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Points-Obsessed Travelers Are Terrified of Losing Perks

Points-Obsessed Travelers Are Terrified of Losing Perks

 
Old Aug 1, 2018, 1:52 pm
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Points-Obsessed Travelers Are Terrified of Losing Perks

Interesting article in Bloomberg about the merger

A few excerpts:

Starwood fans fear Marriott mediocrity in the world's largest hospitality merger.

The success of the megamerger still depends on winning over a group of customers whove always viewed Marriott members as dupes. Edward Pizzarello, a venture capitalist who spends 100 nights a year in Starwood hotels, puts it this way: They had Stockholm syndrome.

https://www.bloomberg.com/news/featu...am-to-the-test
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Old Aug 1, 2018, 1:54 pm
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Originally Posted by damon88
Interesting article in Bloomberg about the merger

A few excerpts:

Starwood fans fear Marriott mediocrity in the world's largest hospitality merger.

The success of the megamerger still depends on winning over a group of customers who’ve always viewed Marriott members as dupes. Edward Pizzarello, a venture capitalist who spends 100 nights a year in Starwood hotels, puts it this way: “They had Stockholm syndrome.”

https://www.bloomberg.com/news/featu...am-to-the-test
Posted an hour earlier in another thread: https://www.flyertalk.com/forum/30036314-post146.html
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Old Aug 1, 2018, 2:39 pm
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Paging Ed Pizzarello... are you on FT?
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Old Aug 1, 2018, 2:45 pm
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Originally Posted by controller1
Posted an hour earlier in another thread: https://www.flyertalk.com/forum/30036314-post146.html
Did a quick search and didn't see it


Thanks !
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Old Aug 1, 2018, 3:26 pm
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Originally Posted by RafKa
Paging Ed Pizzarello... are you on FT?
He used to be. Pizzaman. I believe he spends his time on the other website now.
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Old Aug 1, 2018, 4:12 pm
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As for objective info, the Bloomberg article mentions a total of 21 million SPG accounts at time of acquisition.
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Old Aug 1, 2018, 8:37 pm
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Pizzarello also has a blog of his own.

Thanks for posting the article.

Id like to know what percentage of revenue the Starwood Amex contributed to SPG and now MR, because it will quickly approach $0. In another article it was listed as amexs second largest loyalty base and cardmembers are not stupid.
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Old Aug 1, 2018, 9:34 pm
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Originally Posted by rrgg
Id like to know what percentage of revenue the Starwood Amex contributed to SPG and now MR, because it will quickly approach $0.
Uhhh, no.
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Old Aug 2, 2018, 4:58 am
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deleted

Last edited by rrgg; Aug 2, 2018 at 5:04 am Reason: double post
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Old Aug 2, 2018, 5:03 am
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No? Outside of using it at MR properties, can I ask why would someone spend anything on it? If you read through the last 2 months of posts in the other thread, lots of people are making it a "sock drawer" card, keeping it for hotel spending and the free night only.
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Old Aug 2, 2018, 6:22 am
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I will be sock drawer-ing mine for the most part. It may still get some incidental use, but the emphasis is going to be on "incidental"... I'm honestly torn about even using it at Starriott properties. It's something of a toss-up between that or the CSR card I have, but at least there I'm effectively getting a solid two airline miles per dollar spent plus the bonus for large block transfers and getting a broader selection of airlines than Chase has. It is a tough call, but there is some value in the diversity.

This calculation is also why I will probably just pass on the new Hyatt card in the long run... I really don't see much value in that new card either, and spending an extra 20 bucks for the same hotel night is just silly... not to mention hardly worth it for 2000 points when I can just shoot the existing card and get a new one. There are almost no cases where I feel like I come out ahead on that card.
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Old Aug 2, 2018, 6:27 am
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Originally Posted by rrgg
No? Outside of using it at MR properties, can I ask why would someone spend anything on it? If you read through the last 2 months of posts in the other thread, lots of people are making it a "sock drawer" card, keeping it for hotel spending and the free night only.
http://www.syracusecityschools.com/t...-m1-topicD.pdf
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Old Aug 2, 2018, 6:47 am
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Actually one of the better and correctly written articles I have seen on our little obsession! Count me in the SPG camp of "I just don't trust Marriott" SPG loyalists.
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Old Aug 2, 2018, 7:28 am
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I didn't literally mean $0. No sure why it was necessary to insult me with that link.

If you're not switching to only putting MR/SPG/Ritz spending on this card, I'm asking why. There are lots of others who are going to $0 everyday spending on this card:

https://www.flyertalk.com/forum/star...uation-13.html
https://www.flyertalk.com/forum/star...thread-87.html
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Last edited by rrgg; Aug 2, 2018 at 7:56 am
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Old Aug 2, 2018, 7:44 am
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Originally Posted by christianj
<snip> Count me in the SPG camp of "I just don't trust Marriott" SPG loyalists.
Unfortunately, there isn't a bright future in being an SPG loyalist. That ship has sailed.

Regards
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