sdsearch

You don't see your lifetime status in the normal status place, unless your lifetime status is higher than your annual status.

You have to go to the place where your lifetime nights are shown (or to the place on the "old website" where both lifetime nights and lifetime points are shown) to see your lifetime status. That's what should update after you cross a lifetime nights + points boundary.

MSPeconomist

I just looked now and my lifetime status is blank, with the line below on lifetime nights being well into four figures and at least approximately accurate.

DELee

Almost....Oh so close....


David

sdsearch

Did you try the "old website"? There's a direct link somewhere in this forum, but the way I get there is:

Log in to the regular Marriott site.

Go to Overview. Under Nights on the right click Details. In the popup window, click Learn More.

You are then thrown to the old site, where you have to log in again.

There, select Marriott Rewards Overview, and select Nights, and you get the old-style Annual + Lifetime status summary popup, and that's much more complete (for example, it lists lifetime points, which the "new" Marriott website stopped doing a month or two ago).

DELee

For right now: Best way to see your Lifetime points and nights

David

DELee

Made it! Night #816 - Marriott Baltimore Waterfront - and the points that went with it...



David

getagb

Typhoonpilot

I have read this whole thread. Just want to check my understanding is correct before planning a strategy for the remainder of the year. I currently sit at 638 Marriott nights with just over 1 million lifetime points. I also have 60 lifetime SPG nights and an unknown lifetime points total, but probably in the 100,000+ range.

My goal is to hit the current Marriott Lifetime Gold by the end of the year. Since this will map to the new Lifetime Platinum, and since getting close to 1 million more points in 6 months is near impossible I think that Gold is the best I can do.

Here is a strategy:

1) Sign up for the Marriott business Visa for 75,000 points (I already have the personal one). Also not guaranteed an approval, I am well over 5/24 and currently hold the Chase Ink Business+ (9-15). Getting a second business card is known to be tricky.

2) Normal Marriott stays for remainder of the year, could be between 100,000 and 200,000 points.

3) Place all spend on new Marriott business Visa and old personal one for the rest of the year. Possibly net another 100,000 points this way.

4) Transfer United Miles to Marriott, maximum allowed is 50,000. This has an opportunity cost.

5) Wait to see if SPG lifetime points get counted towards Marriott lifetime points after August 1. If they do that could be another 300,000+ points.

6) Transfer Chase Ultimate Rewards points to Marriott. Again, an opportunity cost because the value of this transfer is low compared to airline transfers and cash value. I have over 450,000 Chase UR.

7) Purchase 50,000 Marriott points. Cost is $625.00

Thoughts?

stc

My thoughts? You read the entire thing? You have a better stomach than I do.

More seriously ...

Various sources have said #5 will not happen. SPG does not keep track of lifetime points.

If I were you, I would do 1-4 and 7 and then see how close I was in December and then, if necessary, as much of 6 as was necessary.

uibd

There is another way. Maybe not the best way for all. Here it goes. Marriott doesn't deduct lifetime points earned when you transfer points into Starwood points. Say you are 200k points short of 2M but have more than 200k points in your account. Transfer 201k points to SPG points, (becomes 67k starwood points). Transfer those points to your spouse's starwood account. Transfer the spouse's starwood balance to their marriott account. Now your spouse has the 201k points you want. Use all your Marriott points on fake future bookings leaving you with no points. Book another room stay that needs 201k points. Call marriott and have them pull your spouse's points into your account to pay for that booking. It works. Just maybe a bit dangerous.

sdsearch

#5 won't work. SPG officially doesn't have lifetime points, so they won't transfer. At most current SPG points will transfer, but so far they haven't counted toward Marriott lifetime points and it's not likely that will change after August.

But you left out #8 . Is it because you have no Amex Membership Rewards points? #8 is see if after August Amex starts transfers to the new program that do add to Marriott lifetime points. That's unknown, because currently Amex only transfers to Starwood, which doesn't help, and Amex haven't yet announced anything other than Starwood points upcoming renaming "from Starpoints to points" and those points' upcoming 1:3 re-calibration, and Marriott hasn't yet explained which incoming points will and won't count toward Marriott legacy lifetime points increases after August 1, especially if you merge Marriott and Starwood accounts.

Typhoonpilot

Okay, number 8 will be added thank you.

Yes, things will become more clear post August 1 when we see what happens to any SPG points.

My other tactic is to write Marriott to ask them to extend the qualification period. I have been discussing this with many people in a similar situation. Under the old program I would have made LP within 3 years at my current earning and stay rate. With this change that would extend to 6-7 more years. Doesn't seem fair at all to change the rules of the game midstream. I have seriously considered binning the whole idea and becoming a loyal Hilton customer. Given that they now have rollover nights and a pretty easy 30 stay/60 night qualification for Diamond, it is another viable option.

I don't think it's unreasonable that Marriott give a total grandfather clause to any current Marriott members or at least give us until the end of 2019/2020 to meet the old criteria. Maybe if they get enough complaints change could happen.

goodeats21

Well, made mine way before the deadline. Not sure what to race for now...LOL

Need

Just saw this thread and curious what I have for Lifetime on my account.

Lifetime Status
Nights 16
Points 520,751

I guess I will never make LT Anything LOL.

pinniped

I can confirm that this works, at least one time for a legit booking and a legit wife. I did one in May and completed the award stay in June.

I get the sense that it's a one-time-per-year thing (being able to exceed the 50,000 point limit to redeem an award), and I don't know how Marriott would react to fake bookings, redeposits, etc.

Note that the spouse must make the call to redeem the award. That means he/she needs all of your contact information, the contact information on his/her own account (including the email address) your frequent-flier number, the existing hotel reservation number to which the certificate will be attached, your MR number, etc. Even with an entire script written out it's a 20-minute phone call plus the hold time.

Don't forget the wait times on the Starwood side. The account must be open 30 days to initiate a transfer, and then it takes about a week to go SPG-to-SPG. If someone is just starting this from scratch right now, you're too late to hit Aug 1.