C17PSGR

Yes but ... after seeing a number of comments on here from SPG plats on how they qualified, its apparent to me that on a yearly basis, someone could qualify with as little as 17 actual nights if they booked three rooms per night under their name. Others qualified on 25 stays which could have been short. So 10 years as an SPG plat could have been less than 200 actual nights but would have credit for 500. In comparison, as a MR plat with a credit card, they needed 60 actual nights or 600 actual nights in 10 years. Yes, there has been rollover for some period but I only receive rollover for years where I stay more than 75 nights. It has never been a benefit to me but it could be to someone who has a short travel year because of an illness, loss of job etc. It's Marriott's way of protecting those people and, for example, Marriott retained my status over the years during various deployments that cut back my travel.

So, for my two cents, I think the method of handling this was very fair. I don't think, on the other hand, that its fare to take a LTP on the SPG side with a couple of hundred actual nights and give them the same status as someone who has been in the Marriott program since 87 and has 2500-2700 actual nights.

Safti

Apparently there will be a contest for loyalty members to rename the company sometime this year. New name in 2019.

sdix

I've grown to expect staff and management to be ignorant about what's going on. I'm planning an event in Vegas at Mandalay Bay. As of 2 weeks ago they had a huge Vegas Strong banner down the side of the building. I asked their sales manager how long it would be up to which his reply was "What banner?" To expect them to know about any program changes is really optimistic.

yurtripper

Kinda ridiculous that this SPG Gold thing is still up in the air. Personally, I don't buy the arguments that Marriott was just matching benefits in their properties for SPG Golds and that their real status was never akin to Marriott Gold Elite. If that's the case, then what if you took this so-called Faux Gold in MR via SPG and leveraged it to a successful MR Platinum challenge? Are you now a Faux Platinum (still recorded somewhere internally but never shown in the app or elsewhere)? Why offer you the status challenge if you were never actually a true Marriott Gold? Will you now be sent down to Gold Elite (instead of bumped up to Platinum Premier) in August because your pre-challenge status was never kosher Marriott Gold and is henceforth revoked? Could anyone honestly argue this sort of thing made sense while keeping a straight face?

I don't regard Flueck's comments as the final word. I honestly think they're making it up as they go along. I'd put far more store in what Raffles said today about the European and APAC VPs explicitly saying that SPG Golds (with linked accounts) would get Platinum. Raffles and Tom Otley put the European VP on the spot and he went to clarify it and came back with the confirmation, then the APAC VP chimed in to the same effect. Remember, this is the company that said 4pm checkout was subject to availability and then changed their tune within 24 hours (so there's hope for SPG LPTs yet).

The linking of accounts was a unique feature of the pre-merger program that was not akin to cross program status matching or provisional recognition of benefits. It compared status levels between the two programs and auto-promoted you to the higher level if there was a difference. Given the auto-promotion logic that has been in place, there's no undeniable reason why SPG Golds (who ARE Marriott Golds by virtue of account linking) will not be given Platinum in August.

bhrubin

The idea that SPG Golds somehow deserve Unified Marriott Platinum, by way of the SPG Gold = MR Gold gravy train of the past year, is patently offensive to me. I find the idea absolutely wreaking of (false) entitlement.

yurtripper

I won't say that your posts are prone to hyperbole, or written in a tone that's designed to generate more heat than light in a discussion, since others have frequently noted this already and saved me the bother.

Everyone will get what they deserve in 2019, sure enough, but if you're going to do something as audacious as launch a new program mid-year (with consequent mid-year status conversions), you should at least have worked out the implications of what that entails (and be able to offer basic answers to related questions within 72 hours of making it official).

deac83

Definitely a mixed situation the certs. If you have an AMB less need to use them. The facts, as I've been told by my AMB, is that the upgraded are automated in the system, but only for the specific type of suite designated for them. Supposedly it's out of the hotel's hands once you submit them, if the suite type is available at -5 days, the system will assign you, it's not someone at the hotel looking at a list and deciding. I've been told by my AMB that she can't do anything to help the SNA process because of this. But without them an AMB can work with the hotel for any suite they may be willing to ug you to.

As opposed to Marriott (at least when I was PP) you can get a confirmed UG before you leave on your trip and don't have to wonder or beg at the front desk. Used them in Paris and they cleared 5 days ahead so didn't have wonder or worry. I've used almost all of the one's I've gotten but at the same time since it's a choice between the SNA's and some other 'gifts' I usually wait until the end of the year to select them, unless I really need them earlier.

I'd say doling out 5 at a time is more irritating, if you've planned a week vacation but you are between 50 and 75 nights, you are more likely to not use them. Of course I have 10 in my account from last year that are good until 12/31 and will get another 10 at some point this year.

I Fly Delta Jets

Elegant reply

CJKatl

The program parameters are clear. The new written materials are clear. Obviously in an attempt to keep the news close to the vest it was not shared with employees outside of those within Marriott Rewards until the last minute. The confusion seems to be from a lack of communication to employees and not confusion from those running the program. Flueck's answer to the question was simple, clear, repeated and gave the specific example of a current SPG Gold with status match being Gold in the new scheme. As much as a few people with heads in the sand keep saying they believe a blogger who interpreted something a travel writer from some obscure publication heard from a marketing employee in Asia most people believe the head of the program who established the new rules. And his answer makes sense. If all SPG Golds were going to be Plat because of a status match the SPG flier would have shown Golds were going to be Plat instead of showing Gold to Gold but allowing some complicated hokey-pokey for which all members would qualify. Why would there have even been an SPG flier if a Marriott status match would be count?

BTW, if the Asian Marketing person or a blogger had a question about the new program, don't you think they would ask Flueck and go with his answer? He is the ultimate SME on this so why would anyone think he is wrong and the blogger or remote employee or travel report is right and he is wrong? If he answered the question incorrectly it would have been edited, corrected or not released. While it might not be the answer one wants to hear, there is no confusion. Gold to Gold without status match counting is the answer.

estnet

Is there any announcement about whether the combined program will keep Marriott or spg rules? Marriott generally only allows federal gov (US) while SPG tends to allow state gov.

CPRich

I don't know how effective it will be, but likely more than posting here - I'm trying to move questions over to where actual Marriott representatives have committed to try to answer

https://insiders.marriottrewards.com/docs/DOC-15973

s0479

Troopers

Just a thought about SPG Gold mapping to the new Platinum uncertainty...

Couldn't someone unlink the two accounts:

https://members.marriott.com/terms-conditions/

Thus, Marriott status would revert to the lower Marriott status. And then request a Gold challenge (must be Silver), meet 6 stays before August, thus obtaining MR Gold which then maps to new MR Platinum.

Flapster

Thanks for teaching me to read the thread properly

Appreciated!

I'm currently at 1.1million points, and 450 nights, so don't think I can make gold status, 500k points is .too much for me before year end.

lexdevil

I may have missed it in the mountain of posts and the announcement from Marriott, but does anyone know how many rooms we'll get credit for (for earning points and for elite night credit) in the new program?

As someone who almost never books fewer than three rooms, this is of crucial import to me. I'm guessing that they continue with points earning for up to three rooms, but I don't know for certain. I have no idea if they're only giving 1 night credit (like Marriott) or multiple nights credit (like Starwood) for multiple rooms. If I can only earn points on a single room, that will be a massive downgrade for me. If I will be credited for more than one night toward elite status, that's probably an upgrade (though I am likely to hit 100 nights without being credited for more than one room).