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Marriott Rewards and SPG Program Changes Announced 4/16/18 [Threads merged.]

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Beachclubmum said:
As someone with lifetime platinum status, I find this news very disturbing. Hotel points categories are going away and will be determined by market price at time of booking? Horrifying. We always weigh the points to price category when making a reservation and recently I've booked some good (expensive) rooms at the cat 4-5 level. Additionally, I've been making plans to put my DS up at a cat 1 Towne Place Suites for a month next year when he has to do rotations at an out of the way location. Hope I can lock down a booking before the changes are made.

On a side note, I've noticed some IT issues lately with online booking, including a couple that took over a week to get straightened out. Have to wonder what mess is going on with Marriott Rewards these days.
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I booked a travel package yesterday and was on hold for 40 minutes before someone came on. She had no clue what is a travel package, 7 vs. 5 nights, categories and points requirement. She put me on hold at least 5 times while she fumbled through what I wanted to achieve. Another 10 minutes or so I finallly said, you have not done one of these. She LIED and said she had, and put me on hold again and finally a different person came on and got it done for me. Long hold times and untrained agents seem to now be the norm of the Marriott rewards desk.
 
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VacationForever said:
Mine says "Renew Platinum Elite at 75 nights"
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Mine too. Says the same Renew Platinum Elite at 75 nifgts. Same as it always did.

This is still all speculation and it will be what it will be. However, if it comes to pass then we will all just have to suck it up and live with it.
 
MALC9990 said:
Mine too. Says the same Renew Platinum Elite at 75 nifgts. Same as it always did.

This is still all speculation and it will be what it will be. However, if it comes to pass then we will all just have to suck it up and live with it.
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I think people may be confusing Platinum Premier as being Platinum Elite. They are different. Platinum Elite is just regular Platinum. So nothing on the website has changed. Even if you are lifetime Platinum, it will always say "Renew" until you reach the annual milestone, which isn't applicable anyway.
 
dioxide45 said:
I think people may be confusing Platinum Premier as being Platinum Elite. They are different. Platinum Elite is just regular Platinum. So nothing on the website has changed. Even if you are lifetime Platinum, it will always say "Renew" until you reach the annual milestone, which isn't applicable anyway.
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I know. But rthib claimed that it showed up differently for him/her.
 
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VacationForever said:
I know. But rthib claimed that it showed up different for him/her.
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It seems to be hit an miss on app.
Mine say renew PP at 75.
Some folks who are gold are seeing platinum at 50
It appears platinum members are seeing the old platinum at 75
Marriott IT at it's finest.

Normal web page still just shows me as Platinum Elite bit at least when I call I get sent to the PP reps.
We will know all on Monday.
 
rthib said:
It seems to be hit an miss on app.
Mine say renew PP at 75.
Some folks who are gold are seeing platinum at 50
It appears platinum members are seeing the old platinum at 75
Marriott IT at it's finest.

Normal web page still just shows me as Platinum Elite bit at least when I call I get sent to the PP reps.
We will know all on Monday.
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Are you currently PP? If so, that maybe the difference in us who are regular P and yours is PP.
 
I have called the plat premiere line twice this past week and got the regular Marriott line. Waited 35 minutes on hold before someone answered. Last year it was answered within a minute.

Sent from my SM-N950U using Tapatalk
 
VacationForever said:
I booked a travel package yesterday and was on hold for 40 minutes before someone came on. She had no clue what is a travel package, 7 vs. 5 nights, categories and points requirement. She put me on hold at least 5 times while she fumbled through what I wanted to achieve. Another 10 minutes or so I finallly said, you have not done one of these. She LIED and said she had, and put me on hold again and finally a different person came on and got it done for me. Long hold times and untrained agents seem to now be the norm of the Marriott rewards desk.
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I called last night on Skype because we are in Spain st Playa Andaluza and got the recorded “please Hold” message twice in the first few minutes I was holding, then nothing for 30 minutes. Know I was still connected as the minutes were ticking away on my Skyppe $ account. Finally gave up as here in Spain it was after 1AM! In my first call, to what was supposed to be a Platinum MR line, the person said I’d have to call another number to purchase the travel package as she could not do it. Don’t look forward to calling again when the US line is open. Would the European MR line work for a US owner? Perhaps it would, have never tried that, but they would now be open. We used to have to book the 5 day pkg through the Marriott Vacation Club but when I called to do it before we left the US, they said all are booked through Rewards now.
 
Ann in CA said:
I called last night on Skype because we are in Spain st Playa Andaluza and got the recorded “please Hold” message twice in the first few minutes I was holding, then nothing for 30 minutes. Know I was still connected as the minutes were ticking away on my Skyppe $ account. Finally gave up as here in Spain it was after 1AM! In my first call, to what was supposed to be a Platinum MR line, the person said I’d have to call another number to purchase the travel package as she could not do it. Don’t look forward to calling again when the US line is open. Would the European MR line work for a US owner? Perhaps it would, have never tried that, but they would now be open. We used to have to book the 5 day pkg through the Marriott Vacation Club but when I called to do it before we left the US, they said all are booked through Rewards now.
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I don't know about European line. I tried 4 times, twice on the Platinum line and twice on the regular line. From the recording, they sounded exactly the same. As @frank808 post above, I suspected that the Platinum line was forwarded to the regular line. Twice out of the 4 times was like your experience where there was dead silence while holding. I hung up after 5 min each time and then either on the 4th or 5th time, I heard music and proceeded to hold and that hold was about 40 min before someone came on who did not have a clue. I spent about an hour. Yes, travel packages are all done through MR line now as MVC no longer does it. With the various options you need to choose "help with something else".
 
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frank808 said:
I have called the plat premiere line twice this past week and got the regular Marriott line. Waited 35 minutes on hold before someone answered. Last year it was answered within a minute.
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Strange. I called last week, didn't have to input number and got straight to the PP desk with a "Hello Mr. T, how can we help you"
But on the other side I was "upgraded" to a suite...that had the bedroom next to the equipment/electrical room for the elevator. So every few minutes - whine-thunk.
 
What I want to know is when will the 3 for 1 SPG to MAR points conversion end?
 
So if you are at Presidential Level in MVC, what would you be in Marriott Rewards now?
 
I’m relieved - the changes look positive overall.

https://members.marriott.com/faq

Gold becomes Platinum and Platinum becomes Platinum Premier.

Good news also for Lifetime Gold members who will become Lifetime Platinum.


Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk
 
Xpat said:
I’m relieved - the changes look positive overall.

https://members.marriott.com/faq

Gold becomes Platinum and Platinum becomes Platinum Premier.

Good news also for Lifetime Gold members who will become Lifetime Platinum.


Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk
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Unfortunately I would only be turning Lifetime Gold at year end and won't get to move to Lifetime Platinum. :(
 
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I can see from FAQ what they will be doing with outstanding e certificates but there doesn't seem to be any information on Travel Packages. Anyone hear anything?
 
WJS said:
Here are the facts (released 4/16/2018 4:30 PM EDST)

https://members.marriott.com/benefits/
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So, there were 2 ways it could have gone, reduce existing benefits and spread over more buckets, or, add new benefits for new higher levels. Looks like gold loses lounge access. However, it appears from the FAQ VacationForever posted that I end up at Platinum anyway, so, essentially, the same as before.
 
It appears the top tier will have both a 100 night stay and a $20,000 “qualifying spend” requirement. Does anyone know if MVCI stays and spending (MFs, for example) will count? TIA.
 
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