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Originally Posted by llbean
(Post 30085213)
Guys Im confused and time is running out...
I have about 200K SPG points I used one travel and points reward from Marriott last year to go to Grand Cayman Marriott - it was category 5. Great time and great deal. I want to purchase one Marriott hotel and air package before the 18th. I dont know the exact destination we are flexible - thinking maybe Phuket or Maui? ( we have a 2 year old) Im confused what to do. I was up till 2am last night reading and reading blogs and this thread but I seem no closer to an answer Is my best bet to buy a current package 1-5 ? or a package 9 - hoping that it will translate to a new category 7? Also seems to be likely a category 8 witll translate to a new category 6? Should I make some sort of booking even thought we really dont have any idea of plans at this point....too many moving parts.. Anyone who can help with some advice would be greatly appreciated...simply running out of time so I dont think I can do too much more research! The people commenting here don't know and those who might know aren't providing much information. I have an unattached 1-5 and an unattached 8. My guess is the 1-5 will end up as a 4 and my hope is the 8 becomes a 6. I am comfortable that MPG would have informed us of any substantial reductions in the value of hotel awards. Although we might get some benefit from category conversions, I certainly don't expect it. My best guess is that we all end up within a very narrow range of where we would have been if there were no planned category changes. |
Originally Posted by RafKa
(Post 30085234)
I doubt this will fly, when they're still selling TPs under the current T&Cs. At the very least, I would expect to have a 45k refund on a Cat 1-5 (future Cat 1-4) on "legacy TPs".
"Travel Packages https://cache.marriott.com/Images/spacer.gif
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Originally Posted by FrustratedinCA
(Post 30084346)
They did not release that information until July. Prior to that, Marriott Rewards reps only confirmed that the travel packages would continue to be offered but that they'd be moving to a more streamlined reward chart that included all airlines. Most people with TPs (not the last minute speculators, but those of us who already had them in our accounts) booked those TPs BEFORE that information was formally announced. We were given no notice as to what the changes would be, or how they would apply to our certs (and frankly, we still haven't received official word of what will happen to floaters). Many of us have been asking for that information repeatedly since April. One Marriott Insider escalated this question all the way to Mr. Marriott's office only to be told that they still did not know.
Bottom line, Marriott has been very cagey with their answers on the subject of travel packages since the merge was announced. You cannot claim that Marriott has done their due diligence when it comes to informing TP certificate holders. They haven't. Not at all. We're days from the merge now and we only just were informed that: 1) Marriott is blocking our ability to change or attach certs between August 18th and September 18th, effectively locking us out from using it. (On a side note, I feel bad for those who were planning to use their certs during that window, or those whose certificates expire within that window and may not be following the merge news as closely as we are). 2) Marriott says the system will be down intermittently between August 15th and August 18th, so it's likely going to be tough to make changes now. 3) Marriott said we WILL be able to use our certs after September 18th, but has not given us any information as to what they will be valued at come September. 4) Marriott has made it clear that an official answer on a TP's post-September value won't be available to us until after August 18th. So, effectively, we are not getting ANY notice or information that would allow us to make an informed decision as to how to use our certs, and by the time we find out, it will be too late to make any adjustments. That's a pretty bad way to handle a reward that, by sheer virtue of its cost in points, is held primarily by very loyal customers. IMO the best argument for why Marriott should be lenient with these is the ridiculous hold times in recent months. It's one thing to tell people to attach their certificates, it's another to force them to be on hold for 60+ minutes to do so. |
Originally Posted by llbean
(Post 30085213)
Guys Im confused and time is running out...
I have about 200K SPG points I used one travel and points reward from Marriott last year to go to Grand Cayman Marriott - it was category 5. Great time and great deal. I want to purchase one Marriott hotel and air package before the 18th. I dont know the exact destination we are flexible - thinking maybe Phuket or Maui? ( we have a 2 year old) Im confused what to do. I was up till 2am last night reading and reading blogs and this thread but I seem no closer to an answer Is my best bet to buy a current package 1-5 ? or a package 9 - hoping that it will translate to a new category 7? Also seems to be likely a category 8 witll translate to a new category 6? Should I make some sort of booking even thought we really dont have any idea of plans at this point....too many moving parts.. Anyone who can help with some advice would be greatly appreciated...simply running out of time so I dont think I can do too much more research! |
Originally Posted by pinniped
(Post 30082390)
You could do 2x, but your forfeit rate on the 2nd cert would be really low. Not enough to get you to Hawaii.
Do you regularly earn a lot of points? If I felt like I could earn myself back to a higher category within the span of a few months, I'd probably still redeem 2 right now because the value is so much worse after the Aug 18. But if that pins you down to new Cat 4 and your goal is Hawaii in the next year, that doesn't help you too much. Thanks again! |
Maybe Marriott should have just pulled the TP offers in early July or so. This is how AmEx pulled the Mercedes-Benz and Chase pulled Ritz Carlton card offerings.
I booked two TPs in early August. I guess a lot other people booked a lot more. Now we want Marriott to be fair to us all. Wish us good luck! |
did anyone successfully order the TP today?
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Data point: Called 800-321-7396 this morning and was able to attach an existing TP certificate to an existing award reservation in under 15 minutes. The representative helping me said things were getting back to normal with regards to hold times. I did did ask her about what’s going to happen to TP certificates but her answers were so obviously misinformed I won’t bother repeating them. |
Originally Posted by rny321
(Post 30085301)
The people commenting here don't know and those who might know aren't providing much information. I have an unattached 1-5 and an unattached 8. My guess is the 1-5 will end up as a 4 and my hope is the 8 becomes a 6. I am comfortable that MPG would have informed us of any substantial reductions in the value of hotel awards. Although we might get some benefit from category conversions, I certainly don't expect it. My best guess is that we all end up within a very narrow range of where we would have been if there were no planned category changes.
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I'm now thinking my best strategy is to hold off on ordering a TP and keep the points to score redemption opportunities at SPG resorts while those with TPs are frozen for a month. I only have enough for a cat 5 120K, and most of my redemption dreams are higher tiers. I could top up with Chase URs but now I'm thinking of even speculatively transferring those to Korean Air given the latest news of Chase dropping them as a transfer partner. I think Marriott is trying to be fair to all customers. Be generous with existing TP's owners, but to make those members who didn't game the system with a month long period to scoop up the best award bookings for the year.
Those with enough points to do both TP's and still have enough for any potential 60,000 MR rates, well done. |
Originally Posted by JOJOZHAOZHAO
(Post 30085445)
did anyone successfully order the TP today?
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What has happened in the past when a hotel has gone up a category, but an award reservation was made prior to the category change. Did Marriott honor the previously agreed lower "rate" in points?
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Originally Posted by ahbitheman
(Post 30085484)
I'm now thinking my best strategy is to hold off on ordering a TP and keep the points to score redemption opportunities at SPG resorts while those with TPs are frozen for a month. I only have enough for a cat 5 120K, and most of my redemption dreams are higher tiers. I could top up with Chase URs but now I'm thinking of even speculatively transferring those to Korean Air given the latest news of Chase dropping them as a transfer partner. I think Marriott is trying to be fair to all customers. Be generous with existing TP's owners, but to make those members who didn't game the system with a month long period to scoop up the best award bookings for the year.
Those with enough points to do both TP's and still have enough for any potential 60,000 MR rates, well done. Those 7-night TPs are not flexible. They are only good for resort type where you stay at the same hotel for consecutive 7-days. I'd use them to stay at Caribbean, like Mexico, Puerto Rico, where you do not want to wonder outside the resort much. Or you stay at large city and you want to explore it deeply. I get a dozen free hotel nights to redeem. They are far more flexible. Of course they are good only to 35,000 or 50,00 MR redemption. |
Please don't beat me up. I am late to this Travel Packages thing. I am platinum in both Mariott and SPG and have plans to go to Maui(Oct/Nov). The hotel is Residence Inn Maui Wailea. Do you suggest buying the Travel Package now? I honestly can't figure out what's the latest on whether to hold or wait.
Hotel is going from 40,000 to 35,000 & category 8 -> 5. |
We'll know in a few days how Marriott Rewards e-certificates from travel packages will make the transition to the new program.
It's been my educated guess that new program e-ceriticates will be for nights at a point level, not nights at a specific category level, and that there will be process to buy up of buy down to match actual reservations. Sure, I'd be thrilled if the Marriott Rewards Category 7 e-certificate (good for a 35,000-point-per-night property) in my account magically transforms itself into a new program Category 7 e-certificate (good for a 60,000-point-per-night property). But I really don't expect that to happen. I expect my Marriott Rewards Category 7 e-certificate to be good for a 35,000-point-per-night property in the new program, based on new redemption levels. Nothing more. Nothing less. Yes, I know that some categories don't align. For example, a Marriott Rewards Category 6 e-certificate does not align with a new program category, at least not until new program Category 4 Peak appears in 2019. That's why I would expect members to be able to add or refund points to make the e-certificate align with new program categories. What follows are lists of the four different structures of Categories (called Tiers for Ritz-Carlton and Edition). In each case, Category means something different. But points are points (when SPG Starpoints are multiplied by 3). I could be wrong about what will happen, but the lists are correct. SPG SPG Category 1: 2,000-3,000 Starpoints x 3 = 6,000-9,000 points SPG Category 2: 3,000-4,000 Starpoints x 3 = 9,000-9,000 points SPG Category 3: 7,000 Starpoints x 3 = 21,000 points SPG Category 4: 10,000 Starpoints x 3 = 30,000 points SPG Category 5: 12,000-16,000 Starpoints x 3 = 36,000-48,000 points SPG Category 6: 20,000-25,000 Starpoints x 3 = 60,000-75,000 points SPG Category 7: 30,000-35,000 Starpoints x 3 = 90,000-105,000 points MARRIOTT REWARDS Rewards Category 1: 7,500 Rewards Category 2: 10,000 Rewards Category 3: 15,000 Rewards Category 4: 20,000 Rewards Category 5: 25,000 Rewards Category 6: 30,000 Rewards Category 7: 35,000 Rewards Category 8: 40,000 Rewards Category 9: 45,000 The Ritz-Carlton Rewards Tier 1: 30,000 Rewards Tier 2: 40,000 Rewards Tier 3: 50,000 Rewards Tier 4: 60,000 Rewards Tier 5: 70,000 NEW PROGRAM — standard / off-peak (coming 2019) / peak (coming 2019) New Program Category 1: 7,500 / 5,000 / 10,000 New Program Category 2: 12,500 / 10,000 / 15,000 New Program Category 3: 17,500 / 15,000 / 20,000 New Program Category 4: 25,000 / 20,000 / 30,000 New Program Category 5: 35,000 / 30,000 / 40,000 New Program Category 6: 50,000 / 40,000 / 60,000 New Program Category 7: 60,000 / 50,000 / 70,000 New Program Category 8 (coming 2019): 85,000 / 70,000 / 100,000 |
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