CIT85

LTG does not provide any benefit that you already have as Plat. Plat benefits are the real benefits that you are interested in. I viewed my LTG status as a miestone as I work towards my LTP status.

You need 5 more years as Plat for the real life time benefits.

sthubbar

CIT85, yes, yes, yes, of course LTG is purely for the accomplishment and nothing else. I'm just trying to figure it out because I heard other people say that as soon as they qualified for status in their 5th year, they were given LTG right then and not at the end of the year.

So thinking that way, I should have gotten LTG after I past 25 nights this year, as that would guarantee me a 5th year of elite status in 2015.

As it is now, I can't figure out when I'll be given the stamp of approval for LTG here are possibilities:

1) Sometime in next few weeks after a lurker checks into it.
2) On Jan 1, 2015 - Doesn't make sense.
3) Sometime end of Feb or Mar, when previous year's status expires - Also doesn't make sense
4) Jan 1, 2016 - Seems an awful long time to wait
5) When/if I achieve Gold status qualification in 2015 - Really? So 2011 doesn't count?
6) When/if I achieve Platinum status in 2015 - Can't be this.

So 5 & 6 would mean that I'm not guaranteed LTG. None of the other options seems to make sense, so I'm confused.

sthubbar

I have reread this post:

http://www.flyertalk.com/forum/starw...e-counter.html

and I'm pretty sure that 2011 is not being counted as an elite year.

I'm pretty sure that earlier this year my "Years elite" counter was at 3 and now it has bumped up to 4 either when I passed the Gold, though I think it bumped up when I passed Platinum.

This then leads me to conclude that indeed option #5 above is correct that according to the current situation, I must qualify again next year to achieve LTG.

So, it seems the first year qualifying as gold does not count towards LTG. They are counting the number of times the person has passed the status requirements.

For example:

January 2001 - 25 stays and achieve Platinum then no more stays.

Jan 25 2001 - Feb 28, 2003 = 2+ calendar years Platinum = 1 year elite

with a soft landing

Jan 25, 2001 - Feb 28, 2004 = 3+ years elite (2 Plat, 1 Gold) = 1 year elite

So "years elite" really means "Qualifying years"

Can a lurker please confirm?

cxn

From what I was told you had to 'earn' the status to have it count. I had Platinum from AMEX back in early 2000s and they would not count that year towards my number of years. I was a bit ticked because I thought I actually hit Platinum each year even with getting it for 'free' (yes, back in the days when award stays did not count).

Starwood Lurker III

Hi sthubbar,

Your earned years for Gold and Platinum will be counted as "Years elite".

Thus, 2011 is counted as an elite year for you, but 2015 is not counted until you re-qualify as Platinum next year.

Best Regards,

Christina Zhou
Social Media Specialist
Starwood Hotels & Resorts Worldwide

[email protected]

kasi

When did. Starwood actually stop issuing the metal card for LT PT?

Starwood Lurker

They didn't stop issuing metal cards to Lifetime Platinum members.

Haven't we discussed this before?

Best regards,

William R. Sanders
Social Media Specialist
Starwood Hotels & Resorts

[email protected]

Flews

Some people just can't take 'yes' for an answer!

Cheers,

CPRich

In case anyone was wondering - you can order a replacement card and get a new plastic card with Lifetime Platinum noted on it. I was recently traveling overseas - one of the few places where having my physical card has been useful in the past - and I didn't want to carry around/risk losing my metal one. Ordered on-line, it took 6 weeks or so to arrive.

lcpteck

I heard some folks got problems with it when passing through metal detectors at the airport? It's made of titanium? If only Adamantium was available....

kasi

Quote:
Originally Posted by kasi
When did. Starwood actually stop issuing the metal card for LT PT?
They didn't stop issuing metal cards to Lifetime Platinum members.

Haven't we discussed this before?

Best regards,

William R. Sanders
Social Media Specialist
Starwood Hotels & Resorts

[email protected]
__________________
Stay Connected with SPG!

Well, you said yes and I should check my mail-adress. But since I regularly receive mail from starwood like e.g. the plastic LT PT card, the only thing I can observe: they must have stopped issuing metal cards. Or there must be some hidden qualification hurdle in additon to just being LT PT to receive the metal version.

nevansm

Can't remember if I posted in this thread or not but made lifetime gold in April. 390 nights total, was just waiting on the fifth year second lifetime status after Marriott silver. UA 1mm is up next. Not too bad for 28.

fireworksboy

Or maybe you're just jinxing yourself by repeatedly questioning whether they are still being issued. @:-)

Triley

I am assuming that when William says that folks outside of North America need to verify their address, he means they have to talk to someone at SPG to verify their address. How would Starwood know that you looked at your address and went "Yup. This is right!"?

Keep in mind the much higher cost of a card made out of titanium, and probably the additional shipping cost involved. Makes sense that they would want to have you verify the correct shipping address for something with an additional expense over a plastic card that probably costs them a nickel, right?

fireworksboy

Add in the cost of the presentation itself. It doesn't just come in an envelope with your name scribbled on it. I hope that those that have received one will agree, it is impressive. (And appreciated)