Name Change Coming to the Combined MR & SPG Programs
Apr 8, 2018, 10:08 pm
#61
A FlyerTalk Posting Legend
Join Date: Apr 2004
Location: GVA (Greater Vancouver Area)
Programs: DREAD Gold; UA 1.035MM; Bonvoy Au-197; PCC Elite+; CCC Elite+; MSC C-12; CWC Au-197; WoH Dis
Posts: 52,133
Apr 9, 2018, 3:26 am
#62
Join Date: Jun 2015
Location: Barcelona
Posts: 123
Is the inevitable combination happening sooner than later
Wonder what changes Marriott will be implementing...
Apr 9, 2018, 4:46 am
#63
FlyerTalk Evangelist
Join Date: Jun 2001
Programs: DL 1 million, AA 1 mil, HH lapsed Diamond, Marriott Plat
Posts: 28,190
Apr 9, 2018, 5:36 am
#64
Join Date: Jun 2016
Location: Prince Edward Island
Programs: Air Canada P25K, Hilton Honors Gold, Marriott Gold, MGM Gold
Posts: 1,582
Interestingly, they recently added a note on my SPG Amex referral page (Canadian version) saying that to earn a referral bonus, your friend must apply by April 16. Speculation on the Amex thread was that they were just getting rid of the referral bonus but perhaps they are going to stop accepting applications for the SPG cards after that date.
Apr 9, 2018, 5:39 am
#65
Suspended
Join Date: Jun 2005
Programs: Delta Diamond, Marriott Ambassador & Lifetime Titanium, Hertz President's Circle, United Silver
Posts: 6,334
They have said they will be merged. It would be significant blunder to not do so. I'm sure it would also be a major question on earning calls. I'm actually surprised the complete and utter incompetence of Marriott International's IT and e-commerce operation hasn't popped up on earning calls. You shouldn't have to use the Marriott Japan or Marriott U.K. website.
Apr 9, 2018, 7:26 am
#66
A FlyerTalk Posting Legend
Join Date: Jul 2002
Location: MCI
Programs: AA Gold 1MM, AS MVP, UA Silver, WN A-List, Marriott LT Titanium, HH Diamond
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From INFOGRAPHIC: 25 LOYALTY MILESTONES at COLLOQUY:
In 2017, Hilton HHonors became Hilton Honors.
Hotels were next to see the importance of loyalty programs: Holiday Inn launched its Priority Club in January 1983, followed by Marriott with its Honored Guest program in November of that year and Hilton with HHonors in 1987.
On May 6, 1997, Marriott "replaced and improved" the Honored Guest program to become Marriott Rewards. At that time, Marriott boasted that the new program allowed members to redeem points for "free stays at six Marriott lodging brands representing 1,000 hotels in 30 countries – an increase of 700 hotels."In 2017, Hilton HHonors became Hilton Honors.
I was a road warrior throughout the 90s...working on big software projects all over the place with lots of other consultants doing the exact same thing. We *all* know the FF game pretty well. This was an era when the biggest programs (AA and UA in particular) were advertising all over airports. Our corporate travel agent sent "pro tip" guides about elite status, upgrades, and even status matches. By then, nobody I knew would fly without an FF account. Even my mom had her FF accounts by the 90s.
Yet when I'd go to a hotel, clerks would sometimes remark that I was the only Marriott Marquis guest of the day, so I'd get an upgrade. I still remember a Hampton Inn putting my name on a sign in the lobby as "guest of the day" because I was the only Silver there! Nearly all of my colleagues would give their AA or UA number to hotel clerks, because back then that's what the big airline programs advertised - their extensive network of hotel and rental car partners. I converted to hotel points early not because I did a bunch of math, but because I was already earning so many AA miles that I figured I might as well get an award room to go along with all of the award flights.
I'd say after 2000 or so, this all changed quite a bit. Marriott Rewards and Hilton HHonors started advertising quite a bit on their own and eventually everybody I knew converted over and became Platinum/Diamond/etc. like me.
The thing I didn't know was how far back Priority Club goes. I figured that was probably a newer one, given that IHG feels more like a loose collection of mostly lower-end brands with one luxury brand at the very top. (e.g., With the core business traveler brands being a big of a gap, except for the recent Kimpton addition.)
Apr 9, 2018, 9:24 am
#67
Join Date: Mar 2012
Location: Near ATL AVL GSP
Programs: DLDime & MM - Marriott LifePlat - Hertz Prez - Hyatt Dissapointedist
Posts: 224
Thanks OP for the heads up. Hope OP will post this over "there."
Apr 10, 2018, 1:44 pm
#68
FlyerTalk Evangelist
Join Date: Jan 2005
Location: home = LAX
Posts: 25,933
So I don't see why they'd need to drag that on for yet another 1.75 years.
At any rate, with an announcement of some sort coming in 6 days, I don't see the point of speculating further right now.
Apr 10, 2018, 1:48 pm
#69
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Join Date: Feb 2003
Location: Denver, CO, USA
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Posts: 26,686
Courtyard Club! Primarily recognition at check-in and upgrades to suites; also last to be walked if the hotel was sold out.
Apr 10, 2018, 1:53 pm
#70
Join Date: Mar 2010
Posts: 1,324
They already started taking intermediate steps last year and more this year so far, and it"s only just over !/4 of 2018 gone by so far. Some of the intermediate steps already taken include closer alignment of promos, closer alignment of BRG (LNF), and now a rumor of closer alignment of breakfast benefit for top tier elites. (This is not a complete list, this is just a few examples I can think of off the top of my head.)
So I don't see why they'd need to drag that on for yet another 1.75 years.
At any rate, with an announcement of some sort coming in 6 days, I don't see the point of speculating further right now.
So I don't see why they'd need to drag that on for yet another 1.75 years.
At any rate, with an announcement of some sort coming in 6 days, I don't see the point of speculating further right now.
Apr 12, 2018, 7:33 am
#71
Join Date: Mar 2007
Location: SJC/SFO
Programs: WN A+ CP, UA 1MM/*A Gold, Mar LT Tit, IHG Plat, HH Dia
Posts: 6,284
Apr 12, 2018, 10:58 am
#72
Moderator, Marriott Bonvoy & FlyerTalk Evangelist
Join Date: Oct 2002
Location: McKinney, TX, USA
Programs: United Silver; AA Plat/2MM; Marriott LT Titanium; Hilton Gold
Posts: 11,727
Close. There was only one elite level, Gold. Though if someone stay a lot of nights, Marriott (and the CY owner) probably made lots of green. And I saw a bit of red when they combined all their programs into Marriott Rewards as I had lifetime Gold status and lost all that along with all the night/free award history.