sdsearch

That's assuming you have use for 7-night packages (or close) in the first place. If you never need more than 4 nights in the same place at a time, the value you get from a 7-night package (throwing away 3 nights) would be quite different.

I can't think of a time in my life where I've yet done 7 nights at one property. The one place where I've considered it, the only Marriott property is Cat 1 (since it's a Protea in Africa), and a cat 1 presents its own poor valuation issues for a travel package (since you're paying the same as for a cat 5). The most I think I've ever done so far is 5 nights in one location, and even that long at one location is very rare for me.

mooper

True. One way they could reduce the ability to buy all or part of the requirements out this way would be to reinstate the requirement for X years of membership. Of course, someone with an old account that hadn't done much for over a decade could still do the buyouts, but it would at least stop anyone relatively new to the program from doing it.

I'd love to see the new MR program add SPG lifetime nights (but not points, as SPG didn't track those), bring back a 12-year (or even increase to 15) membership requirement, and add a fourth tier lifetime status tier:

Marriott Diamond
1,000+ Nights (MR + SPG combined)
3MIL+ Points (Only MR Points count looking backward, but adding SPG to this total going forward)
15+ Years (In either program, longer membership presiding)

Anyone who earned LT status in either MR or SPG for the current tiers would be grandfathered, as has already been promised, but the new fourth tier would only be reachable for those who qualify post-merger on the requirements. Some would complain "...but I earned 2MIL SPG points and am not getting credit for those!", but anyone who earned that many SPG points likely has grandfathered LT Platinum status anyway, so they'll be in pretty good shape even though they'd need to re-earn a ton of points to hit the new fourth tier if they don't already have many lifetime Marriott points. Can't please everyone though... this would still recognize the vast majority of hardcore loyal members from both programs and keep it challenging to earn the top (Diamond) status.

UA-NYC

This is not true - I and many other SPG loyals have an Excel copy of my "master ledger", listing every single transaction I've had with SPG (including CC points)..it runs thousands of lines. Would be quite simple to 3:1 convert those into new MR points, not dissimilar to what CO did to equalize "status miles" w/UA's "flown miles" to arrive at lifetime flown miles calculations.

Remember that while SPG LTP takes fewer nights vs. MR, it's arguably harder as it's 1) 10 full years of Plat, no shortcuts, and 2) doesn't include all the CC nights, rollover nights, meeting nights, etc. I passed 750 LT SPG nights this year (8 years Plat) and I estimate if those were all done w/MR, I would have earned LTP in 5-6 years. No shortage of high stay, high revenue Plats like me who are only LTG due to the 10 years requirement.

mooper

Should SPG have those points logged for everyone, then absolutely they should be included (though I'd bump the points requirement from the 3MIL I suggested to something like 4MIL). I was under the impression that since they aren't displayed on the site nor used for current SPG LT requirements, they didn't have them.

And no issue with adding a "X years of status" requirement, though I think that generally anyone who has been a member of either program for 15 years and has millions of points and a thousand nights will meet that anyway.

UA-NYC

Yes, they are hidden away so to speak - no reason for SPGers to have known their LT "points", but I'm hoping the go-forward program takes this into account.

Will be interesting regardless to see what happens...I will be one of the "SPG Biggest Losers" with my 9 lifetime years of Plat and close to 900 nights going into 2019

mooper

I suspect the new requirements will reward someone like you. Out of curiosity - where would your totals stand adding together:

- Your LT MR + LT SPG Points
- Your LT MR + LT SPG Nights
- Your years of membership (whichever program was longer, not added together)
- Your years at top status (whichever has more, not added together)

For me, I'd end up around 5MIL points, 900 nights, 14 years of membership, and 9 years at top status... Even with an aggressive bump in requirements, I'd likely be at least close to earning LT-whatever-top-status-is under the new program. But I'm lucky enough to have made LT Plat in Marriott before this year ends, so I'm at least grandfathered in there.

UA-NYC

Combined LT points (post 3:1 conversion) of roughly 4MM, and roughly 950 nights. So no worries for those. BUT only 9 years of Plat status and I guess 12 years of membership of SPG (thank you, single 2007 stay...signed up but didn't do heavy stays til 2010).

As long as they are fully retroactive from both programs, I'm not sweating it too much. My biggest worry would be that they would eliminate the LT program going forward entirely...slim chance but you never know...

mooper

Nice, you're in good shape, too. Oops, forgot the 3:1 conversion for me. That would put me around nearly 8MIL points.

I think it's a safe bet that they'll be fully retroactive from both programs and extremely safe bet that some form of LT will stick around... we'll see!

CJKatl

X-ON

One thing to note about the SPG system tracking points for accounts; in my interaction with SPG to obtain my master ledger I was told by a IT person that they can only track my points accumulation for a limited number of years. My account was created in 2001 and I can only track my point accumulation prior to 2003, I think the claim was that the system only considers the last 15 years of points. However the system can track the LT nights correctly, I am not sure how and why but that was the answer I got (after months of back and forth with SPG) when the accumulated points in my account did not balance.

UA-NYC

Yes - it's clear that LT status previously earned will be grandfathered in. My point was, there is no guarantee they they will offer new go-forward LT levels to aspire to. Though I doubt they end that as it would put them at a competitive disadvantage.

Srisarin

UA-NYC

Srisarin

UA-NYC