havehmany more stays in my future. That's money out of my back pocket should I fall under 75 nights... Maybe that wouldn't bother you, it makes me question my loyalty to the program.
Nov 30, 2018, 12:30 pm
#45
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Eventually we'll get a recession and if it's bad enough we'll get more perks sent our way. No reason to aim for lifetime status of course, but still...
