Flying for Fun

Exactly, just as I said. OP was Platinum in 2019 but didn't requalify for Platinum for 2020 so not sure why he thinks his 2020 status shouldn't have dropped. The fact that he has 23 nights in 2020 has no bearing. If he requalifies for Platinum in 2020 his status will last through early 2022 anyway.

James

SPN Lifer

Speaking of lifetime status . . .

If status earned in 2019 is extended through January 2022, should the extra year count toward lifetime status?

I would submit not, if not “earned” by qualifying in 2020. That would recognize those like @FlyingBeanCounter, who are persevering with Marriott through this adversity.

And count me in with those who say Marriott should reinstate Lifetime Titanium Elite status. I suggest 1,000 nights and 10 years as Titanium to do so.

This could lure the fickle Lifetime Platinum Elites who may otherwise be gunning for 1000 nights at Hilton.

nmpls

I did hear of a few people with >75 nights in 2019 being dropped from Titanium to Plat this weekend due to an IT glitch, so he could be talking about something similar.

clarkef

I must respectfully disagree. People who traveled during this pandemic weren't doing it out of the goodness of their heart or from some misguided loyalty to Marriott. They merely had places to be. If you said, well, I made an extra effort to stay at Marriott because they need money, then I might be inclined to agree. In any event, many of us who had travel booked had to cancel their trips because of the pandemic. I booked 15 nights in Japan, 2 nights in San Francisco and 14 nights in Southern California, all to happen by the end of May. Btw, I'm personally paying for this trip. Then the SF Bay area issued a shelter in place, which was extended to the entire state of California. And of course, on March 19, 2020, the State department issued a Global Level 4 Health Advisory – Do Not Travel (Internationally).

So my 31 nights in April and May had to be canceled. The trip will be rescheduled for right after the pandemic is over and I will rebook those 31 nights. Quite frankly, I don't see why Marriott would make special accomodations for you as opposed to anyone else. As I mentioned in another post, loyalty programs are not about loyalty, but rather incentivizing travelers to spend their money at one travel provider instead of another. My Marriott level is Ambassador. Marriott doesn't love me. They love the 20k I spent in 2018 and in 2019.

X-ON

I doubt that MAR IT have the capability to back-populate years as Tit+ some data migrated from the SPG and MR might even been purged. To introduce an additional tier of status year is probably above and beyond for MAR IT given the problem they have with just tracking the existing status year ... I would settle with 10 Plt+ years ..... the 1K nights criteria could engage some LTP to direct their stays to MAR

FlyingBeanCounter

I do look at it personally - aren't you?

If marriott is going to be handing out goodies, I would hope they would give more to people like me who stayed with them and actually contributed to revenue. That seems reasonable, no? If not, why not?

JBord

I'm not looking at it personally. I'm looking at it from Marriott's perspective as it's the only entity in the relationship that can actually do any of the things we're discussing here. Actually, I have very little skin in the game personally, as I'm LT Plat with no aspirations of Ambassador. I have a mild aspiration to Titanium (as I've been for the last few years) but don't feel like I lose much if Marriott does nothing and I default to LT Plat. I dropped to Platinum this year (over the weekend ) anyway with only about 65 nights, and my company has basically banned travel, so regardless of whether Marriott extends status, I'm going to be Platinum next year.

As I've said, I have no problem with Marriott giving more rewards to people who contribute revenue during this time. But you seem to suggest that the only way you're rewarded is relative to what Marriott does for everyone else. That's just not true, IMO. Marriott can, and probably should, make a business decision to extend status to keep customers. A gesture like this ensures that they recover as quickly as possible next year. Giving you more while losing other customers is a lose-lose outcome for Marriott. But if they want to do something more for customers that spent certain amounts of money this year, that's all good too. They're completely independent business decisions, that will be made for different reasons.

So, if you were the CEO of Marriott and your demand was down by 75% and you're laying off 2/3 of your workforce now, what would your plan be to get to elite customers to come back after things return to normal? It has to be more than rewarding people who never stopped staying with them right?

theOtherHolmes

Look at it however you like, but Marriott has the sole discretion to change programme terms, and we are discussing what Marriott would do. So, whatever you want to do, or wish what Marriott would do, is not that relevant, especially when you can’t seem to think from a business perspective.

tarheelnj

Data point - I earned Hilton Gold in 2018 for 2019, but only had a few stays in 2019 as I chased Marriott Titanium. I'm still showing Gold status with Hilton. If Marriott doesn't extend my status and Hilton keeps me at Gold, it would be a strong incentive to throw more nights at Hilton when things pick up.

theOtherHolmes

Same. If you think about it, Hilton Gold is easily obtained by holding a $99 credit card in the US. Gold at Hilton beats gold at Marriott.

This year I won’t get enough nights to keep my Titanium or even platinum. So if Marriott doesn’t extend my status in 2021, I will just move all my stays to Hilton. I’m fickle like that.

FlyingBeanCounter

I don't think I ever suggest not helping you or other people. I admit I selfishly would prefer that they not as having fewer elites helps me. I recognize they will likely do something - for whatever reason there is a DYKWIA attitude among many travelers with elite status. You can see it here in the caustic responses to the very suggestion that dropping their status should be a reasonable approach. While it is in fact a reasonable response, Marriott wont do that. For whatever reason in their infinite wisdom marriott will suddenly become concerned about us frequent travelers. I guess that's nice, but.....

It is the tone deaf marriott that worries me. "noise around the edges" sorenson will be out there with a half thought out plan that irritates the maximum number of people in no time. Those of us who spent the time and money to earn the status the hard way and legitimately can lay claim to it are most at risk IMHO. Marriott screwed up the LTTP/LTPP royally, and they won't fix it. Why should this be any different? I would actually go as far as to ask why would we expect marriott to actually do something well? have they in fact ever done anything well with this program? It is too bad really. Marriott as a hotel chain is actually quite nice. The locations and breadth of the portfolio is perhaps the best in the business. For whatever reason they do not see the loyalty program as having the need for the same level of service.

freed0m

you just answered your own question. Marriott has a great business so it does not have to care about loyalty program. Most profitable customer segments staying at Marriott are not those with the highest status.

JBord

I wouldn't say they don't care about the program. But we view it as a "rewards" program, while they view it as a "loyalty" program. Meaning that we think we're getting rewarded for past stays while Marriott thinks they are enticing us to stay at Marriotts in the future. Some posters here are thinking they should get "rewarded" for staying this year while others who aren't staying shouldn't. But Marriott sees the program as a tool to retain and attract customers, which is going to be essential when travel returns to normal. So right now, they probably care a whole lot more about the program than they did two months ago. We typically see these programs become more generous with economic downturns, and I suspect Marriott is or will be looking at the program closely. Extending status, at least IMO, seems to be an easy, low cost option to retain customers.

But they might have other ideas. I recall United, at a similar point, offering double qualifying miles (forget what they were called back then). It was the first year that I rose from Premier Exec to 1K . So an alternative to extending status would be to do something similar. The point is to get all those customers back on the hook.

FlyingBeanCounter

and that is why they may very well do nothing for those that are at risk for their status. Apparently marriott feels we will stay there no matter what due to this very fact. I tend to think they are correct. Hilton is old and dated and IHG is not exactly on the same level as marriott. There is hyatt, but they do not have the footprint. So for all the wailing and gnashing of teeth here marriott may very well underwhelm people with their approach.

five pages and it comes down to the fact that marriott is ambivalent to us as its largest consumers of its business by room nights.

alien

You are correct. Sorry for the confusion. Platinum in 2019 from 2018 and Gold in 2020 from 2019 stays.(in US).