Thunderroad

So I've searched some but by no means all of this useful thread, and have a few questions. Right now I'm SPG Platinum and, by virtue of linking accounts, also a Marriott Platinum. To date, I have about 38 total nights accrued in my combined accounts, but will go over 50 in November. I intend to combine the accounts after Aug. 1. Do I have the following right?

1. Come August 31, I will become a Platinum Elite through Feb. 28, 2019.
2. As of March 1, 2019, I will be Platinum.
3. As a Platinum Elite come Aug. 1, I will be eligible for but not guaranteed a 4 pm check-out.
4. As a Platinum next year, I will be eligible for but not guaranteed a 2 pm check-out.
5. Both as a Platinum Elite and then a Platinum, I get a free breakfast (including for my wife it she's with me).
6. The answers to #3 , 4 and 5 are the same, regardless of whether the property is currently an SPG or Marriott.

Sorry if some questions are pretty basic and can be found in the thread. I've done some searching, but am still a bit confused. Thanks for any clarifications!

bhrubin

Perhaps you're getting confused because of SPG not using "elite" and Marriott using "elite" in the status names. Otherwise, they're now equivalent.

Because you're currently SPG Platinum, you also are Platinum (elite) in Marriott too. When the New Loyalty Program begins in August, you still will be Platinum (elite) through Feb 2019.

Because you will reach 50 nights between SPG/Marriott in November, after the New Loyalty Program is in effect, you will qualify as Platinum (elite) again for 2019...which won't end until Feb 2020 (though we can't be sure of the end date until the new program terms are released next month).

As a Platinum (elite) in EITHER SPG, Marriott, OR the New Loyalty Program, you are guaranteed 4 pm late check out (except for convention and resort hotels).

As a Platinum (elite) in EITHER SPG OR the New Loyalty Program, you are guaranteed a breakfast benefit for up to 2 persons--though that confusingly varies in implementation based upon the brand at which you stay. Most of the "regular" brands include a breakfast benefit OR points choice at check in. Some of the cheaper brands provide a $10 credit towards breakfast. There is no breakfast benefit now or then for Ritz Carlton hotels.

As a Platinum (elite) in the New Loyalty Program, having reached 50 nights in Novermber 2018, you also will earn 5 Suite Night Awards which are valid through Dec 31, 2019.

Thunderroad

Great stuff, as usual, bhr. I was indeed confused. Thanks so much for the quick, very useful and extremely clear answers!

Da5id

I'm Marriott Gold due to credit card spend on the Marriott Visa. I believe I am Marriott Platinum due to this until Feb 2019 from the Twitter conversation I had with Marriott Rewards (posted below). What I am unclear about is if I make the spend limit for 2018 will I retain Platinum for 2019. I've seen about every situation addressed except this one and the answer they gave me was very ambiguous

Twitter conversation:

Q Hello, I have a question regarding current Marriott Golds. We are Marriott golds due to credit card spend from our Marriott Rewards Visa. The way I understand it, we will be Marriott Platinum elite on August 1. Will we be able to maintain the new Platinum for 2019 if. we meet the credit card spend threshold this year?

A. Elite status will remain the same as the current programs. Members that achieved Elite levels based on 2017 calendar year activity will continue to have an expiration date of February 2019. Members that achieve Elite levels based on their 2018 calendar year activity will be retain status through February of 2020.

RogerD408

Remember, they have said that you can earn status under the legacy rules through the end of 2018. That says that if you earn status during the year, it will be good through February 2020, in this case.

Da5id

Thank you.

Horace

Marriott has not said that members "can earn status under the legacy rules through the end of 2018."

Beginning in August, there will be new elite levels, new benefits, and new earning thresholds that "borrow" attributes from SPG and Rewards (such as elite levels at 50 nights and 75 nights), but do not represent "status under the legacy rules." Although the old brand names (SPG, Marriott Rewards, Ritz-Carlton Rewards) will continue until early 2019, there will be new rules.

There is one particular case where SPG legacy members and SPG legacy hotels are treated differently from their Rewards legacy counterparts through the end of 2018. According to https://members.marriott.com/spg/ -- "Starting January 1, 2019, Elite status will be achieved on nights and not on stays. Until then, SPG members can achieve status based on stays at SPG-associated brands only, but can also qualify based on nights at any of the 29 brands."

If there's someplace that Marriott has published that members "can earn status under the legacy rules through the end of 2018," I'd be interested in a link to it.

CJKatl

You are correct. Legacy program parameters will only be used to get credit needed to attain LT status, not current status, although it will mostly becomes a wash. In most cases if you would have qualified for a status based on the legacy parameters you will qualify for the similar status under the new program parameters, with the exception you noted on the stays versus nights SPG parameter.

This points to a bigger issue: For some reason, there is a canard out there that Marriott will be running all three programs through the end of the year and which program(s) you are in will depend on whether your accounts are merged. Unfortunately a few posters do not understand that come some day in Aug (subject to change) there will be a new program and the legacy programs will end. The misinformation has been corrected many times yet stuff like what you corrected gets posted again and again.

FlyerStef

I just realized that I'm going to be in a Marriott the entire week of August 1st. I'm such a dork to be kind of excited to see if anything or nothing changes from one day to the next.

CJKatl

I predict if you stand by the check-in desk you will see at least one person flip out exclaiming, "But I am Gold by virtue of a status match so I get CL access." I also predict the hotel will allow the access but it will still be entertaining to watch.

UA-NYC

To be technical, a second is that SPG members can earn Ambassador for next year w/o spending the $20K as long as they do 100 nights in Starwood hotels, which is different from how MR loyals will earn it

sdsearch

Except that Amex issues Starwood points (both on Starwood cards and in transfers from Membership Rewards), and Amex USA has said August 1, though I think Amex Canada may have said Aug 3. Amex has to know when it's happening, because it has to synchronize earnings changes on its Starwood cards at the same time, plus it has to transfer the right number of Membership Rewards points to the right number of some kind of points at Starwood no matter when you initiate the transfer and when the transfer is actually completed (or else temporarily suspend all such transfers if the date is unknown to Amex?).

Chase is relatively unaffected, because Marriott points are not being "recalibrated" the way Starwood points are.

Horace

Yes. Although Marriott has consistently published "August 2018" instead of a specific date, American Express specifies August 1, 2018, here: https://www.spgpromos.com/amexcomingsoon/

I'm sure Amex and SPG/Marriott have figured out how to handle data records properly during the transition, regardless of the date. Back in my IT days, any data record included a field that identified the data type. It takes very simple logic to perform a calculation on one data type but not another.

On Friday, July 20, I ordered a travel package from Marriott Rewards. At the end of the call, I asked the Marriott Rewards call center rep if they had been given an actual start date for the combined program, and if it can be shared with customers yet. To my surprise, the rep answered "August 8" -- without hesitation.

Maybe August 8 is correct. I wouldn't be surprised if reps have been told a day that they can't take off due to expected call volume.

Maybe August 8 is wrong. I haven't seen any other references to August 8.

One thing that supports the validity of August 8 is that is that American Express Card Services told me that the Starwood Preferred Guest American Express Luxury Card will be available August 9. It makes sense that bonus offers and upgrades for the new card will be based on the new points, not on the old value of Starpoints -- and waiting until the day after the new points kick in would make sense.

Take this "news" about August 8 with a grain of salt.

C17PSGR

I see a lot of discussion about the value in qualifying in both programs but am trying to understand if there is any value to me.

I already qualify for LTPP as I have been a Marriott PP for several years and am well over 2000 nights. I also have 85 actual nights for the year and will easily hit 125-150 actual nights.

However, I just realized I might be able to get 25 stays on the SPG side and qualify for plat based on that. Is there any advantage to doing so? Any extra SNA's, to the extent they are of any value?

RogerD408

IF you can get 50 SPG nights in to earn the 10 SNAs, that might make sense. There is an on-going debate if those with more than 75 nights at the merge will get the 5 SNAs vs those that CROSS 75 nights after the program merges. I expect MPG to be accommodating to those that request the 5 SNA for having more than 75 nights.