Originally Posted by stant

For those of us hoping to get 15 suite night awards this year, would the date to pay attention to be aug 18th then for crossing the 75 night threshold? Come aug 2nd I'll have 72 nights. Should I maybe cross over to the dark site with a stay or two at marriot properties, or would that contribute to my 75 night total regardless and possibly make me pork myself out of 5 extra SNAs?

Originally Posted by sdsearch

How can everyone be moved the new program and yet be able to (a) earn Starwood old-Platinum (not Marriott) elite status by doing 25 stays before Dec 31 (not Aug 18), and (b) qualify for legacy Marriott Lifetime Rules (using lifetime points) until Dec 31 (not Aug 18), if the legacy programs really completely disappear on Aug 18? Something does not add up. Some vestige of the legacy programs in some form must continue for these two things (promised by Marriott and/or by StarwoodLurker) to be possible until Dec 31.

Now, they could move legacy trackers from both legacy programs into one new platform, so this does not prove that the platforms must stay separate, but at the very least counters of annual/lifetime status from the different programs have to maintained separately somewhere until the end of the year, and so at least in that sense the two legacy programs are continuing to some degree until the end of the year.

Originally Posted by RogerD408

This level of detail has not been released. Everyone, me included, is inferring what is going to happen by the bits and pieces of what we have been told and what others have speculated. I'm sticking with my prediction that if you want to earn status under the legacy programs, then do not merge your accounts to keep everything separated. What's the advantage of merging the accounts earlier? If you reach your goals in October, of the merged status is better for you, merge then.

Originally Posted by CJKatl

I believe qualification under the legacy rules will not depend on whether the accounts are merged or not. Marriott has made it clear one can qualify under the legacy rules and has not ever indicated that would not count if one merged accounts which would obviously be mentioned if it was a qualification parameter. Nonetheless, unless you get some benefit from merging waiting hurts nothing and lets you avoid any potential glitches.

Originally Posted by M.dA.R.

Originally Posted by RogerD408

Caution here, The Lurker has stated that if your combined account starts with 75+ nights they you would not get the 75 night award of SNAs or a gift. I see this fraught with issues and hope MPG is gearing up to manually address corner cases.

Originally Posted by UA-NYC

Sucks of us who post-merge will have 100+ nights...can't imagine I will get zero SNAs out of all of this. Of course I only have myself to blame for 60 of those nights

Originally Posted by RogerD408

Caution here, The Lurker has stated that if your combined account starts with 75+ nights they you would not get the 75 night award of SNAs or a gift. I see this fraught with issues and hope MPG is gearing up to manually address corner cases.

Originally Posted by RogerD408

Yes, there has been nothing specific either way. However, I remember tripping across a web page where they were addressing the events for the 18th and somewhere there was a statement about not merging your accounts IF you want to earn under legacy rules. I have not been able to find that page again and I am hoping it was not a delusion on my part. I will absolutely post the link if I find it again.

Originally Posted by Saidoh

I believe something to this effect was posted on the TPG site. But if I recall correctly, the Starwood Lurker says the opposite, that legacy requirements can be met regardless of merging.

EDIT: Found it - https://thepointsguy.com/news/tasks-...d-spg-combine/
"If a member waits to combine their accounts until after 8/18 and achieves the same Elite status in both Rewards and SPG before the end of 2018, it will count as two years toward corresponding Lifetime status."

Originally Posted by TravelinSperry

Agreed. My understanding (and thus advice) is to get over 50 nights pre Aug 18. But do not go over 75 nights pre Aug 18. Then - after merger (give it a few days or so) then you can merge and then go over 75 which should culminate in the add'l 5 SNAs. This is just my understanding - I'm not a lurker, so ymmv. But this is what I am currently doing.

Originally Posted by tcdtcd

Apologies for my lack of knowledge around hotel programs vs airlines, so please no flames .....

I am currently at a combined 49 nights (34 SPG, 15 MR) with no nights planned prior to 8/18. Would it behoove me to do a "night run" for 1 night prior to 8/18 to be at 50 at changeover? Or it doesn't matter? I will most likely not get to a combined 75 for the entire year (remotely possible), and my overall goal is just to achieve plain Plat for 2019, add another year of Plat (7 or 8) towards my 10 consecutive -- to ultimately get to LT (plain) Plat in a couple of years.

Thanks in advance!