Aug 25, 2017, 7:19 am
Last edit by: Oxon Flyer
It can take up to 7 business days from the day you qualified for your Lifetime Platinum status to be picked up by the system.
Starwood / Marriott merger
Q : What will happen to my Lifetime Status when the programs merge together in the future?
A : Rest assured we will always recognize your Lifetime Status, whether it is today in your earned program or in the future with a new, combined program.
http://members.marriott.com/faq/#what-will-happen-to-my-lifetime-status-when-the-programs-merge-together-in-the-future
Starwood / Marriott merger
Q : What will happen to my Lifetime Status when the programs merge together in the future?
A : Rest assured we will always recognize your Lifetime Status, whether it is today in your earned program or in the future with a new, combined program.
http://members.marriott.com/faq/#what-will-happen-to-my-lifetime-status-when-the-programs-merge-together-in-the-future
Discussion: SPG Lifetime™ Gold and SPG Lifetime™ Platinum status
Mar 6, 2017, 9:24 pm
#1321
Join Date: May 2003
Location: LCY
Programs: SQ Krisflyer, QR Privilege Club, MB LT Plt (1K+ nights thx MB)
Posts: 1,038
The reason for this is just math; for instance you will have a subset of LTG who has a relatively quite a large number of nights/points but since the bulk of their spending commence less than 10 Years ago or have had intermediate years with reduced travel, due to change in job scope, promotions, health reasons, they have yet to qualify for LTP.
I don't know how big this subset of exSPG customers is. I could be wrong but my guess is that a lot of people have done SPG elite with stays then this is subset of exSPG customers is quite small.
The smaller subset of exSPG (and exMR) customer that gets "promoted" into MPGs lifetime tiers the better from a pure corporate perspective, you keep your customer hungry, albeit you dont want them angry
. These are important considerations I think MPG must make when they design the new program and especially the lifetime tiers and the criteria to attain these tiers
The short end of the stick in MPG LT scheme I think will be agianst the people who used stays, I think stays are gone as tier determining factor are going to be removed from MPG ... but hey I been wrong before
and finally a disclaimer: I am in the subset I described earlier a LTG wth 800+ nights so I am not a fan of the 10 year rule. When it comes to stays I have never qualified for Gold or Platinum with stays always nights. So I am talking up my own book
I do have holes in my SPG loyalty ;once because my employer at the time had a very good corporate deal with Hilton so all work-related stays became Hiltons ...
Last edited by X-ON; Mar 6, 2017 at 11:31 pm
Mar 7, 2017, 9:47 am
#1322
Join Date: Dec 2003
Location: Pasadena,Ca.,US.
Programs: AA, Delta, United, SPG plat, Hyatt dia
Posts: 7,140
I'm not that familiar with the Marriott system, but their bonuses appear pretty quite attractive which makes me think it might then have been better to have been a Marriott than a Starwood elite.
It's otherwise in the region of $200,000 for lifetime Platinum - Surely the average lifetime Plat Marriott person hasn't spent anywhere near that much?
It's otherwise in the region of $200,000 for lifetime Platinum - Surely the average lifetime Plat Marriott person hasn't spent anywhere near that much?
Mar 7, 2017, 9:57 am
#1323
FlyerTalk Evangelist
Join Date: Apr 2008
Location: LGA/JFK/EWR
Programs: UA 1K1.75MM, Hyatt Globalist, abandoned Marriott LTT (RIP SPG), Hertz PC
Posts: 21,172
The difference comes at the redemption point. it takes HUGE amounts of MR points to get a decent property in a desire location. Much more than with the SPG program-and yes I am taking into consideration tat you earn more points per dollar spent with MR- It I is amazing ho many points it takes to redeem with MR.It is the second least attractive program out there for folk looking to earn/redeem points by just travel spend alone.
And there is no gouging at the very high end like SPG does with the all-suite resort properties where you pay double (I hope this goes away post-merger).
Mar 7, 2017, 9:59 am
#1324
FlyerTalk Evangelist
Join Date: Apr 2008
Location: LGA/JFK/EWR
Programs: UA 1K1.75MM, Hyatt Globalist, abandoned Marriott LTT (RIP SPG), Hertz PC
Posts: 21,172
IMHO if MPG stop using x years as a certain tier as a criterion to attain lifetime status they might have to upgrade some exSPG members one or maybe two tiers (if they introduce another higher tier).
The reason for this is just math; for instance you will have a subset of LTG who has a relatively quite a large number of nights/points but since the bulk of their spending commence less than 10 Years ago or have had intermediate years with reduced travel, due to change in job scope, promotions, health reasons, they have yet to qualify for LTP.
I don't know how big this subset of exSPG customers is. I could be wrong but my guess is that a lot of people have done SPG elite with stays then this is subset of exSPG customers is quite small.
The smaller subset of exSPG (and exMR) customer that gets "promoted" into MPGs lifetime tiers the better from a pure corporate perspective, you keep your customer hungry, albeit you dont want them angry .
These are important considerations I think MPG must make when they design the new program and especially the lifetime tiers and the criteria to attain these tiers
The short end of the stick in MPG LT scheme I think will be agianst the people who used stays, I think stays are gone as tier determining factor are going to be removed from MPG ... but hey I been wrong before
and finally a disclaimer: I am in the subset I described earlier a LTG wth 800+ nights so I am not a fan of the 10 year rule. When it comes to stays I have never qualified for Gold or Platinum with stays always nights. So I am talking up my own book
I do have holes in my SPG loyalty ;once because my employer at the time had a very good corporate deal with Hilton so all work-related stays became Hiltons ...
The reason for this is just math; for instance you will have a subset of LTG who has a relatively quite a large number of nights/points but since the bulk of their spending commence less than 10 Years ago or have had intermediate years with reduced travel, due to change in job scope, promotions, health reasons, they have yet to qualify for LTP.
I don't know how big this subset of exSPG customers is. I could be wrong but my guess is that a lot of people have done SPG elite with stays then this is subset of exSPG customers is quite small.
The smaller subset of exSPG (and exMR) customer that gets "promoted" into MPGs lifetime tiers the better from a pure corporate perspective, you keep your customer hungry, albeit you dont want them angry
. These are important considerations I think MPG must make when they design the new program and especially the lifetime tiers and the criteria to attain these tiers
The short end of the stick in MPG LT scheme I think will be agianst the people who used stays, I think stays are gone as tier determining factor are going to be removed from MPG ... but hey I been wrong before
and finally a disclaimer: I am in the subset I described earlier a LTG wth 800+ nights so I am not a fan of the 10 year rule. When it comes to stays I have never qualified for Gold or Platinum with stays always nights. So I am talking up my own book
I do have holes in my SPG loyalty ;once because my employer at the time had a very good corporate deal with Hilton so all work-related stays became Hiltons ...
7 years of Plat / 700 nights. I also agree I bet both years needed and stays go away as any sort of LT calculation.
I'd say, hey they may make LTP now 1,000 nights / 2.5MM points or so once they combine...but that would also move the goalposts on a lot of long time MR elites and alienate over half of the members.
We shall see...
Mar 7, 2017, 11:25 am
#1325
Join Date: May 2003
Location: LCY
Programs: SQ Krisflyer, QR Privilege Club, MB LT Plt (1K+ nights thx MB)
Posts: 1,038
I fall into the same camp 7 years of Plat / 700 nights.
I also agree I bet both years needed and stays go away as any sort of LT calculation.
I'd say, hey they may make LTP now 1,000 nights / 2.5MM points or so once they combine...but that would also move the goalposts on a lot of long time MR elites and alienate over half of the members.
We shall see...
7 years of Plat / 700 nights.I also agree I bet both years needed and stays go away as any sort of LT calculation.
I'd say, hey they may make LTP now 1,000 nights / 2.5MM points or so once they combine...but that would also move the goalposts on a lot of long time MR elites and alienate over half of the members.
We shall see...
My real concern is that the SPG lifetime nights are butts in bed nights vs. the MR lifetime nights contaminated with rollover nights, bonus nights etc. The exSPG members are here risking getting the real short end of the stick since if MR and SPG will count equal at judgment day
one year from now; I bet you a steak dinner that if lifetime nights from MR and SPG are migrated equally into MPG then this new top lifetime tier will be dominated of exMR members.Even after we adjust for the difference in population, ie. there will be more exMR than exSPG in MPG so we must first adjust for that important difference.
But maybe that's the natural order Marriott bought Starwood after all.
Mar 9, 2017, 9:37 pm
#1326
Join Date: May 2003
Location: LCY
Programs: SQ Krisflyer, QR Privilege Club, MB LT Plt (1K+ nights thx MB)
Posts: 1,038
I went ahead and requested my lifetime points accumulation (from 2001). After some initial confusion, it seems that the CSRs are not very familiar with the concept of "lifetime points".
It turns out that this is a procedure that takes 10 business days to perform. The CSR referred to it as a master statement, at least we now know that we can request lifetime points from 2001 and onwards.
It seems that there is no automation of this request, however thefact that it take 10 business days to pull out but that they did have no problem sending it over means to me that:
1) The data points exists (at least from 2001)
2) The data is not on one system, more likely on different system servers or maybe even on tape backups (or dare I say it on paper)
3) To integrate these data points into a new MPG system can most likely be done if MPG decide to do it. It's going to be question of how much it will cost. But I would hope there are a significant merger budget for IT integration
Just my 5 cents on the topic
It turns out that this is a procedure that takes 10 business days to perform. The CSR referred to it as a master statement, at least we now know that we can request lifetime points from 2001 and onwards.
It seems that there is no automation of this request, however thefact that it take 10 business days to pull out but that they did have no problem sending it over means to me that:
1) The data points exists (at least from 2001)
2) The data is not on one system, more likely on different system servers or maybe even on tape backups (or dare I say it on paper)
3) To integrate these data points into a new MPG system can most likely be done if MPG decide to do it. It's going to be question of how much it will cost. But I would hope there are a significant merger budget for IT integration
Just my 5 cents on the topic
I received my master-statement but I discovered quite fast that it indeed was incomplete all activity prior to 1 Jan 2003 was missing. After being told by the CSR that I did not have any activity prior to 1 Jan 2003 and if I had, I had to get the folios (from 15Y ago
) as proof, it was expressed in quite a rude fashion.I said: "Really? So please sum up the number of points on my master statement" the balance it came to something like -11K ... crickets .... ehhh... Then I continued: "look at the beginning of the statement, on Jan 20 2003 I redeemed 20K when I according to your master-statement I only managed to earn 10K since 1 Jan 2003" How do you explain that? .... more crickets ... She asked have you by any chance had more than one account with us and then merged the accounts, maybe that's why its missing? I said "No, but even if I had that it still do not explain the difference if I merged any accounts there would be a credit in the master statement with the balance from the closed account".... Finally the CSR gave in and said " Ok we will look into this issue something is wrong"
Anyway the main thing is that maybe it is not that straightforward to retrieve a complete activity trajectory for each SPG member . I still think it is possible since they manage to track my nights correctly (but I am starting to doubt that now).
I know from another another industry (Investment Banking) that behind the scenes there might be a myriad of systems supporting the business and a lot and I mean a lot of off the cuff solutions. These off the cuff solutions can sometimes have many unintended consequences further down the line.
At one point in time a certain action was maybe possible to do , but then somebody makes some arbitrary solution to a seemingly unrelated problem, and what was once possible to do is now impossible but since no one thought about this action being important .... gone.
Let's hope that is not the case here but if it is ...at least they managed track my nights correctly (I think)... I could be so easy that activity prior to 1 Jan 2003 is stored in a legacy system that hopefully is still accessible ...
Last edited by X-ON; Mar 9, 2017 at 9:50 pm
Mar 10, 2017, 9:14 am
#1327
FlyerTalk Evangelist
Join Date: Nov 2003
Location: South Florida
Programs: AA LTG (EXP), Hilton Silver (Dia), Marriott LTP (PP), SPG LTG (P) > MPG LTPP
Posts: 11,329
Ok this might be a little bit of a rant and I apologize in advance.
I received my master-statement but I discovered quite fast that it indeed was incomplete all activity prior to 1 Jan 2003 was missing. After being told by the CSR that I did not have any activity prior to 1 Jan 2003 and if I had, I had to get the folios (from 15Y ago) as proof, it was expressed in quite a rude fashion.
I said: "Really? So please sum up the number of points on my master statement" the balance it came to something like -11K ... crickets .... ehhh... Then I continued: "look at the beginning of the statement, on Jan 20 2003 I redeemed 20K when I according to your master-statement I only managed to earn 10K since 1 Jan 2003" How do you explain that? .... more crickets ... She asked have you by any chance had more than one account with us and then merged the accounts, maybe that's why its missing? I said "No, but even if I had that it still do not explain the difference if I merged any accounts there would be a credit in the master statement with the balance from the closed account".... Finally the CSR gave in and said " Ok we will look into this issue something is wrong"
Anyway the main thing is that maybe it is not that straightforward to retrieve a complete activity trajectory for each SPG member . I still think it is possible since they manage to track my nights correctly (but I am starting to doubt that now).
I know from another another industry (Investment Banking) that behind the scenes there might be a myriad of systems supporting the business and a lot and I mean a lot of off the cuff solutions. These off the cuff solutions can sometimes have many unintended consequences further down the line.
At one point in time a certain action was maybe possible to do , but then somebody makes some arbitrary solution to a seemingly unrelated problem, and what was once possible to do is now impossible but since no one thought about this action being important .... gone.
Let's hope that is not the case here but if it is ...at least they managed track my nights correctly (I think)... I could be so easy that activity prior to 1 Jan 2003 is stored in a legacy system that hopefully is still accessible ...
I received my master-statement but I discovered quite fast that it indeed was incomplete all activity prior to 1 Jan 2003 was missing. After being told by the CSR that I did not have any activity prior to 1 Jan 2003 and if I had, I had to get the folios (from 15Y ago
) as proof, it was expressed in quite a rude fashion.I said: "Really? So please sum up the number of points on my master statement" the balance it came to something like -11K ... crickets .... ehhh... Then I continued: "look at the beginning of the statement, on Jan 20 2003 I redeemed 20K when I according to your master-statement I only managed to earn 10K since 1 Jan 2003" How do you explain that? .... more crickets ... She asked have you by any chance had more than one account with us and then merged the accounts, maybe that's why its missing? I said "No, but even if I had that it still do not explain the difference if I merged any accounts there would be a credit in the master statement with the balance from the closed account".... Finally the CSR gave in and said " Ok we will look into this issue something is wrong"
Anyway the main thing is that maybe it is not that straightforward to retrieve a complete activity trajectory for each SPG member . I still think it is possible since they manage to track my nights correctly (but I am starting to doubt that now).
I know from another another industry (Investment Banking) that behind the scenes there might be a myriad of systems supporting the business and a lot and I mean a lot of off the cuff solutions. These off the cuff solutions can sometimes have many unintended consequences further down the line.
At one point in time a certain action was maybe possible to do , but then somebody makes some arbitrary solution to a seemingly unrelated problem, and what was once possible to do is now impossible but since no one thought about this action being important .... gone.
Let's hope that is not the case here but if it is ...at least they managed track my nights correctly (I think)... I could be so easy that activity prior to 1 Jan 2003 is stored in a legacy system that hopefully is still accessible ...
Mar 10, 2017, 10:47 am
#1328
Join Date: May 2003
Location: LCY
Programs: SQ Krisflyer, QR Privilege Club, MB LT Plt (1K+ nights thx MB)
Posts: 1,038
Do the math backwards and figure out how much had to be in your account jan 2003. The transactions may be in a multitude of systems/backups and the CSR chose not to trace back through them all, if they have access as it is. I'm sure someone does, but unless they are convinced they need to do the pushups, why bother.
verification of my lifetime accrual
Mar 10, 2017, 12:33 pm
#1329
FlyerTalk Evangelist
Join Date: Nov 2003
Location: South Florida
Programs: AA LTG (EXP), Hilton Silver (Dia), Marriott LTP (PP), SPG LTG (P) > MPG LTPP
Posts: 11,329
That piece of math don't really answer my question, since I was interested in the lifetime accrual of points knowing what the net was in 2003 is not going to help much I am afraid. Theoretically you could have accrued and spent a very huge amount in the missing period and arrived on the 2003 net figure in addition I was interested in getting some sort of semi official
verification of my lifetime accrual
verification of my lifetime accrual
Mar 12, 2017, 12:26 pm
#1330
Join Date: Dec 2010
Location: SE USA
Programs: DL DM/MM , IHG Plat, MR Titanium, HH Gold, EK Frequent Kettle, UA Silver, AA Hater
Posts: 2,020
Just crossed the 250 mark to obtain lifetime Gold, but since I am Plat now that is of course what my profile shows. Is there a way to tell when the lifetime has been acknowledged?
Next question is what happens after the merger. I know there is a lot of speculation and I doubt they would give MR Gold for SPG Gold......but in my case I actually have more nights with MR but no lifetime because of the insane points requirement. I will have about 650 combined nights when they merge the program. If I don't have at least lifetime Gold I will not be a happy camper.
If they keep the points requirement I hope they can acccuratley get the SPG data. Wish they would just do nights and be done with it.
How did y'all get the master statement, just call the Plat line?
Next question is what happens after the merger. I know there is a lot of speculation and I doubt they would give MR Gold for SPG Gold......but in my case I actually have more nights with MR but no lifetime because of the insane points requirement. I will have about 650 combined nights when they merge the program. If I don't have at least lifetime Gold I will not be a happy camper.
If they keep the points requirement I hope they can acccuratley get the SPG data. Wish they would just do nights and be done with it.
How did y'all get the master statement, just call the Plat line?
Last edited by dilbertsdaddy; Mar 12, 2017 at 12:31 pm
Mar 12, 2017, 12:54 pm
#1331
Join Date: Feb 2008
Location: In the air
Programs: Hyatt Globalist, Bonvoy LT Plat, Hilton Gold, GHA Tit, BA Gold, Turkish Elite
Posts: 8,720
You should get an email after about a week confirming you've just made lifetime Gold. I also had a USB charger sent to my address shortly afterwards.
You can check on your profile, but it's much easier to see on the SPG Dashboard (Google it), click on the lifetime tab. It will probably show 0 years elite and 0 nights to go for a bit before it updates.
You can check on your profile, but it's much easier to see on the SPG Dashboard (Google it), click on the lifetime tab. It will probably show 0 years elite and 0 nights to go for a bit before it updates.
Mar 12, 2017, 6:23 pm
#1332
FlyerTalk Evangelist
Join Date: Jun 2007
Location: Toronto
Programs: UA 1K, AC MM E75, Marriott LT Ti, IHG Dia Amb, Hyatt Glob
Posts: 15,521
Interesting. No USB charger (or anything else) when I became LT Gold. Starwood really does not treat all members equitably! 
Mar 13, 2017, 2:06 am
#1333
Join Date: Nov 2011
Location: California
Programs: Hyatt Global, Marriot Lifetime Titanium
Posts: 2,282
No big deal either way. There's no reason they have to treat everyone exactly the same.
Mar 15, 2017, 10:40 am
#1334
Join Date: May 2003
Location: LCY
Programs: SQ Krisflyer, QR Privilege Club, MB LT Plt (1K+ nights thx MB)
Posts: 1,038
Master statement request prior 2003
Just an update on my struggles to get the lifetime points accumulatuion. After three attempts spg have manged to track hotel stay point accumulation prior 2003, however it seems to be very hard to track cc card and bonus credits and redemptions as well prior to 2003.
That would explain how they could track life time nights but not life time points (for all members).... We will see if they manage to get to the data points or not. Right now it does not seems like it's going to happen but you never know...
That would explain how they could track life time nights but not life time points (for all members).... We will see if they manage to get to the data points or not. Right now it does not seems like it's going to happen but you never know...
Mar 15, 2017, 12:17 pm
#1335
FlyerTalk Evangelist
Join Date: Jun 2001
Programs: DL 1 million, AA 1 mil, HH lapsed Diamond, Marriott Plat
Posts: 28,190
