Yyz - yeg - yyz
Jul 19, 2020, 12:07 pm
#1
Original Poster
Join Date: Dec 2007
Location: Body in Downtown YYZ, heart and mind elsewhere
Programs: UA 50K, refugee from AC E50K, Marriott Lifetime Plat
Posts: 5,132
Yyz - yeg - yyz
After a lot of thought, I decided to fly from YYZ to YEG and back again. This was a 1-day trip which I did to accomplish a mattress run to solidify my quest for lifetime status at Marriott. (Though I still think of myself as an SPG guy ...)
Covid has wrought its chaos everywhere. Within Canada, we were hard-hit with far too many deaths but in recent weeks we've "flattened the curve" and things are slowly coming back. I took advantage of a Marriott points break redemption to score enough nights to shave 1.5y off my quest and off I went.
Saturday, July 18, 2020
The day started too early for me - 05h15 wake up. I did my morning routine then walked over to the UP Express for my ride to the airport.
Not many people were waiting for the 06h30 train.
Not many people onboard.
The train arrived and departed on time. As usual, the ride was smooth and uneventful. I had planned to arrive at the airport around 07h00 and that's exactly what happened. There was 1 UP employee on the train that I noticed, but no one came to check tickets like they usually do. I would be surprised if there were more than 20 pax onboard.
At YYZ itself, it was surprisingly busy. To enter the terminal, there are a couple of people who check to see if you're actually travelling. I showed my BP and was waved through. Some other people were trying to explain that they still need to check in and therefore don't have BPs yet. Airline employees in uniform of course were waved through as well. All this is part of Pearson Airport's attempt to reduce the number of people in the terminal Basically, if you're seeing someone off, you need to see them off outside and not in the terminal.
Inside the terminal, with the exception of very small children (less than 2y old), 100% of people I could see were wearing a mask. Most people had cloth masks, but many had surgical-grade masks and several had proper N95 variants. A few people also wore face-shields. As much as possible, people were mindful of physical distancing. It wasn't always 2m distance, but it was generally a healthy 1m that people tried to maintain from each other.
A rather busy check-in area at YYZ T1 Domestic.
Security was busy enough but since this was only the domestic area, things went pretty fast. I was stuck behind a person who was travelling with numerous shampoos for both herself and (I think) her dog. She also managed to cram an amazing amount of stuff into her carry-on, much of which had to be taken out to go through the x-ray machine. It was a picture-worthy moment but unfortunately, no pics in security.
On the other side of security, things seemed initially quiet.
The board wasn't full like it usually is, but things are clearly coming back from the full shutdown we were in just a few weeks ago.
A seemingly-quiet YYZ T1 Domestic.
All the lounges in YYZ are closed so I made my way to Gate D58 where things really picked up. The stores and restaurants were generally open. Per Province of Ontario rules, you couldn't sit in the restaurants but take-out was OK. The lines to the usual places - Tim Horton's, Starbucks, A&W - were really long. I arrived around 07h10 and I estimated 45min lineups at Timmies & Starbucks. I decided to go for A&W which looked shorter, only to discover too late that I was actually in line for Boccone Cafe. Oh well ... 25min later I managed to score a breakfast sandwich, 1L bottle of water and a small OJ for a mere $17. Gotta luv airport prices ...
At Gate D58, there were a lot of people waiting.
Lots of pax waiting to fly to YEG on a Saturday morning.
My ride to YEG - a nice, new A220.
Pre-boarding there was the usual announcement to please board only when your zone is called. Interestingly, it actually worked. No one rushed the gate to line up, and as much as possible, physical distancing was obeyed.
Onboard, it was a surprisingly full flight. The A220 runs a 2x3 config in the back of the bus. I purposely chose row 30C in the hopes I would have the empty seat beside me. On check-in, I changed to 32C because the flight was looking full. In the end, I did not get the empty seat beside me. I would estimate there were less than 10 seats empty in the back of the bus. How surprising that there were that many people flying to YEG on a Saturday morning! Interestingly, many pax were speaking en français and were clearly from Quebec. I wonder why they flew YYZ-YEG?
Boarding not complete and the plane was already pretty full. In the end, we basically had a full flight.
I'm sure there was an announcement after boarding was complete along with the usual safety video. I missed it because I dozed off. Nonetheless I remain confident that my safety is Air Canada's #1 priority which is why they're happy to pack us in with a 90%+ load.
And since my safety is Air Canada's #1 priority, they're reducing service in the cabin to basically nothing. You can't even buy food onboard. The cabin crew for this flight was polite and efficient, but once they had dished out the care package, they retreated behind the curtain never to be seen again. Even when the seatbelt light came on, there were no announcements. And when a few pax made for the lavs while the light was on, there was no admonishment to please stay in your seat. Basically, this crew handed out the care package and that was their job for the entire flight.
The now-standard AC care package + (free!!) headphones.
One of the FAs chose to wear a disposable gown over her uniform. She also wore a full face shield.
I compliment the FA for choosing to take extra steps to stay safe in these interesting times. I think her choices were reasonable and quite inoffensive. I do however take issue with AC corporate for going through the theatre of security / safety and not taking actual measures such as limiting pax loads. Hiding behind "security" has never been something I've been in favour of when it comes to flying. Reasonable measures are completely justified, but if AC mainline wants to become a LCC, then just say so and be done with it.
That said, I continue to be impressed with the A220. I've flown it on LX before and now AC. I'm convinced that the guys at Bombardier got this plane right. The plane is comfortable, the IFE is top notch, the airflow in the cabin is good, the use of LED lighting is both pleasant and undoubtedly efficient, and the plane is designed to accommodate modern commonalities such as USB ports for charging your devices. Even the lav layout is pretty good. Airplane lavs are necessarily small, but on the A220 you don't feel quite so confined. I do wish the sink was a little bit larger / put the tap a little higher up, but overall it's not bad for a small plane.
I love this IFE view!
There's always something special when an AC plane gets close to Gimli.
Other than a few turbulence bumps along the way, the flight was uneventful and we arrived pretty much on time at YEG. I was surprised though at how quiet things were inside the terminal, given how busy YYZ was.
Anyone home?
A nice welcome!
From YEG, I caught a taxi to my hotel. The drive was quiet with hardly any traffic.
After I checked in, I caught an Uber back to YEG. Once again, there was hardly any traffic along the way.
The terminal was basically empty. I went straight through security and after swabbing my deadly iPad I was on my way to explore the terminal. Only there wasn't anything to explore.
The terminal was adequately architecturally pleasing, but pretty much everything was closed. Chili's restaurant, The Hudson News, the Chinese restaurant (Wok something) and the Belgian restaurant at the end of the terminal were open, but everything else was closed. Again, I was surprised at how closed YEG was relative to a fairly bustling YYZ. I would have expected that Timmies & Starbucks would be open. Needless to say, both the MLL and PPL were closed.
Closed and kinda dark as well since many lights were off.
Really quiet.
A rather nice green wall.
After my tour of YEG departures level I wandered over to Gate 50 to await the flight back to YYZ. I chose a bench that I had to myself and settled in. Sadly I was well within earshot of a young lady who was having a conversation with her Mom where she was describing enthusiastically how her wedding dress would hug her body tightly and that her hip would show but that it would be both tasteful and sexy at the same time. Mom clearly had a different opinion. Undeterred, the young lady urged Mom to show the pictures - all the pictures - to Dad who surely would be more supportive. Alas, she seemed disappointment when Dad apparently shared the same opinion as Mom. Still determined to make this her wedding, she then proceeded with other details at which point I chose a more remote place to sit.
For the flight back, there was again a preboarding announcement to please respect the zone numbers. Again, this was respected and no one rushed the gate.
Sitting where I belong - at the front of the bus. :-)
The flight back was on a tired but clean A321. The crew on this flight was ably lead by Trevor the SD who ran a tight show. It's amazing what difference a good SD makes. This flight was quite empty. J was 50% so Trevor shuffled us around so we each had an empty seat beside us. I took a quick peek in the back and there weren't that many people there.
Nice architecture at YEG. I think these are the admin offices for the airport.
They grow fields and fields of nice yellow flowers just outside of YEG.
Before takeoff, Trevor the SD distributed the care packages to us in the J cabin. I believe he had his colleague do the same in Y. Once we hit cruising altitude, the cold chicken wrap was distributed in J. It wasn't much, but better than the nothing you get in the back of the bus. During this flight, Trevor made the standard seat belt announcements (in both languages) when the light came on.
Mmm ... cold chicken ...
I dozed on & off during the flight and before long we were on approach to YYZ.
In YYZ, we grow fields and fields of houses.
For a bit of contrast, sometimes we grow rows of tall towers.
One of the things I really like about flying domestic - you fly for hours and you're still in the same country. So no customs to manoeuvre through; you just walk out and that's that.
Back on the UP for my ride downtown, there was only 1 other guy in my compartment. Along the way, I think 2 other people got on at Bloor Station. Once again, no one came by to check that I paid my fare.
Hey! Learn how to use a mask!
I always thought it would take the zombie apocalypse to make YYZ look like this and not "some little flu".
So that was it. One full flight to YEG, one fairly empty flight back. Clearly things are still far from normal when it comes to flying. But there are signs that 124 days after lockdown, things are coming back.
Covid has wrought its chaos everywhere. Within Canada, we were hard-hit with far too many deaths but in recent weeks we've "flattened the curve" and things are slowly coming back. I took advantage of a Marriott points break redemption to score enough nights to shave 1.5y off my quest and off I went.
Saturday, July 18, 2020
The day started too early for me - 05h15 wake up. I did my morning routine then walked over to the UP Express for my ride to the airport.
Not many people were waiting for the 06h30 train.
Not many people onboard.
The train arrived and departed on time. As usual, the ride was smooth and uneventful. I had planned to arrive at the airport around 07h00 and that's exactly what happened. There was 1 UP employee on the train that I noticed, but no one came to check tickets like they usually do. I would be surprised if there were more than 20 pax onboard.
At YYZ itself, it was surprisingly busy. To enter the terminal, there are a couple of people who check to see if you're actually travelling. I showed my BP and was waved through. Some other people were trying to explain that they still need to check in and therefore don't have BPs yet. Airline employees in uniform of course were waved through as well. All this is part of Pearson Airport's attempt to reduce the number of people in the terminal Basically, if you're seeing someone off, you need to see them off outside and not in the terminal.
Inside the terminal, with the exception of very small children (less than 2y old), 100% of people I could see were wearing a mask. Most people had cloth masks, but many had surgical-grade masks and several had proper N95 variants. A few people also wore face-shields. As much as possible, people were mindful of physical distancing. It wasn't always 2m distance, but it was generally a healthy 1m that people tried to maintain from each other.
A rather busy check-in area at YYZ T1 Domestic.
Security was busy enough but since this was only the domestic area, things went pretty fast. I was stuck behind a person who was travelling with numerous shampoos for both herself and (I think) her dog. She also managed to cram an amazing amount of stuff into her carry-on, much of which had to be taken out to go through the x-ray machine. It was a picture-worthy moment but unfortunately, no pics in security.
On the other side of security, things seemed initially quiet.
The board wasn't full like it usually is, but things are clearly coming back from the full shutdown we were in just a few weeks ago.
A seemingly-quiet YYZ T1 Domestic.
All the lounges in YYZ are closed so I made my way to Gate D58 where things really picked up. The stores and restaurants were generally open. Per Province of Ontario rules, you couldn't sit in the restaurants but take-out was OK. The lines to the usual places - Tim Horton's, Starbucks, A&W - were really long. I arrived around 07h10 and I estimated 45min lineups at Timmies & Starbucks. I decided to go for A&W which looked shorter, only to discover too late that I was actually in line for Boccone Cafe. Oh well ... 25min later I managed to score a breakfast sandwich, 1L bottle of water and a small OJ for a mere $17. Gotta luv airport prices ...
At Gate D58, there were a lot of people waiting.
Lots of pax waiting to fly to YEG on a Saturday morning.
My ride to YEG - a nice, new A220.
Pre-boarding there was the usual announcement to please board only when your zone is called. Interestingly, it actually worked. No one rushed the gate to line up, and as much as possible, physical distancing was obeyed.
Onboard, it was a surprisingly full flight. The A220 runs a 2x3 config in the back of the bus. I purposely chose row 30C in the hopes I would have the empty seat beside me. On check-in, I changed to 32C because the flight was looking full. In the end, I did not get the empty seat beside me. I would estimate there were less than 10 seats empty in the back of the bus. How surprising that there were that many people flying to YEG on a Saturday morning! Interestingly, many pax were speaking en français and were clearly from Quebec. I wonder why they flew YYZ-YEG?
Boarding not complete and the plane was already pretty full. In the end, we basically had a full flight.
I'm sure there was an announcement after boarding was complete along with the usual safety video. I missed it because I dozed off. Nonetheless I remain confident that my safety is Air Canada's #1 priority which is why they're happy to pack us in with a 90%+ load.
And since my safety is Air Canada's #1 priority, they're reducing service in the cabin to basically nothing. You can't even buy food onboard. The cabin crew for this flight was polite and efficient, but once they had dished out the care package, they retreated behind the curtain never to be seen again. Even when the seatbelt light came on, there were no announcements. And when a few pax made for the lavs while the light was on, there was no admonishment to please stay in your seat. Basically, this crew handed out the care package and that was their job for the entire flight.
The now-standard AC care package + (free!!) headphones.
One of the FAs chose to wear a disposable gown over her uniform. She also wore a full face shield.
I compliment the FA for choosing to take extra steps to stay safe in these interesting times. I think her choices were reasonable and quite inoffensive. I do however take issue with AC corporate for going through the theatre of security / safety and not taking actual measures such as limiting pax loads. Hiding behind "security" has never been something I've been in favour of when it comes to flying. Reasonable measures are completely justified, but if AC mainline wants to become a LCC, then just say so and be done with it.
That said, I continue to be impressed with the A220. I've flown it on LX before and now AC. I'm convinced that the guys at Bombardier got this plane right. The plane is comfortable, the IFE is top notch, the airflow in the cabin is good, the use of LED lighting is both pleasant and undoubtedly efficient, and the plane is designed to accommodate modern commonalities such as USB ports for charging your devices. Even the lav layout is pretty good. Airplane lavs are necessarily small, but on the A220 you don't feel quite so confined. I do wish the sink was a little bit larger / put the tap a little higher up, but overall it's not bad for a small plane.
I love this IFE view!
There's always something special when an AC plane gets close to Gimli.
Other than a few turbulence bumps along the way, the flight was uneventful and we arrived pretty much on time at YEG. I was surprised though at how quiet things were inside the terminal, given how busy YYZ was.
Anyone home?
A nice welcome!
From YEG, I caught a taxi to my hotel. The drive was quiet with hardly any traffic.
After I checked in, I caught an Uber back to YEG. Once again, there was hardly any traffic along the way.
The terminal was basically empty. I went straight through security and after swabbing my deadly iPad I was on my way to explore the terminal. Only there wasn't anything to explore.
The terminal was adequately architecturally pleasing, but pretty much everything was closed. Chili's restaurant, The Hudson News, the Chinese restaurant (Wok something) and the Belgian restaurant at the end of the terminal were open, but everything else was closed. Again, I was surprised at how closed YEG was relative to a fairly bustling YYZ. I would have expected that Timmies & Starbucks would be open. Needless to say, both the MLL and PPL were closed.Closed and kinda dark as well since many lights were off.
Really quiet.
A rather nice green wall.
After my tour of YEG departures level I wandered over to Gate 50 to await the flight back to YYZ. I chose a bench that I had to myself and settled in. Sadly I was well within earshot of a young lady who was having a conversation with her Mom where she was describing enthusiastically how her wedding dress would hug her body tightly and that her hip would show but that it would be both tasteful and sexy at the same time. Mom clearly had a different opinion. Undeterred, the young lady urged Mom to show the pictures - all the pictures - to Dad who surely would be more supportive. Alas, she seemed disappointment when Dad apparently shared the same opinion as Mom. Still determined to make this her wedding, she then proceeded with other details at which point I chose a more remote place to sit.
For the flight back, there was again a preboarding announcement to please respect the zone numbers. Again, this was respected and no one rushed the gate.
Sitting where I belong - at the front of the bus. :-)
The flight back was on a tired but clean A321. The crew on this flight was ably lead by Trevor the SD who ran a tight show. It's amazing what difference a good SD makes. This flight was quite empty. J was 50% so Trevor shuffled us around so we each had an empty seat beside us. I took a quick peek in the back and there weren't that many people there.
Nice architecture at YEG. I think these are the admin offices for the airport.
They grow fields and fields of nice yellow flowers just outside of YEG.
Before takeoff, Trevor the SD distributed the care packages to us in the J cabin. I believe he had his colleague do the same in Y. Once we hit cruising altitude, the cold chicken wrap was distributed in J. It wasn't much, but better than the nothing you get in the back of the bus. During this flight, Trevor made the standard seat belt announcements (in both languages) when the light came on.
Mmm ... cold chicken ...
I dozed on & off during the flight and before long we were on approach to YYZ.
In YYZ, we grow fields and fields of houses.
For a bit of contrast, sometimes we grow rows of tall towers.
One of the things I really like about flying domestic - you fly for hours and you're still in the same country. So no customs to manoeuvre through; you just walk out and that's that.
Back on the UP for my ride downtown, there was only 1 other guy in my compartment. Along the way, I think 2 other people got on at Bloor Station. Once again, no one came by to check that I paid my fare.
Hey! Learn how to use a mask!
I always thought it would take the zombie apocalypse to make YYZ look like this and not "some little flu".
So that was it. One full flight to YEG, one fairly empty flight back. Clearly things are still far from normal when it comes to flying. But there are signs that 124 days after lockdown, things are coming back.
Last edited by RCyyz; Jul 19, 2020 at 12:19 pm
Jul 19, 2020, 12:30 pm
#2
Join Date: Sep 2009
Location: Nanaimo, BC, Canada
Programs: Alaska, WestJet
Posts: 3
Perfect!
Thanks! We'll be in YYZ for six hours this Friday, 24 July, making our way from GDL to YHZ. This is just the information I was looking for re available services. Business class or no, AM won't be feeding us anything on a 5 hour flight; good to know there'll be something available after our onboard picnic.
Jul 19, 2020, 3:32 pm
#5
Join Date: Dec 2008
Location: YOW, LHR, SIN
Programs: AC-SE, EK-G, GF-G
Posts: 674
Thanks for sharing! I am just curious, if your main purpose was to stay at a Marriott property for one-night to acquire lifetime status, couldn't you have just stayed at an eligible hotel in Toronto, rather than flying all the way to Edmonton?
Jul 19, 2020, 4:58 pm
#6
Original Poster
Join Date: Dec 2007
Location: Body in Downtown YYZ, heart and mind elsewhere
Programs: UA 50K, refugee from AC E50K, Marriott Lifetime Plat
Posts: 5,132
I booked a 50-night stay on points. It was cheapest in YEG vs anywhere else. Actually, it was cheapest in Pittsburgh but I'm not going to the US for any reason! So yes, I flew to YEG to check in then came back home. I was honest with the check-in lady at the Four Points Sheraton - I told her I wasn't staying and that I merely needed 50 nights on my account. She cheerfully said OK and noted that I would get my Make A Green Choice points after they checked me out 50 days hence. She added in a neutral voice "Your address is Toronto". To which I replied equally neutrally "Yes". And that was that.
Jul 19, 2020, 11:51 pm
#8
FlyerTalk Evangelist
Join Date: Jun 2010
Location: TOA
Programs: HH Diamond, Marriott LTPP/Platinum Premier, Hyatt Lame-ist, UA !K
Posts: 20,061
Cool trip report.
Was going to ask about the reason why you went Marriott mattress running in YEG but your latest post answered that question.
WRT the francophone connection to YEG: Francophone heritage in Alberta | Alberta.ca - goes back a ways
WRT the yellow flower fields - those are canola/rapeseed: Fields of Gold. Canola in bloom - Edmonton Alberta Canada - their photo looks almost like they took theirs about where you took yours.
David
Was going to ask about the reason why you went Marriott mattress running in YEG but your latest post answered that question.
WRT the francophone connection to YEG: Francophone heritage in Alberta | Alberta.ca - goes back a ways
WRT the yellow flower fields - those are canola/rapeseed: Fields of Gold. Canola in bloom - Edmonton Alberta Canada - their photo looks almost like they took theirs about where you took yours.
David
Jul 20, 2020, 8:59 am
#9
Join Date: Sep 2005
Programs: AC MM E50 , Former SPG, now Marriott LT Plat
Posts: 6,262
I'm sorry, I have to ask.
How do you reckon that getting closer to lifetime status is worth more than the points cost of 50 nights?
I assume you redeemed 10 x 20,000 points for 5 nights each = 200,000 points.
That would be worth about 8-10 nights in a decent hotel, or even 50 nights in a Cat 1 if and when you can really use them.
Why would you want to waste them for this?
I can understand ( and have done) Mattress Runs for annual status, but for lifetime status?
How do you reckon that getting closer to lifetime status is worth more than the points cost of 50 nights?
I assume you redeemed 10 x 20,000 points for 5 nights each = 200,000 points.
That would be worth about 8-10 nights in a decent hotel, or even 50 nights in a Cat 1 if and when you can really use them.
Why would you want to waste them for this?
I can understand ( and have done) Mattress Runs for annual status, but for lifetime status?
Jul 20, 2020, 11:55 am
#10
FlyerTalk Evangelist
Join Date: May 2008
Location: San Francisco
Programs: GM on VX, UA, AA, HA, AS, SY; Budget Fastbreak
Posts: 27,588
Don't be silly. This is FlyerTalk - why would I stay in my home town when I could fly somewhere instead?
I booked a 50-night stay on points. It was cheapest in YEG vs anywhere else. Actually, it was cheapest in Pittsburgh but I'm not going to the US for any reason! So yes, I flew to YEG to check in then came back home. I was honest with the check-in lady at the Four Points Sheraton - I told her I wasn't staying and that I merely needed 50 nights on my account. She cheerfully said OK and noted that I would get my Make A Green Choice points after they checked me out 50 days hence. She added in a neutral voice "Your address is Toronto". To which I replied equally neutrally "Yes". And that was that.
I booked a 50-night stay on points. It was cheapest in YEG vs anywhere else. Actually, it was cheapest in Pittsburgh but I'm not going to the US for any reason! So yes, I flew to YEG to check in then came back home. I was honest with the check-in lady at the Four Points Sheraton - I told her I wasn't staying and that I merely needed 50 nights on my account. She cheerfully said OK and noted that I would get my Make A Green Choice points after they checked me out 50 days hence. She added in a neutral voice "Your address is Toronto". To which I replied equally neutrally "Yes". And that was that.
did anyone at YEG (or YYZ!?) ask about your very short visit in YEG?
Cool trip report.
Was going to ask about the reason why you went Marriott mattress running in YEG but your latest post answered that question.
WRT the francophone connection to YEG: Francophone heritage in Alberta | Alberta.ca - goes back a ways
WRT the yellow flower fields - those are canola/rapeseed: Fields of Gold. Canola in bloom - Edmonton Alberta Canada - their photo looks almost like they took theirs about where you took yours.
Was going to ask about the reason why you went Marriott mattress running in YEG but your latest post answered that question.
WRT the francophone connection to YEG: Francophone heritage in Alberta | Alberta.ca - goes back a ways
WRT the yellow flower fields - those are canola/rapeseed: Fields of Gold. Canola in bloom - Edmonton Alberta Canada - their photo looks almost like they took theirs about where you took yours.
I'm sorry, I have to ask.
How do you reckon that getting closer to lifetime status is worth more than the points cost of 50 nights?
I assume you redeemed 10 x 20,000 points for 5 nights each = 200,000 points.
That would be worth about 8-10 nights in a decent hotel, or even 50 nights in a Cat 1 if and when you can really use them.
Why would you want to waste them for this?
I can understand ( and have done) Mattress Runs for annual status, but for lifetime status?
How do you reckon that getting closer to lifetime status is worth more than the points cost of 50 nights?
I assume you redeemed 10 x 20,000 points for 5 nights each = 200,000 points.
That would be worth about 8-10 nights in a decent hotel, or even 50 nights in a Cat 1 if and when you can really use them.
Why would you want to waste them for this?
I can understand ( and have done) Mattress Runs for annual status, but for lifetime status?
Jul 20, 2020, 1:11 pm
#11
Join Date: Sep 2005
Programs: AC MM E50 , Former SPG, now Marriott LT Plat
Posts: 6,262
Lifetime status does not give any extra benefits over annual status, other than not needing to requalify every year.
No discounts, no bonus earnings.
That is why I do not understand this.
No discounts, no bonus earnings.
That is why I do not understand this.
Aug 15, 2020, 2:32 am
#12
Join Date: Mar 2017
Location: British Columbia
Programs: AS MVPG100K, Marriott Marriott Titanium Elite, Hilton Gold
Posts: 7,263
Lifetime Platinum requires 10 years as Platinum Elite (no requirement that they be consecutive) and 600 lifetime nights. The OP has the 10 years at Platinum or higher, but is short on the 600 nights.
Some Bonvoy members have millions of points (they can be earned through co-branded credit cards too) while others, like me, earn and burn them.
The value of Marriott Bonvoy points is 0.7 to 0.8 cents each so if it was 200K, that is USD $1,400 - $1,600 for 50 nights or $28 - $32 per night without a penny spent out of pocket.
In the interim, while he is earning the nights to achieve Lifetime Platinum without being physically present, he has opportunity to stay with another chain to start earning status there. If I had the years but not the nights and was long on points, I would do the same. That would be more valuable to me than spending TWO nights at a category 8 hotel during peak pricing.
Everybody values Loyalty programs differently. It isn't a one size fits all. I once flew 28,388 miles around the world to get from Sydney to Toyko. (SYD-AKL-PPT-IPC-SCL-MAD-LHR-SEZ-DXB-NRT) in J for $2700, $300 per segment. It was great value and secured another year as Top Tier in my primary FF program.
James
Feb 12, 2021, 9:40 pm
#14
Original Poster
Join Date: Dec 2007
Location: Body in Downtown YYZ, heart and mind elsewhere
Programs: UA 50K, refugee from AC E50K, Marriott Lifetime Plat
Posts: 5,132
Sorry for the late reply!
Yes - the nights posted without problem. And I'm now a freshly-minted Lifetime Platinum member!
Was it worth it? It was admittedly kinda crazy, but this is FlyerTalk so it's far from the craziest points-based status-chasing thing anyone has done here. I'm glad to have my lifetime status and I'll enjoy the perks without having to chase requalification every year. So yes, I'm glad I had this little experience.
Yes - the nights posted without problem. And I'm now a freshly-minted Lifetime Platinum member!
Was it worth it? It was admittedly kinda crazy, but this is FlyerTalk so it's far from the craziest points-based status-chasing thing anyone has done here. I'm glad to have my lifetime status and I'll enjoy the perks without having to chase requalification every year. So yes, I'm glad I had this little experience.