Official announcement – See how our three loyalty programs will become one in August
 

It's nice that Lifetime Gold become Lifetime Platinum in the new program, while Lifetime Platinum become Lifetime Platinum Premier. Fair!
And SPG Lifetime Gold becomes Lifetime Gold (matching their lower Gold requirements) and SPG Lifetime Platinum becomes Lifetime Platinum -- which again is fair since they generally stayed as many nights as a Marriott Lifetime Gold member.
But they fact that they have two tiers starting with Platinum.. come on.. that's a tongue twister.

And I quote:

1. COMBINE ACCOUNTS INTO ONE:

• If you have accounts with Marriott Rewards and SPG, in August you’ll want to combine them (even if you’ve already linked them).
• Combining accounts will create a single account and profile; and it will combine your points and Elite-night balances — so all your points and nights will work harder for you.
• Make sure we have your current email address so we can notify you when it’s time to take this action.

2. NEW ELITE STATUS LEVELS AND BENEFITS:

• In August, we’ll launch new Elite status levels and new benefits, including Annual Choice Benefits, Suite Night Awards, Your24TM and more. Click here to learn more.
• Existing Elite members will continue to be Elite and will receive a new, but similar, tier level in August. See chart below.
• Don’t forget — when you combine accounts, you could also achieve a higher Elite tier — based on combined Rewards and SPG nights stayed at any of our 29 brands, starting from January 1, 2018.
• If you’ve previously achieved Lifetime Elite status in Rewards or SPG, you will have that Lifetime Elite status in the new program. In addition, when you combine Rewards and SPG accounts, we will combine your lifetime activity across both toward Lifetime Elite status in the new combined program.
• And, if you’ve achieve Elite status in both Rewards and SPG in a single year, it will count as two years toward Lifetime status.

Rewards Elite Tier Today
Elite Tier in August
Silver Elite with 10-24 nights [BECOMES] Silver Elite
Silver Elite with 25-49 nights [BECOMES] Gold Elite
Gold Elite [BECOMES] Platinum Elite
Platinum Elite [BECOMES] Platinum Premier Elite
Platinum Elite with 100 nights and $20k in qualifying spend [BECOMES] Platinum Premier Elite with ambassador

HERE’S HOW LIFETIME TIERS WILL CHANGE IN AUGUST.
Lifetime Silver Elite [BECOMES] Lifetime Silver Elite
Lifetime Gold Elite [BECOMES] Lifetime Platinum Elite
Lifetime Platinum Elite [BECOMES] Grandfathered into Lifetime Platinum Premier Elite

3. NEW EARNING OPPORTUNITIES:

• In August, you’ll be able to earn points across all brands on room rate and other incidentals that can be charged to your room, such as spa and dining. Previously, only select Rewards brands offered point earning on incidentals.
• Also starting in August, all your stays across all 29 brands (including the addition of our SPG brands, such as St. Regis®, The Luxury Collection® and W® hotels) will earn points and Elite nights with your single account.

4. NEW REDEMPTION OPPORTUNITIES:
Free Nights:

• Our new unified Award Chart will offer you more than 6,500 hotels across all 29 participating brands — all with no blackout dates. Redeem for overwater bungalows, former palaces and so much more.
• In August, standard redemption rates for hotel Categories 1-7 will go live. Peak, off-peak and Category 8 redemption rates will be introduced in early 2019.

Airline Miles:

• You’ll be able to transfer points to more than 40 airlines, including new options, such as Virgin Australia, Aegean Airlines and Air New Zealand. The new ratio will be 3 points for one mile.
• Plus, starting in August, we’ll add 15,000 points for every 60,000 points you transfer to airline miles, providing you with a total of 25,000 miles in the airline program of your choice.

5. CREDIT CARD EARNING AND BENEFITS:

• More points, more possibilities and more of what you love with the new Marriott Rewards® Premier Plus Credit Card launching May 3.
• See more details along with existing cards’ benefits.

Get the latest updates on:
The Marriott Rewards Credit Card (U.S.) >
The Marriott Rewards Credit Card (U.K.) >

Thank you for posting the link. My question is answered; Marriott LTPs will be treated as PP, not P in the new program, which means the breakfast and lounge benefits stay!

Official announcement – See how our three loyalty programs will become one in August
 

So is this saying I can't qualify for 2019 status based on SPG stays?

BENEFITS
https://members.marriott.com/benefits/

Silver
10% bonus

Gold
25% bonus
2 pm late checkout
welcome amenity choice: Points (250 or 500), varies by brand
enhanced room upgrade (based on availability)
complimentary enhanced internet

Platinum-elite
50% bonus
2 pm late checkout
welcome amenity choice: Points (500 or 1000), Breakfast Offering or Amenity, varies by brand
enhanced room upgrade, including select suites (based on availability)
lounge access (with Breakfast at JW Marriott, Marriott Hotels, Delta Hotels by Marriott, Autograph Collection Hotels, Renaissance Hotels, Sheraton, Westin, Le Meridien); Excludes Resorts.
annual award choice: 5 suite nights or gift option (50 nights required)
complimentary enhanced internet

Platinum-premier
75% bonus
4pm late checkout
welcome amenity choice: Points (500 or 1000), Breakfast Offering or Amenity, varies by brand
enhanced room upgrade, including select suites (based on availability)
lounge access (with Breakfast at JW Marriott, Marriott Hotels, Delta Hotels by Marriott, Autograph Collection Hotels, Renaissance Hotels, Sheraton, Westin, Le Meridien); Excludes Resorts.
additional annual award choice: 5 suite nights or gift option (75 nights required)
complimentary enhanced internet
48-hour guarantee

Platinum-premier ambassador
75% bonus
4 pm late checkout
welcome amenity choice: Points (500 or 1000), Breakfast Offering or Amenity, varies by brand
enhanced room upgrade, including select suites (based on availability)
lounge access (with Breakfast at JW Marriott, Marriott Hotels, Delta Hotels by Marriott, Autograph Collection Hotels, Renaissance Hotels, Sheraton, Westin, Le Meridien); Excludes Resorts.
​​​​​​​complimentary enhanced internet
48-hour guarantee
ambassador service
Your24

I don't think it says that anywhere at all.

Important information for lifetime members
 

Lifetime silver, gold, and platinum now require 5, 7, and 10 years of elite status. :-(

I'll be LTP next month, I assume that will grandfather me into the new LTPP in August. Is that correct?

I'm getting way too hung up on the 'LTP TODAY' part.

Any thoughts for folks who will be qualifying for a new level between now and August?

I see no lounge access at resorts, but it does list a breakfast offer as a possible welcome amenity (says varies by brand)...I wonder if this option will be included for resorts, St. Regis, and Ritz properties.

Are we losing the fifth night free on a points redemption? I do not see it listed with the new points requirements like it used to be,

It appears whatever your status is in August determines how you will be treated, which should not depend on whether you earned the status in 1995 or in May,

I'm also wondering if one re-qualifies for platinum with 25 SPG stays before august, would the renewed status carry over in 2019 or they will only evaluate it based on total nights on Dec 31th?

OK, this is NOT saying I CAN qualify for 2019 status based on SPG stays.

Unless I get them in by august 1st, I guess.

https://members.marriott.com/redeem/ for the new rates. Very unclear what hotels will be in what category.

I didn't see the years of elite status specified for the new LT levels. Where are the actual requirements to attain them? Total points/spend/years elite?

No mention of United status.

The full terms and conditions aren't published, but it would appear breakfast is now a choice much like SPG. It's disappointing that lounges at resorts are included. It's also disappointing but expected that lounges at Ritz-Carlton aren't included.

I think what's surprising is (1) they didn't pick better names for platinum elite, platinum premier and platinum premier with ambassador and (2) didn't include a special guaranteed benefit for ambassador above ambassador service. Even the suite upgrade guarantee isn't any different. There isn't much of a reason to get ambassador.

SPG members page on the site says "Crossover RewardsTM with Delta SkyMiles will continue through July 15, 2018, with all current benefits being honored through that date. We expect to have more to share on this program before July 15."

If I had to hazard a guess, I'm guessing Marriott is probably trying to court both United and Delta on this front and we'll see one of them win out.

Your24 (where you can pick the 24 hour period you want for check-in/check-out, like 9PM check-in one day and 9PM check-out the next) is now an Ambassador exclusive benefit not available to any lower tier in the new program.

Marriott's executive just said, on average, folks will get 20% more points, but of course points will be devalued (he didn't say that). He kept calling them "richer point earnings."

What he also didn't say that dynamic pricing is coming for anything above category-7.

OK, but how many people actually use it? That's the Q.

I'd rather have Ritz-Carlton lounge access or a guaranteed suite than having access to my room for a couple hours past the 4 pm late checkout.

Surely time to ditch the except for resorts caveat? It is most annoying.

Nights and years. Hopefully this link will work for you; bottom of page: https://members.marriott.com/benefits/

While there are some losers, there are certainly more gains from this. Still analyzing it but this looks pretty reasonable.

Certainly those who were crying about the sky falling have been proven wrong. FTers should not promote panic :)

Main thread here https://www.flyertalk.com/forum/marr...m-updated.html

THE GOOD:
- Existing Lifetime status members seem to come out okay. New LT Plat = Today's LT Gold, for the most part.
- "Main" brands like Courtyard and AC will now recognize elite status.
- Category system is still in place. They didn't go Hilton and go dynamic pricing from top to bottom. Although if it's dynamic above Cat 7, that's a bummer because that's where the most aspirational properties will be. (I guess I'm just happy they didn't turn the whole thing into a rebate program.)
- Incidentals count everywhere.

THE BAD:
- I sense a pretty big devaluation coming. Peak and non-peak always scare me, because "peak" ends up being like 8 months out of the year.
- Looks like Ritz is still OUT as far as elite benefits, as are Edition and Design.
- Can't tell if resorts are in or out?

THE UGLY:
- Travel Packages are dead. :(

What's the latest date we can redeem an existing TP? August sometime?

A big doubt: I will finish my Marriott RW Platinum Challenge in mid May 2018, reaching Platinum till 2020.
Will they honour the challenge already confirmed?
​​​​​​

Update from Lucky's blog:

"Breakfast is being expanded to Courtyards and to resorts, and the only brands that won’t offer free breakfast are EDITION, Gaylord, Ritz-Carlton, Marriott Executive Apartments, and Marriott Vacation Club."

Great that they will keep breakfast at the St. Regis, but it seems odd to not also offer it at the Ritz.

And for existing Platinum premier
 

No mention of new elite Status for existing MR PP.

The ‘What’s new’ for Marriott mentions an existing status ‘Platinum with 100 nights and $20K spend’ but doesn’t mention PP !!!!

My questions:

- What is the last date on which to redeem an award under today's rules? (Specifically, a Category 5 Travel Package.)
- What happens to certificates sitting in our account, unattached to a hotel stay, that have an existing Marriott Category on them? Examples include the annual CC certs, Megabonus certs, and unused Travel Package certs. If these certs have an expiration date beyond August, what categories can they be redeemed for?
- When we pull the trigger on our final Travel Package, will we be able to extend it an extra year in 2019, redeeming it in 2020? Or is that option dead as the TP's are retired for good? :(

OneMileAtATime says travel packages are staying around but may change in points required. Where are you hearing they are dead?

They're going with 8 Categories. Cat 8 will be priced the same way as 1-7; high season (higher points required) and low season (less points required).

High and low season is a better way to do it rather than the same number of points year round. It now better matches demand.

Peak/off-peak pricing was Hilton's first step before implementing the dynamic pricing process currently in place. I'd say it's not if, but when is it coming...

looks like off peak travelers win starting in 2019

Replying to my comment.. but this is encouraging

https://viewfromthewing.boardingarea...ogram-end-spg/

"This new program is more generous than the current Marriott program, and I’m told that “anyone who has achieved the thresholds on August will automatically be upgraded to Lifetime Elite status.”"

I believe that you can. From the website: So you can qualify based on 25 stays (all must be SPG) or 50 nights across the programs.

I searched for them, but could not find them. I saw the Starwood-style airline conversions only.

From that, I inferred that the TPs disappear August 1st. I would be happy to be wrong.

Yes - very happy about this news!