TrojanHorse

48 Hour availability is useless to me

In decades of traveling, I've never been able to get that benefit to work at any chain. It's always a "special event" so in my experience, this is useless; factor in the times that I actually need this benefit are so far and few between, its a who cares benefit anyway

25% bonus is always nice but not enough to make me stay somewhere. it's the frosting on the cake.

The only reason I want LTPP [over LTP] is the chance at better rooms. That and if they ever dilute the LTP benefit - specifically lounge access, hoepfully LTPP will still keep lounge access.

that said and done, I guess i will find out in August if I'm LTP or LTPP - nothing a phone call or two won't fix I guess

Retired FF

As of this moment, I have <2M MR points there fore I am not LTP [current]/LTPP[post August]. I do have >750 nights in MR alone and >10 Years at Plat Elite status in MR alone. However that gets me MR LT Gold [current program] yet the new criteria will allow me to become MR LTPP [new combined program].

I am in a similar situation except that I have 8 years as Marriott earned Plat (should be 9 by the end of the year) and 3 as SPG earned Plat along with over 750 Marriott nights. The SPG thread seems to have lots more coverage that my situation would earn me LTPP by Jan 1, 2019. Marriott forum does not seem to have as much mention of such cases. Am I missing anything? Any circumstance under which I will not be LTPP on Jan 1, 2019. I am not concerned about waiting until Jan 1 vs. getting it in August.

RogerD408

Just like with all status tiers, the benefits kick in AFTER the threshold event has posted to your account. Given that event, in your case, won't be until sometime in Jan '19, that's when you will be bestowed LTPP and benefits begin. I would not expect them to backdate it to August.

CJKatl

I use it about twice a year and only once had an issue. Sometimes it is extremely expensive, like $999 for a night at the East Side Marriott in NY for 11/10, but often the only reason I knew was the website used to clearly say there was only Plat availability.

The only time I had a problem was a last minute PIT Ren reservation. I was speaking for a group but was a last minute substitute and was too late to get in on their block. I called Marriott and had to push to get the reservation. There was no official blackout so I asked to speak with a manager who told the phone agent she was wrong and should make the reservation. The phone agent put in some nasty messages and said no matter what the rate should not be lowered. When I checked in it turned out the hotel was not full. The front desk agent told me about the notes and lowered by rate despite what the agent said. And gave me an UG to a two room suite to boot.

CJKatl

While you are likely correct, I would have no problem calling Marriott after Jan pointing to all my stays and arguing that but for Marriott IT's inability to update to the correct status, thus having to wait to Jan, you would have had the extra 25% bonus. IME they may give it as an extra "customer relations" adjustment. It is not like you could lose anything, so why not ask?
,
I know the big concern is UGs but I do not see the benefit in Marriott giving UG priority to a level of mostly former travelers, especially when it will no longer be the status given to new top tier LTers. UG priority was never given to MR PPs, nothing was, and the fear that will change seems unfounded, as does the fear that once the status is closed Marriott is going to shower all sorts of magnificent benefits on those who made the cut. IMO creating LTPP allowed Marriott to let present MR LTPs feel like they were not being collapsed into LTG by giving us a meaningless title. It is like instead of being Grand Poobahs we are Supreme Grand Poobahs but with no real differences between the levels but for the name.

Marriott will want to encourage present Ps to become LTPs. They cannot do that by giving additional benefits to a closed level those people can never achieve. They will want to show presently active members that achieving LTP will put them at the top of the heap, not always at second best.

TrojanHorse

I also have 9 YRs Plat at SPG along with a boatload of nights. So using this current formula for granting LTPP I feel pretty confident. What I'm trying to do is squeeze 5 extra months [Aug - Dec 2018] as a LTPP as opposed to the LTP I will be during this same window [since I'm LTG in the current MR system].

As far as what I want out of these tiers

1. Lounge access [check under both LTP & LTPP]
2. Room upgrades [I presume it is better as a LTPP vs LTP]
3. bonus points [bonus pts are nice but I don't really make many decisions based on bonus points]
4. Future dilution - the higher up the food chain, the better I weather future dilutions of benefits

RogerD408

One theme I see throughout these posts is the apparent fear that all brands will start acting as Marriott brands. I have been top tier in four different programs on one point. The treatment at SPGs always exceeded what I saw at the other three, especially MR. I know there is effort being put forth to align the brands, but I suspect/hope some of the service delivery remains with legacy SPG brands. I'm just happy my massive travel days are behind me.

crazyhorse

Yesterday's email stated that if you achieve 750 nights and 2 Million points by 12/31/2018, you would be grandfathered into LTPP. My wife is at around 470 nights and 1.55 Million and on track to achieve the 500 nights and 1.6 Million milestone by 12/31/2018 (but not by 8/1/2018) which would have given her LT Gold in the current program (and which will maps to the LT Platinum level in the new program). However yesterday's email did not talk about the lower down levels, just Platinum.

Can I safely assume that all the current LT levels are available to be achieved by 12/31 and not just the current LT Plat level. The email yesterday wasnt clear.

orca15

Sorry if this has been asked and answered...LARGE thread I didn't get this email...

This is the first place I've read a clear answer to my question so want to double check. Right now, if I don't do anything unusual, I will have 740 nights and 2M+ points on Aug 1. I will have 750 by the end of the year, but NOT 10 Platinum years.

Depending on how you read the many fuzzy statements, I either have until Aug 1 or Dec 31 to get to 750/2M and make the OLD MR LTP and then get LTPP. Which is it? Can't make the 10 years -- but could make the 750 nights by August if I stretched it. If the email is indeed clear on this point, please PM me a copy! If you have a link with a clear answer, that would help too! Again SORRY if I am catching up...

PS I have 35 SPG nights if that matters.

CJKatl

You will be LTPP.

The members.Marriott site states:
Suppose there was no merger and you were a member of MR. By the end of the year you would be LTP under the rules, which are the old existing rules. Under the old MR rules, years at status do not matter so as long as you qualify with only Marriott issued nights and Marriott issued points. You are good. It is only if you need the SPG nights to be considered that the years at status would matter.

orca15

Thanks, CJ, and I read that, but the cynic would say that this only means I can make LTP by Dec. Nowhere have I seen that LTP will grandfather to LTPP after August, which is the key point. So we need two facts...I can make OLD LTP by Dec (proven) and OLD LTP->LTPP between August and Dec, not just Aug 1.

Love it if you're right, but cynical...

CJKatl

You have until the end of this calendar year.

Here is the official vetted answer from the company via the Starwood Lurker from the official Wiki on the SPG board:

GoPhils

But if you're currently LT Gold, then you will become LT Plat in the new program in August. So you'll essentially have the same status as you have now. Do you not have "incentive" to stay at MR properties now?

orca15

Again, CJ, I appreciate your help, but I'm still stuck on this.

I saw the Lurker's response as well, but it literally just says the first half of the answer- that you have until Dec 31 to complete the old LTP.



Still doesn't say that that will transfer over to LTPP after August. You could ASSUME this based on the fact that this was the question asked, but IMO the Lurker didn't respond to the question.

getagb