Old Jul 30, 2016, 4:21 pm
FlyerTalk Forums Expert How-Tos and Guides
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Legacy to New Travel Package Conversion (effective August 2019)
A Marriott supervisor can currently convert your legacy travel package into the new category mapping. If you hold a Category 6, 8, or Tier 1-3 legacy certificate, it's ideal to downgrade your certificate before converting so that points don't potentially get lost in the process.

The codes for the new partial packages are:
New Cat 1-4: QP83
New Cat 5: QP91
New Cat 6: QP99
New Cat 7:

Originally Posted by Marriott Rewards Insider
Members who purchased a Category 6, Category 8 or Tier 1-3 certificate prior to 8/18 are able to request a one-time exchange for a Travel Package one category lower. This process will cancel your current Travel Package, reissue a Travel Package one category lower and result in a refund of 30,000 points to your account. To submit a request, follow these steps:
  • Select Packages - Deals from the Topic drop down menu
  • Submit your request
As a reminder, status.marriott.com will periodically have additional updates.
Source: https://www.flyertalk.com/forum/marr...es-update.html

The legacy certificates map to the new certificates as such:
Cat 1-5 => Cat 1-4
Cat 6 => Cat 1-4
Cat 7 => Cat 5
Cat 8 => Cat 5
Cat 9 => Cat 6
Tier 1-3 => Cat 6
Tier 4-5 => Cat 7
==================================================

If you are unsure where you will use your 7 night stay, when you request the package, just ask for a category 1-5 hotel. That way you are out of the least number of points. If later, you decide to book for a higher level category, then you can do so and pay the difference the travel package points. If you can't use your certificate within the year, then as close to the one year anniversary (without going over!) call to extend the certificate for one more year. That's as long as they will typically allow, one extension. There is an option to expedite the mileage delivery to within three business days (sometimes faster) for $15. There are reports that this fee may be waived for platinum members.

Effective April 1 2017 re: Southwest & the companion pass:

"Purchased points, points converted from hotel and car loyalty programs, and e-Rewards, e-Miles, Valued Opinions and Diners Club, points earned from Rapid Rewards program enrollment, tier bonuses, flight bonuses, and partner bonuses (excluding points bonuses earned on the Rapid Rewards Credit Cards from Chase) do not count toward Companion Pass."
************
Can I book SPG properties with my Marriott Travel Package? As of 9/1/2018 apparently not. see https://www.flyertalk.com/forum/30155836-post6529.html
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Marriott Travel Packages

 
Old Aug 3, 2018, 3:18 pm
  #4621  
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With my TPs, I plan to book trips over next two weeks. The properties I like to go all go up with points. Most of the high level, Cat-8+, even some RCs. No benefits to wait, unless you really get nothing to book now.

More hotels are open after the real merger. But we'll likely have to use more points to book those nice SPG hotels.
RedSun is offline  
Old Aug 3, 2018, 3:42 pm
  #4622  
 
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Originally Posted by tth6133
The problem is there's no "fair" way to convert these certificates equitably for everyone. If these certificates remain in one form or another post 8/18, there's no guarantee they would still be extendable as they're now.
This is probably true. It's very complicated. But there's on thing that Marriott could do that would help with the fairness: Announce what they are going to do with these certificates far enough in advance before 8/18 so that people can make decisions based on that knowledge. At least then people could choose which of several options they like best. Instead, they've decided not to tell us what they are going to do. Seems to me that makes their position harder to defend.
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Old Aug 3, 2018, 4:21 pm
  #4623  
 
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Originally Posted by tth6133
What you just described is one of the possible outcomes for TP certificates post 8/18. There're quite a few other possibilities. Some of them equally likely and others less likely. We just don't know. If we believe some of the people at Marriott have said (and I have no reason to doubt them), Marriott hasn't made its final decision with these legacy certificates, because of their pending IT upgrades. We all hope for the best, but we may also be disappointed in one aspect or another on 8/18.
I am certain that Marriott knows exactly how it will handle outstanding e-certificates as part of the August 18 changes. For whatever reason, Marriott has chosen to hold off on publishing the details.

Originally Posted by tth6133
No, that's not a "fair" way for some certificate holders. For example, if you had bought a cat-9 certificate or one of certificates for RCs, you'd expect you could use it for one of top hotels post 8/18. If your certificate now becomes a new cat-4 certificate, and even if you're allowed to upgrade to some higher new category, the cost of the upgrade would be significantly higher based on the new chart than the amount of refund you could have received.
If a member bought a package that includes, for example, a 7-night Category 9 e-certificate, that member could attach it now to a reservation through mid-summer of 2019.

But if a member waits until August 18 or later, then the new redemption structure applies. It's not much different than the annual category adjustments we're all accustomed to. Yes, if a hotel goes from 45,000 points per night to 60,000 points per night, the member would have to use more points -- or pick a different hotel. The good news is that we will have far more hotels from which to choose.
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Old Aug 3, 2018, 4:28 pm
  #4624  
 
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I've called 3 times now to buy a TP, I have 1 account with 125k and one with 150k.

They say for the 3rd day the system to do this is down.

Is there anywhere to escalate to? Surely there is a manual way to move points.
davem4 is offline  
Old Aug 3, 2018, 4:49 pm
  #4625  
 
Join Date: Mar 2014
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Originally Posted by Horace
If a member bought a package that includes, for example, a 7-night Category 9 e-certificate, that member could attach it now to a reservation through mid-summer of 2019.

But if a member waits until August 18 or later, then the new redemption structure applies. It's not much different than the annual category adjustments we're all accustomed to.
There're some significant differences between annual category adjustments and this current situation. For example, if you bought the cat-9 certificate, you'd expect that you could use it on ANY Marriott hotels, regardless of category adjustments.
tth6133 is offline  
Old Aug 3, 2018, 5:06 pm
  #4626  
 
Join Date: Aug 2018
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Originally Posted by tth6133
No, that's not a "fair" way for some certificate holders. For example, if you had bought a cat-9 certificate or one of certificates for RCs, you'd expect you could use it for one of top hotels post 8/18. If your certificate now becomes a new cat-4 certificate, and even if you're allowed to upgrade to some higher new category, the cost of the upgrade would be significantly higher based on the new chart than the amount of refund you could have received.
Exactly. This is NOT a fair resolution. I purchased a Cat 8 and have it attached to a reservation, but there's a chance I may not be able to keep those dates. However, if I unlinked it and Marriott downgraded it to a Cat 4, regardless of whether or not they refund me points...I'd be pissed. I have ZERO use for a Cat 4 certificate, and had I been informed of that in advance of purchasing it (which we have not been), I would not have purchased it. That does not make me whole. It leaves me with wasted points and a certificate I can't use.

The ability to upgrade it back would not make me whole either because the difference in levels from the old chart to new is MASSIVE. Currently it costs 30,000 points to jump from one category to the next. However, after August 18th, it will cost 60,000 to jump from Cat 4 to Cat 5, and 120,000 to jump from Cat 5 to Cat 6 (because certs are priced at peak timing). So that upgrade you're saying will make us whole will cost 150,000 instead of the 90,000 it currently costs.. It would be worse for those with Cat 9's and RC certs. So for many this "solution" would be a devaluation.

That said, I HIGHLY doubt that they'll do this is because a) there's been no notice, and Marriott seems to give at least one month notice on mass devaluations, and b) they'd basically be alienating some of their most loyal and frequent business travelers who prefer to stay at high-end properties when on vacation (and who likely would spend a lot at those properties once there). That's not a wise move. If the comments online are to be believed, Marriott is already are losing some of the more loyal SPG business travelers to other hotel chains.
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Old Aug 3, 2018, 5:38 pm
  #4627  
 
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Originally Posted by davem4
I've called 3 times now to buy a TP, I have 1 account with 125k and one with 150k.

They say for the 3rd day the system to do this is down.

Is there anywhere to escalate to? Surely there is a manual way to move points.
At this rate maybe the system will be "down" until August 18.
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Old Aug 3, 2018, 5:56 pm
  #4628  
 
Join Date: Mar 2012
Location: IL
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Originally Posted by pinniped
Sure there is: for every unattached cert, give the member a new Cat 4 and a points refund matching the difference in cost between their old category and old category 5. Maybe the expiration date on all certificates be August 30, 2019 so nobody can complain that they're getting stuck with a low-cat certificate and no time to earn points and upgrade back to a higher new category.

Everybody's made whole on points, no one gets a windfall. You're subject to the new categories, which are bigger steps up than the old categories, but that's what you live with by not attaching the cert before the changeover.

They *could* do this. Whether they do, or take a more customer-friendly path of letting some members receive "half-category" windfalls, I don't know.

Since we're going to live in the Marriott system, I don't expect the ability to upgrade or extend a certificate in the future to change.

Sure there isn't.
Don't let math get in the way of a good story.

Still waiting on predictions on what *will* happen from the trolls. The crowd with such gems as "Marriott *could* [insert completely unlikely and unrealistic, yet not impossible, scenario]", "T&C say Marriott *can* take all your points/cancel your cert/give you 45k points/etc", "the 7 night cert package *isn't* worth the 7 nights at the category of hotels you purchased because its a package and airlines miles cost X", etc. Looking at you Happy, Fly for Fun, etc. Lets put it in writing, so you can eat your crow later. I'll go first:

1) Floaters: Refunded to points for 6 night stay, e.g. 150k for Cat5 and 30k per Cat beyond that.
2) Detachers post Aug18: Become floaters of post Aug18 Cat.
CDO and nexusCFX like this.
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Old Aug 3, 2018, 6:06 pm
  #4629  
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Put all the possibilities in the wiki
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Old Aug 3, 2018, 6:15 pm
  #4630  
 
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Originally Posted by davem4
I've called 3 times now to buy a TP, I have 1 account with 125k and one with 150k.

They say for the 3rd day the system to do this is down.

Is there anywhere to escalate to? Surely there is a manual way to move points.
Ask for a supervisor I got the same response twice but then a very nice representative volunteered to ask her supervisor and they did it.

Looking at my account, it looks like they moved 50000 as permitted normally and then did the rest (40000) as Adjustment - Positive.

FYI, I wasnt doing this to get the package. As the program rules explicitly allow, this was done so that I could make an award reservation (had 150000, needed 90000 from a family members account).

Good luck!
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Old Aug 3, 2018, 10:00 pm
  #4631  
 
Join Date: Jun 2013
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Originally Posted by zachary
This is probably true. It's very complicated. But there's on thing that Marriott could do that would help with the fairness: Announce what they are going to do with these certificates far enough in advance before 8/18 so that people can make decisions based on that knowledge. At least then people could choose which of several options they like best. Instead, they've decided not to tell us what they are going to do. Seems to me that makes their position harder to defend.
Don't count on this happening.
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Old Aug 3, 2018, 10:05 pm
  #4632  
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Originally Posted by zachary
This is probably true. It's very complicated. But there's on thing that Marriott could do that would help with the fairness: Announce what they are going to do with these certificates far enough in advance before 8/18 so that people can make decisions based on that knowledge. At least then people could choose which of several options they like best. Instead, they've decided not to tell us what they are going to do. Seems to me that makes their position harder to defend.
not if they dont plan to change anything
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Old Aug 4, 2018, 2:43 am
  #4633  
 
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Originally Posted by azepine00
not if they dont plan to change anything
They're obviously going to change *something* since the categories will no longer align. The question is not "if?" but "what and when?"
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Old Aug 4, 2018, 3:24 am
  #4634  
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Originally Posted by Horace
I am certain that Marriott knows exactly how it will handle outstanding e-certificates as part of the August 18 changes. For whatever reason, Marriott has chosen to hold off on publishing the details.

+1. I am highly confident that we'll receive a full points refund. However Marriott know that announcing this would cost them $$$ as people would rush to book TPs to grab the really cheap miles. I simply cannot believe that, after so much attention being paid to keeping members happy during the merger, that they would screw over members by not announcing something negative.
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Old Aug 4, 2018, 5:19 am
  #4635  
 
Join Date: Mar 2014
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We all seem to have some opinions/predictions of what will happen on 8/18 to unattached current TP certificates (a.k.a. "floaters"). Since Marriott isn't telling us what it's going to do, we're all left speculating. There're many possibilities but they can generally be classified into 3 major groups:

1) Floaters will be cancelled and certain amount of unrestricted points refunded (whether based on the minimum "surrender" value, or the maximum 6-night value, or something in-between);

2) Floaters will be converted into new points-based certificates (potentially with points adjustment/refund), or equivalently, 6-night worth of points with restrictions will be refunded (Hard-coded expiration dates, minimum redemption requirements, etc. are some of the possible restrictions);

3) Floaters will be converted into new category-based certificates (potentially with points adjustment/refund).

Allowing for the possibility that the final outcome doesn't fall into any of the above classification, there's a 4th group:
4) None of the above.

Personally, I think there's a 50% chance of scenario group 1), 50% chance of scenario group 2, and 0% chance of the other groups. What do you think?
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