WSJ Middle Seat column today [MPG "Loyalty Program Turbulence"]
Nov 29, 2018, 4:23 am
#16
FlyerTalk Evangelist
Join Date: Jun 2001
Programs: DL 1 million, AA 1 mil, HH lapsed Diamond, Marriott Plat
Posts: 28,190
Undermined because why should Marriott change anything if people are lifetime committed no matter what Marriott does? It's just another moan that is easily ignored. To have an impact, the guy would have to say "Despite 3,000 nights I'm never coming back because it's gotten so bad..."
Nov 29, 2018, 5:00 am
#17
Join Date: Sep 2013
Location: CHS
Programs: UA GS, Bonvoy Amabassador, Hertz PC
Posts: 2,589
Anyone who thought this was going to go smooth and not take 6-9 months to work out is crazy......that said...
I will stay with Marriott for the same reason I stay with UA
For work, I need transportation and a bed and I am good (I know others need more, but for me, I don't)
When I take my family, they treat me awesome, suite nights, GPU's, star alliance flights etc. It all adds up just the same.
I can stay at Residence inn and vacation at St Regis on points, just like I can fly UA and then vacation on EVA or Lufthansa
Hilton and IHG just can't touch that
I will stay with Marriott for the same reason I stay with UA
For work, I need transportation and a bed and I am good (I know others need more, but for me, I don't)
When I take my family, they treat me awesome, suite nights, GPU's, star alliance flights etc. It all adds up just the same.
I can stay at Residence inn and vacation at St Regis on points, just like I can fly UA and then vacation on EVA or Lufthansa
Hilton and IHG just can't touch that
Nov 29, 2018, 7:24 am
#18
FlyerTalk Evangelist
Join Date: Aug 2011
Location: Barcelona, London, on a plane
Programs: BA Silver, TK E+, AA PP, Hyatt Globalist, Marriott LT Plat, Hilton Diamond
Posts: 13,031
I won't say that everybody has had a bad experience but I do dare to say that everybody WOULD have had a bad experience if they'd had reason to look into the details.
Nov 29, 2018, 7:43 am
#19
Join Date: Oct 2009
Location: ATL
Programs: DL PM 2 Mil Miler, HZ PC, Marriott LT TI, AMB, Hilton Diamond
Posts: 552
I talked to Scott about the article and was quoted in it. In the almost two weeks since I have talked to him things with my account have gotten much better. Of course nothing from anybody at Marriott with as much as a sorry or thanks for sticking with us we're trying.
Nov 29, 2018, 8:16 am
#20
Join Date: Jun 2016
Programs: Marriott Titanium, Hilton Diamond, Hyatt Explorist, Marco Polo Gold
Posts: 1,084
I guess I"m the few lucky one that has everything transferred fine? I did had a problem with a recent multi-room booking, but that was taken care of with two phone calls. I must say my experiences so far has been great. The only noticeable difference is no more suite upgrades. In the past as SPG Plat I can count on hotels giving me suite upgrades 90% of the time. Ever since the merger that dropped to 0%. All the same reason (excuses?) - sorry all our suites are full, oh I see starting tomorrow there will be one suite open, we will move you to a suite tomorrow (some simply say all booked). This has happened in the last 20+ stays after the merger. So either I'm that unlucky or....
Nov 29, 2018, 7:13 pm
#21
Join Date: Feb 2005
Location: PHL
Programs: AA EXP MM, HHonors Lifetime Diamond, Marriott Lifetime Ti, UA Silver
Posts: 5,035
Originally Posted by WSJ
Two years into the megamerger of Marriott and Starwood, the world's largest hotel company still has serious kinks to work out, leaving many frequent travelers furious and frustrated.
Travelers say stays at hotels haven't been recorded in their loyalty accounts. Crucial data about qualifying for elite levels disappeared. And customer service has been unhelpful. Check your account closely - you may be missing credits and not know it.
Travelers say stays at hotels haven't been recorded in their loyalty accounts. Crucial data about qualifying for elite levels disappeared. And customer service has been unhelpful. Check your account closely - you may be missing credits and not know it.
Originally Posted by WSJ
Marriott says the computer problems revolved around four main areas: accurately showing elite status, redeeming suite upgrade awards, getting points restored when award reservations were cancelled and missing credit for stays.
For some, Marriott's lack of communication has been the most frustrating thing. While hotels are often quick to throw extra points at loyal customers and offer apologies for leaky faucets or noisy remodeling work, Marriott hasn't always acknowledged problems or offered compensation for time and troubles, they say.
For some, Marriott's lack of communication has been the most frustrating thing. While hotels are often quick to throw extra points at loyal customers and offer apologies for leaky faucets or noisy remodeling work, Marriott hasn't always acknowledged problems or offered compensation for time and troubles, they say.
Originally Posted by WSJ
Marriott says it added staff to call centers and wait times have returned to pre-Aug. 18 levels. The company says it has also added staff to resolve the backlog of requests for stay credits. Members are asked to send receipts back to the company because not all hotels have converted to Marriott property-management systems, the company says.
Nov 29, 2018, 8:00 pm
#22
A FlyerTalk Posting Legend
Join Date: Aug 2002
Programs: UALifetimePremierGold, Marriott LifetimeTitanium
Posts: 71,096
I saw the article this morning but have been checking this forum to see if there's any discussion. Just curious why people on this board are not interested. Some have been complaining about the lack of media coverage of Marriott's IT merge fiasco. Now it's in the Wall Street Journal.
Thanks for the summary/quotes.
Cheers.
Nov 29, 2018, 9:25 pm
#23
Join Date: Dec 2012
Location: KANSAS CITY
Programs: DL DM, MARRIOTT AMBASSADOR LIFETIME TITANIUM
Posts: 453
I read the WSJ article. Great article. Marriott is a public company. If 5 to 10% of us go to another hotel chain due to awful customer service and lack of concern, the stock would go down and someone would be in trouble! I am so tired of having to e-mail receipts. Still have some 20 days from stay that have not posted. Marriott does not care. I stay in NYC frequently. Am looking for other alternatives starting in January. Unless things change, it is not worth the hassle. I dive in their stock valuation will have someone apologizing!
Nov 29, 2018, 9:47 pm
#24
Join Date: May 2016
Location: ATL
Programs: DL GM, Marriott Titanium
Posts: 1,240
Originally Posted by WSJ
Marriott says it added staff to call centers and wait times have returned to pre-Aug. 18 levels.
I will say that I've also been pretty personally lucky in that my status, lifetime nights, and points all merged fine, and I've actually gotten more upgrades after 8/18 than I'd gotten this year before 8/18 (at legacy MR properties). I do recognize that for a lot of folks though the merging of accounts had errors and that service recovery hasn't been super great.
Nov 29, 2018, 10:01 pm
#25
A FlyerTalk Posting Legend
Join Date: Apr 2013
Location: PHX
Programs: AS 75K; UA 1MM; Hyatt Globalist; Marriott LTP; Hilton Diamond (Aspire)
Posts: 56,416
I've also been treated well (for the most part) on property. Primarily SPG properties these days.
Nov 29, 2018, 10:41 pm
#26
Join Date: Jun 2000
Location: toronto
Posts: 914
Ah, this article got published. The author/paper send me a couple IM’s on this site asking to speak about my issues with the merger.
Guess he saw one of my posts in that mega thread on points not posting on time since the merger. Interesting our discussions on this board is basis for research.
Guess he saw one of my posts in that mega thread on points not posting on time since the merger. Interesting our discussions on this board is basis for research.
Nov 30, 2018, 2:35 am
#27
Join Date: Jun 2012
Location: CLT
Programs: Marriott Plat, AA Gold
Posts: 1,076
The link from twitter worked for me, but maybe I just haven’t used up my free articles. Good to get some coverage, but it wasn’t really an in depth piece. It seemed to be mostly focused on IT issues and not so much some of the other inconsistencies that have been discussed on FT.
It did also call out how their Q3 revenue was down, as well as that they had strikes at some properties.
Nov 30, 2018, 11:45 am
#28
Join Date: Apr 2003
Location: SLC/HEL/Anywhere with a Beach
Programs: Marriott Ambassador; AA EXP 3MM; AS MVP, Hilton Gold, CH-47/UH-60/C-23/C-130 VET
Posts: 5,234
Guess this these issues are back of the paper now with the data breach ... that being said, all my stays in the past two weeks have posted within 24-48 hours. That's an improvement from the typical three day posting so something is in the works.
Nov 30, 2018, 12:44 pm
#29
Join Date: Feb 2013
Location: New York (Brooklyn)
Programs: Delta Gold, Marriott Lifetime Platinum, Hilton Diamond
Posts: 441
I thought the article was good, it repeated many of the complaints here especially the lack of a decent response from Marriott and their cavalier attitude. They quoted a 160 a night Marriott platinum who said he moved to the competition. Also mentioned the rather poor 3Q results.
All that said, there was nothing new or earth shattering in it. Just a summary of the ongoing debacle, and, obviously, written before the news that came out today. The icing on the poo cake.
All that said, there was nothing new or earth shattering in it. Just a summary of the ongoing debacle, and, obviously, written before the news that came out today. The icing on the poo cake.
Nov 30, 2018, 12:50 pm
#30
Join Date: Oct 2009
Location: ATL
Programs: DL PM 2 Mil Miler, HZ PC, Marriott LT TI, AMB, Hilton Diamond
Posts: 552
I thought the article was good, it repeated many of the complaints here especially the lack of a decent response from Marriott and their cavalier attitude. They quoted a 160 a night Marriott platinum who said he moved to the competition. Also mentioned the rather poor 3Q results.
All that said, there was nothing new or earth shattering in it. Just a summary of the ongoing debacle, and, obviously, written before the news that came out today. The icing on the poo cake.
All that said, there was nothing new or earth shattering in it. Just a summary of the ongoing debacle, and, obviously, written before the news that came out today. The icing on the poo cake.