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Survey: Tell us what you think about our partnership with Marriott Bonvoy

Survey: Tell us what you think about our partnership with Marriott Bonvoy

Old Oct 30, 2019, 11:56 pm
  #16  
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As someone who earns Marriott status the hard way, I'm 100% fine with the current set-up. And see no good reason that Marriott should give the same benefits to a 9 night per year customer that it gives to a 99 nights per year customer.
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Old Oct 31, 2019, 12:18 am
  #17  
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Originally Posted by Kacee
As someone who earns Marriott status the hard way, I'm 100% fine with the current set-up. And see no good reason that Marriott should give the same benefits to a 9 night per year customer that it gives to a 99 nights per year customer.
I can see that. Id be happy with a free food item and beverage in the Marriott restaurant at breakfast time for UA 1K/GS. Can do w/o the lounge access.
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Old Oct 31, 2019, 12:28 am
  #18  
 
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Originally Posted by Kacee
As someone who earns Marriott status the hard way, I'm 100% fine with the current set-up. And see no good reason that Marriott should give the same benefits to a 9 night per year customer that it gives to a 99 nights per year customer.
I understand your viewpoint although I am not sure how lounge access by a 9 night per year customer limits your lounge access - it is not like a finite number of seats on a plane. Although now I have moved to Hilton I am unlikely to move back to Marriott. Nonetheless I saw lots of comments by GS/1K members who were not happy with the downgrade in benefits with Marriott.

There were comments on the UA FT board that the downgrade in benefits would see a flight from Marriott and Marriott would be back once it hit their bottom line. I am curious about the genesis of the survey.
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Old Oct 31, 2019, 12:39 am
  #19  
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Originally Posted by Aussienarelle
I understand your viewpoint although I am not sure how lounge access by a 9 night per year customer limits your lounge access - it is not like a finite number of seats on a plane.
Lounge space is finite, so giving more people access absolutely impacts my experience. But I wasn't really referring to the lounges (as I'm not really a lounge person). My main issue is that Plat and Titanium upgrades generally come from the same pool. And yes, I object to the <20 night per year customer potentially beating me to an upgrade when I'm spending over $20k per year with Marriott.

Originally Posted by Aussienarelle
There were comments on the UA FT board that the downgrade in benefits would see a flight from Marriott and Marriott would be back once it hit their bottom line. I am curious about the genesis of the survey.
Take FT commentary with a grain of salt. Marriott is doing just fine, despite totally botching the SPG merger.
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Old Oct 31, 2019, 1:26 am
  #20  
 
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Originally Posted by Kacee
Lounge space is finite, so giving more people access absolutely impacts my experience. But I wasn't really referring to the lounges (as I'm not really a lounge person). My main issue is that Plat and Titanium upgrades generally come from the same pool. And yes, I object to the <20 night per year customer potentially beating me to an upgrade when I'm spending over $20k per year with Marriott.

You are, of course, 100% correct here: it just all depends which side of the issue one happens to be on!
I had an issue when UA "gave away" 1K status a few years back, and I thought that was pretty unfair to anyone who earned it the "hard" way.


With the Bonvoy/Marriott-SPG merger it was all just a huge tease, so it still leaves a sour taste for many of us after the benefit was stripped away.


Although some might say:

'Tis better to have Platinum Elite status and lost
Than never to have Platinum Elite status at all.

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Old Oct 31, 2019, 2:30 am
  #21  
 
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I found.the survey surprisedly well thought out. As someone with several ‘Lifetime’ upper level statuses(?) all acquired by the BIS method. I am a bit jaded but I can see receiving one higher level than you currently have.
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Old Oct 31, 2019, 3:03 am
  #22  
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Originally Posted by Kacee
As someone who earns Marriott status the hard way, I'm 100% fine with the current set-up. And see no good reason that Marriott should give the same benefits to a 9 night per year customer that it gives to a 99 nights per year customer.
And this is why I’m pursuing LT Bonvoy Plat as mentioned above, even though I have Hilton Diamond almost locked for life. Hilton gives Diamond away for a net $200-something cost with the cash rebates alone (even less if you take and use other benefits, which are great, I’ll admit, and a wonderful way to earn points).

I agree with Kacee. The 10 to 20-night Aspire cardholder receives the EXACT same treatment on property as me, a near 1000-night soon to be (I mean eventually to be) lifetime Diamond, with 70 paid/award nights this year.

Sure, you get milestone bonuses for every 10 nights above 40 and earnings are pretty good, but I’ve noticed a HUGE drop in upgrades and HUGE increase in lounge crowds since: The straight-to-Diamond credit card and the merger and the defectors from Bonvoy.

For those that hit Diamond organically by nights, segments or points, at least call it Diamond Plus or Diamond60 (Diamond1K for LT might get a cease and desist from UA ). Distinguish the CC holders from the true earners with easier access to upgrades, or maybe reserved seats in lounges like AMEX or some airlines do. @:-)
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Old Oct 31, 2019, 4:18 am
  #23  
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As a Titanium at Marriott, who earns it the hard way, let's not turn the Bonvoy program into the next equivalent of the Argentine Peso. Bonvoy is the one of only few programs that offer guaranteed 4PM late checkout to Plats and above and and the last thing we need is to bloat the ranks of Plats+ and then start taking things away because the hotels can't cope with the high numbers anymore.
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Old Oct 31, 2019, 7:51 am
  #24  
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Although you had to agree not to disclose any of the contents of the survey, and I too added my deprecation of the dilution of status and benefits under the Marriott restructuring, one of the more interesting elements to the survey was the possible developments listed on which one was able to comment: for example, the hotel being told by United to hold your room if your flight is delayed, the hotel extending your departture if your departing flight is delayed, being automatically told on arrival whether or not there is a hotel shuttle (and that would be especially useful for late-night delayed arrivals), and so on. All this would mean Marriott and United sharing information, and the survey also asked how you would feel about that happening.
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Old Oct 31, 2019, 7:56 am
  #25  
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Originally Posted by IAH-OIL-TRASH
Marriott lost my 9 nights in London this year. Theyre not getting my 9-10 London nights next year. All I wanted is breakfast to balance out their higher rates vs similar hotels. If I get the survey, I will vote for the Plat to GS/1K suggestion.
Interesting balance though. Your 9 nights vs. my 99 nights ... where I was close to jump ship because lounges were so severely overcrowded due to the flooding the match to Platinum caused.
Marriott made a smart choice to limit to Gold.
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Old Oct 31, 2019, 8:03 am
  #26  
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Originally Posted by MBS MillionMiler
And this is why Im pursuing LT Bonvoy Plat as mentioned above, even though I have Hilton Diamond almost locked for life. Hilton gives Diamond away for a net $200-something cost with the cash rebates alone (even less if you take and use other benefits, which are great, Ill admit, and a wonderful way to earn points).

I agree with Kacee. The 10 to 20-night Aspire cardholder receives the EXACT same treatment on property as me, a near 1000-night soon to be (I mean eventually to be) lifetime Diamond, with 70 paid/award nights this year.

Sure, you get milestone bonuses for every 10 nights above 40 and earnings are pretty good, but Ive noticed a HUGE drop in upgrades and HUGE increase in lounge crowds since: The straight-to-Diamond credit card and the merger and the defectors from Bonvoy.

For those that hit Diamond organically by nights, segments or points, at least call it Diamond Plus or Diamond60 (Diamond1K for LT might get a cease and desist from UA ). Distinguish the CC holders from the true earners with easier access to upgrades, or maybe reserved seats in lounges like AMEX or some airlines do. @:-)
I agree that the CC awarding the top tier status is a bit ridiculous. I actually didn't care a hoot about free breakfasts/lounge, or 4pm checkout but now with kid in tow, they're actually quite useful - getting her breakfast and being able to stay for a 1pm naptime. Having said that, all the new pseudo special TA bookings (the STELLAR, or whatever) you can get most of the important benefits w/o the status.
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Old Oct 31, 2019, 9:12 am
  #27  
 
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I didn't get the survey. I've shifted most of my business over to Hilton, because I get free breakfast as a Gold. I have only given 2 nights to Marriott since the downgrade from Platinum to Gold -- and that was only because it was the event hotel, so it was purely out of convenience. (I did also give them 4 nights as part of a group tour, but I didn't get credit for those nights and had no control over the booking, so I guess that doesn't count.)

I do still consider Marriott, but when I look at the total cost (room + breakfast and/or lounge-level), Hilton wins. I would love for UA to bump us back up to Marriott Platinum, but if they don't, c'est la vie. I'm certainly not losing any sleep over it.
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Old Oct 31, 2019, 10:45 am
  #28  
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Originally Posted by cfischer
Interesting balance though. Your 9 nights vs. my 99 nights ... where I was close to jump ship because lounges were so severely overcrowded due to the flooding the match to Platinum caused.
Marriott made a smart choice to limit to Gold.
Yeah, I was part of that crowd and I can see where Marriott "residents" would be annoyed. Gold, however. seems pretty useless. It doesn't entice me to overpay for a Marriott when I can stay at any number of equivalent-quality hotels in London and get breakfast, too. If Marriott were to provide free breakfast to 1K/GS, that would get me back. That shouldn't annoy the "residents".
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Old Oct 31, 2019, 11:05 am
  #29  
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Originally Posted by IAH-OIL-TRASH
If Marriott were to provide free breakfast to 1K/GS, that would get me back. That shouldn't annoy the "residents".
Except breakfast at most Marriott properties is in the lounge, which leads directly to the lounge overcrowding issue.

When I had the free Gold through UA I always felt it was too good to be true.
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Old Oct 31, 2019, 12:57 pm
  #30  
 
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I got the survey. I told them this partnership is completely worthless for someone like me. Lifetime Titanium with Marriott Bonvoy, and Lifetime Gold current 1K with UAMP. I earned all the Elite benefits the hard way, 1MM BIS and >1000 nights.
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