FlyerTalk Forums - The "50" Factor

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Quote:

Originally Posted by ACYYZ/SD (Post 32912925)

50 nights achieved. Which would you choose in the current environment. 5 nights or 5 SNA's and why?
Happy Holidays. Would really like Marriott to make some progress with lounge access in whatever diluted form as an incentive towards shooting for Titanium.

5 nights if in any way relevant for Lifetime counter. Otherwise the equally worthless SNA's.

Five nights count for the current year, so you would finish this year at 55 nights. IMO they're only valuable if someone is close to 70 nights or is extremely close to a lifetime status and has already earned the required number of years at elite status.

In the cases cited, the five nights are "extremely" valuable in crossing a finish line.

But gaining extra yardage is also valuable near the beginning or middle of a marathon — even if the payoff is not immediate, and there is a chance it could have been wasted if eventually you Did Not Finish (DNF).

Agreeing with others in that, unless you foresee opportunities to use SNAs outside USA next year, 5 elite nights is a better selection if you are gunning for lifetime status.

David

Quote:

Originally Posted by myperks (Post 32912945)

I would just pick 5 SNA since 5 elite nights appears to be less valuable unless you are close to lifetime.

as for making progress on lounge access, are you saying Marriott should scrap platinum lounge access and make it for titaniums and above? If that happens, there will be pitch forks out on FT even before they make that kind of announcement :p.

I would say a good trade off is full breakfast instead of platinum lounge access but I’m in the (very) minority.

Not AT ALL! Making progress as in reopening the lounges in a modified form conducive to today's environment. I do like that perk, even for a quiet place to have a cappuccino.

Quote:

Originally Posted by skywalkerLAX (Post 32913110)

5 nights if in any way relevant for Lifetime counter. Otherwise the equally worthless SNA's.

Quote:

Originally Posted by DELee (Post 32913559)

Agreeing with others in that, unless you foresee opportunities to use SNAs outside USA next year, 5 elite nights is a better selection if you are gunning for lifetime status.

As skywalkerLAX says though, "if in any way relevant" -- for me I have 3 years as Plat and 306 lifetime nights. Lifetime Plat requires 10 years, so if I have 7 more years of Plat then necessarily I will also have 7x50 = 350 nights and 306+350 > 600 already. So it would make no sense for me to pick 5 elite nights *solely* for lifetime qual reasons.

Thus for me if the choice is between 5 elite nights that have 0% chance of being useful in 7 years or SNAs that have 1% chance of being useful now, I'll still take the SNAs :p (but I have taken the elite nights to get from 70 -> 75 for the 40k cert). Sure, the 0% isn't truly 0%, they might bring back Lifetime Tit or something, but the 1% isn't really 1% either...

Bottom line, need to do the math to see whether potential lifetime qualification will be constrained by years or nights.