bosman

Please re-read your quote that I was responding to. It was 100% about not being able to achieve LTPP in the future, so my comparison to AA LT was very valid.

You are now adding a lot of new context, so yes, under your new framework, the AA comparison is not valid, but don't make it sound like I missed the mark on my previous response.

yyznomad

This is why I always say to get the highest status possible, even if it seems like "nothing".
If a program gets devalued, being on the top rung will ensure you no worse than anyone below.
Although I tend to agree with @CJKatl's longstanding assertion that LTPP is mainly (at least, for now) throwing a bone, I would still try to attain* it if I had a reasonable path to it (I say this because the OP seems a little over the top, but more power to him/her nevertheless).

I also agree with @stant with regard to "lifetime"; you can't tell someone that if they attain the yearly equivalent then it doesn't matter... sure, it doesn't matter if they attain the yearly equivalent for every year until the day they die. Lifetime affords the ability to not have to work for it every frickin' year.

* As many of you know already, I have no skin in this game as I have well over-qualified for LTPP.

CJKatl

Are you sitting down? Have you taken any heart medication necessary? Ok, then, here it is... I agree with you on this.

While I do not think there will be any appreciable important difference, if it is reasonable to get LTPP, why not? Seeing people insist there will be some difference down the line and seeing people hundreds of nights and a million points away throwing lots of money towards this? Makes no sense to me... But for someone who has, let's say, more than enough years but is 30 nights away holding three meetings might make sense for the reasons you outline.

stant

then please re-read the entire discussion. my beef is NOT that they are going to limit the level of status for LT achievement but rather they are making a category that is open to qualification for a short time and then closing regardless of future loyalty. american maxing out lifetime at platinum has ZERO relevance. the elgacy spg program capped lifetime status at platinum. you couldnt earn lifetime ambassador as an example. caps on lifetime status are nothing new.

yeunganson

pinniped

Keep in mind that if you do this, you will carry a weight on your conscience as long as you live. Fifty years from now, on your deathbed, you may confess to your grandchildren "Y'know, I only really had 740 Marriott nights before August 1, 2018. There were this fake Courtyard meeting about which a word has never been uttered...until now." You may think this will cleanse your soul, but it will not. You will still be hurled into an eternal lake of fire with all of the credit card comp elites, habitual status matchers, manufactured spenders, United Gold comps, Fairfield Inn mattress runners, and other similar unspeakable vermin.

yeunganson

I can see it. I can see my future alone and forsaken in my bed dying bed.

A fellow few expired flyertalker comes and sings

Come with me ♫
Where chains will never bind you ♫
All your grief at last at last behind you ♪
Lord in heaven, look down on him in mercy! ♫
Forgive all his trespasses ♪
And take him to your glory ♫

As my soul departs my body as I walk towards the light... Is that a Westin hotel on the other side? Will I get a eternal salvation of heavenly bed and heavenly showers? Will I be given an upgrade to overlook my home city of Hong Kong?

Then I hear another group of expired flyertalkers that were once on the Marriott side with angry looks

Do you hear the people sing? ♪
Singing the songs of angry men? ♫
It is the music of the Marriotts ♪
Who will not be screwed again! ♫

Looks like it's going to be a very long eternity.

Can't wait to see Le Miserable later this month.

yyznomad

And OP has this thread for posterity!

HollyGlen

And all Marriott Rewards members too.

yeunganson

Update July 25, 2018: We now approach the final 6 days before merger of Aug 1. I am putting out my conclusion for this thread.

When I started to offer assistance on this thread, I was slightly afraid to be overwhelmed by requests for assistance. Back on the Marriott forum thread, a fellow Flyertalker was willing to share information about a hotel that allows one to book meetings without showing up (and thus getting 10 eligible nights through Rewarding Events), the flyertalker was then flooded with requests like 35 of them in a few days. This was in the back of my mind when I offered assistance to those in similar situation as I was.

Over the course of these two months, my belief of our cultural values of our collective disdain of gimmicks, cheats and short cuts were reaffirmed. Far from the feeding frenzy that happened in on other forums, I only received request from about half a dozen SPG members. All of them are in sympathetic situations and using the Rewarding Events as Ulterior motives of gaining 10 eligible nights is truly the last ditch effort. They all generously shared their snapshots dashboards with me and through this info-sharing, some of the Marriott hotel managers were more sympathetic and willing to go further. I was also impressed on some Marriott hotels and mangers I know upon knowing the situation bending backwards to help our SPG Lifetime members. I also gain insights on number of cities that Marriott staff isn't as clueless as what I was lead to believe in other forums and a decent number do know about Group Posting Tools (and use as intended such as weddings and corporate retreats to physical middle-scale business meetings) but just don't post their rates on Rewarding Events webpage.

There were Event Coordinators in a few Marriott in Middle East and Europe and US locations that I sent my Marriott internal documents on how to use Group Posting Tools. I expected nothing in return and got noting in return. I only asked them to help the SPG Liftetime members that are in their area needing those nights. To my surprise, there were two cases where the hotel manager implied they did know of Group Posting Tools but the incoming customer just wanted an hour meeting and didn't want to put up the effort to go through the process. After receiving the internal documents, one manager had a change of heart give reconsideration for a SPG Lifetime member. Overall those hotels learned something new on Group Posting Tools to complement their use of eBonus tool (the normal Marriott use to post points during stays)

Overall, I am glad this whole endeavor I get to know a number of Marriott hotel managers, helped a handful of SPG Lifetime members, and feel positive about our SPG membership and community we have. I hope I had a positive impact to SPG flyertalkers as we reach the end of the SPG homeland and step into a brave new world of merged Marriott/Starwood

Starwood Lurker

You may not have noticed that the program merger date is August 18th.

Best regards,

William R. Sanders
Social Media Specialist
Marriott International

[email protected]

yeunganson

Oh!!! I must have gotten it wrong. Somehow I keep thinking it was Aug 1. I'll update my post!

olindacat

You've certainly impacted me positively. I thank you for your kind advice and for your great help.... Your show of camaraderie is, to me (and hopefully many others here), just terrific.... Bravo!