SPN Lifer

Is there a status requirement, such as Titanium Elite or Platinum Elite, for eligibility to order a travel package?

If so, I will put that into the thread wiki-post, as there is currently no mention of it.

margarita girl

No there isn't.

rny321

In order to make sure my last travel certificate got used, I have made numerous reservations. Due to hotel and border closures I have needed to change plans several times. Until recently, my last certificate had been attached to a European hotel reservation. Since that trip seems unlikely before August 1, I decided to use the certificate domestically. I called the Titanium number to request that the certificate be detached from the reservation before cancelling it. Although I explained why the certificate needed to be removed first, the agent cancelled the reservation with the certificate still attached.

I have been trying to get the certificate reissued. On my second call, the agent kept repeating that the certificate had already been extended so many times that she was unable to help me herself. The only extensions to this certificate were due to either the conversion from old certificates to new ones or extensions due to Covid. Although I have a case number from a prior call, so far nothing has been replaced.

The last agent I spoke with was adamant that there would be no more extensions of any travel or credit card certificates. Although I wouldn't be too surprised if the certificates weren't extended, I believe it would be a big mistake not to extend the credit card ones.

dkerr

Try sending a private message to the Marriott Bonvoy Lurker here on Flyertalk.

rny321

Good suggestion. I had used the email contact address [email protected] listed by one of the Lurkers before posting. Unfortunately, the representative that responded didn't offer assistance with the case.

goodeats21

I really wish Marriott would either train their agents on how to deal with certs, or make their systems easier to use by these under-skilled agents.

myperks

translation: I really wish Marriott would just allow agents to extend whatever the members are requesting.

in reality, Marriott did train their agents to say no to additional extensions and made the system harder for them to extend (obviously there are agents that are friendlier to that request than others). That is why we have people reporting it’s hard to get extended.

now if the cert is lost in space due to cancellation of reservation and never returned to the account, if Marriott has to reissue the cert in order for it to return to the members account, and by that the cert gets extended, so be it.

goodeats21

Actually, my comment has nothing to do with getting a certificate expiration extended. Don't assume things that I did not write.

Marriott agents are woefully trained in certificates. Every time I have a reservation involving the TP certificate, it is done incorrectly, points are taken out of my account, and it is a pain to get fixed. And these are Ambassador agents, if that even means anything any more.

rny321

I wasn't expecting an extension due to the cancellation. I was simply looking for a replacement with the original expiration date. Since I have credit card award nights as well as this certificate, I would be pleased if an extension is granted.

rny321

Due to the difficulty I've experienced in the past when someone at Marriott cancels a reservation without honoring my request to remove the attached certificate, I considered taking the points instead of trying to get the certificate replaced.

myperks

I’m sure Marriott (and members as well) will be glad that these old TPs history soon.

so did you ultimately get your cert back?

The residual on these are almost nothing.

my mistake on reading your comment specifically for removing cert before cancellation. But comment still stands because by default everyone want it extended and I’m sure one would want to be in for extension as well. (Just a roundabout way to get the extension with Marriott messing up and probably replacing the lost certificate with a new expiration date)

rny321

I am waiting on a response to the case opened by one of the reps, so nothing back yet. It was a Cat 6 and 165K in points were refunded.

myperks

wait... you got a cat 6 TP refunded and received 165k refunded as a residual? That’s impressive. Thought these had almost no residual value when refunded.

rny321

The refund must have been based on the old certificate value. An old Cat 9 (new Cat 6) could have been refunded for the base level of 45K for an old Cat 5 (new Cat 4) plus 120K for the higher category.

dkerr

Under the old travel packages the refund value was 45K for a base certificate plus 30K for each category above. The original refund terms were preserved when those converted to new TP certificates (if not by policy, then by practice). As some old categories collapsed (or merged) in conversion people with the higher category got 30K points back (example, old cat 7 and 8 combined into new cat 5.... I was sitting on a old cat 8 and it was exchanged by refunding 135K and redeeming 105K for a new cat 5). I still have one of those due to expire on Aug 1st and if there are no more extensions then I will request refund of that and should get 105K points. Not ideal but roughly 50% value back (3 nights of 35K). I won't like it, but its better than nothing (or the new TP refund values).