Merger update from "points guy" [Integrating SPG / Marriott Rewards]

[myip]

From duke post #43

duke
TUG Member

How did you get silver status on United? I just linked up my SPG with Marriott. I just got Marriott Platinum.

Log in Marriott web site: click on My Account at top of page in right hand corner, Click on Discover Benefits, Click on Whats New, Scroll down to middle of page and CLICK ON REWARDSPLUS - then Learn More.

Marriott Platinum get automatic UNITED AIRLINES SILVER STATUS through the RewardsPlus Marriott program.

Thanks for the info.

 

[LisaRex]

I'm glad that they are giving a 1:3 ratio. I assumed they'd match elite status but I didn't think they'd offer triple points. So that's good. I'll definitely miss the sweet redemption rate for bigger cities, such as San Fran, NYC, Boston and DC.

I noticed that there was no mention of the San Diego timeshare. I guess it'll be a moot point for me in a few months. I'm in the middle of selling SVV, though, so assuming it goes through, I'll no longer be a SVN/ VSE owner as of 12/3.

 

[OKPACIFIC]

Not to disappoint you, but United Silver does not get much other than occasional Economy Plus and a couple more UA miles. You have the potential for upgrades but good luck with that.

On the flip side, it's a free perk, so I guess it is a plus.

FWIW, around the second week of July we got a round trip upgrade to first class on an Oklahoma City to Punta Cana DR flight with just United silver status. It pleasantly surprised us to say the least, but it does happen once in a while.

 

[The Haileys]

I'm trying to compare Starwood vs Marriott properties for our planned trip to Hawaii. I see that the Sheraton Kona and a Courtyard have the exact same redemption amount for our stay after the 1 to 3 point conversion, but Marriott has more options for upgrades. That's where it gets confusing. What are eCertificates and Upgrade Rewards that I see as options to get better views or bigger rooms?



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[Helios]

FWIW, around the second week of July we got a round trip upgrade to first class on an Oklahoma City to Punta Cana DR flight with just United silver status. It pleasantly surprised us to say the least, but it does happen once in a while.

It does happen, but not often.

 

[YYJMSP]

I'm trying to compare Starwood vs Marriott properties for our planned trip to Hawaii. I see that the Sheraton Kona and a Courtyard have the exact same redemption amount for our stay after the 1 to 3 point conversion, but Marriott has more options for upgrades. That's where it gets confusing. What are eCertificates and Upgrade Rewards that I see as options to get better views or bigger rooms?

Trying to understand the Marriott lingo myself.

eCertificates look like they are the same as the SPG Awards, internal (electronic) paperwork that corresponds to your points booking. Nothing you have to worry about, unless it says you have to supplement the eCertificate with money, in which case it's like the SPG Cash + Points booking. One thing I might like about the Marriott way of doing things is that it appears you can make a points booking, even if you don't currently have the points, as long as you have them 2 weeks in advance of your arrival date.

Upgrade Rewards look like they are the same as SPG Specialty Select points bookings. You have to call in to SPG to see if anything other than a standard room is available for booking with a higher level of points (i.e. upgraded views, Club rooms, junior or full suites, etc). I really like the fact that Marriott appears to just show the options online, making it much quicker to compare what's available for "better" room bookings.

 

[x3 skier]

Seems to be a bug in the system. I linked my MR and SPG accounts but it's fuzzy if they automatically linked my Ritz account as well. One way it says there're linked but another way it doesn't.

Cheers

 

[thinze3]

I just purchased 30K Starpoints and sure enough they are in my account with the option to transfer all 30K to Marriott (90K). Cost will be about $.0117/ea vs Marriott's cost of $.0125/ea


Also, I have about 100K Amex Rewards.
Does anyone know what is the transfer rate to Starpoints?

 

[DeniseM]

I just purchased 30K Starpoints and sure enough they are in my account with the option to transfer all 30K to Marriott (90K). Cost will be about $.0117/ea vs Marriott's cost of $.0125/ea


Also, I have about 100K Amex Rewards.
Does anyone know what is the transfer rate to Starpoints?

If you have an AMEX SPG Card - it earns Starpoints 1:1.

If you have some other kind of AMEX card, I don't think it can be used for Starpoints.

 

[The Haileys]

Trying to understand the Marriott lingo myself.

eCertificates look like they are the same as the SPG Awards, internal (electronic) paperwork that corresponds to your points booking. Nothing you have to worry about, unless it says you have to supplement the eCertificate with money, in which case it's like the SPG Cash + Points booking. One thing I might like about the Marriott way of doing things is that it appears you can make a points booking, even if you don't currently have the points, as long as you have them 2 weeks in advance of your arrival date.

Upgrade Rewards look like they are the same as SPG Specialty Select points bookings. You have to call in to SPG to see if anything other than a standard room is available for booking with a higher level of points (i.e. upgraded views, Club rooms, junior or full suites, etc). I really like the fact that Marriott appears to just show the options online, making it much quicker to compare what's available for "better" room bookings.

That makes sense. I'd call MR customer service, but I see on their Facebook page tons of complaints about hold time being hours. I won't add to the madness. I can wait, or try to figure it out. But their web site is a labyrinth maze that circles back on itself over and over. SPG is very simple in comparison.

However, I do see that Marriott hotels on Oahu are far less point expensive than Starwood. I think we might change our plans from 10 nights on the Big Island to 5, and do 5 on Oahu - maybe at the new North Shore Courtyard. I am not a fan of the big city, but love me some PCC and Kualoa Ranch and Dole Plantation.

 

[LobsterHunter]

I generally use AA instead of United since I have status w/AA, but linked my accounts & got free Silver on United. Probably too much to wish for (since Silver was free) but if I had zero miles on United, does that mean I now only need to fly 25K miles on United to get Gold, or would I still have to fly 50K miles to get Gold status?

 

[okwiater]

I generally use AA instead of United since I have status w/AA, but linked my accounts & got free Silver on United. Probably too much to wish for (since Silver was free) but if I had zero miles on United, does that mean I now only need to fly 25K miles on United to get Gold, or would I still have to fly 50K miles to get Gold status?

It's the latter. You're only credited with the Silver status, not EQMs.

 

[m61376]

If you have an AMEX SPG Card - it earns Starpoints 1:1.

If you have some other kind of AMEX card, I don't think it can be used for Starpoints.

I was looking for that, and unless I misread it, it was likewise 3:1, same as the Marriott to Starwood. I was looking to see if there was an interesting get- around.

 

[Helios]

It's the latter. You're only credited with the Silver status, not EQMs.

You also have minimum spending and segments requirements that need to be met.

 

[rickandcindy23]

Before this new merge of Marriott and Starwood, I had Starwood Preferred Status, and now I am Gold Preferred. How did that happen? 3X for my MF's?

 

[DeniseM]

Before this new merge of Marriott and Starwood, I had Starwood Preferred Status, and now I am Gold Preferred. How did that happen? 3X for my MF's?

Cindy - As a Starwood timeshare owner, you should have always had Gold Status. (I do, too.)

When you link your Acct. to Marriott - you have Gold Status there, too.

 

[rickandcindy23]

Cindy - As a Starwood timeshare owner, you should have always had Gold Status. (I do, too.)

When you link your Acct. to Marriott - you have Gold Status there, too.

I never bought developer, so I only had Starwood Preferred for 2X MF's. I do have Gold Status in Marriott and transferred my points over there. I have no idea what I will do with the points.

 

[lily28]

Cindy - As a Starwood timeshare owner, you should have always had Gold Status. (I do, too.)

When you link your Acct. to Marriott - you have Gold Status there, too.

If I have vistana via resale, do I get spg gold? On spg.com, it lists as spg preferred plus only.

 

[DeniseM]

If I have vistana via resale, do I get spg gold? On spg.com, it lists as spg preferred plus only.

You have to buy from the developer.

 

[Helios]

If I have vistana via resale, do I get spg gold? On spg.com, it lists as spg preferred plus only.

i was going to suggest getting the spg amex and meeting min spending to get gold, but it seems that benefit is gone:

Starwood Elite Status

As a Card Member, receive credit for 5 nights and 2 stays each year toward SPG® Elite status. That's just 20 nights away for SPG Gold status and 45 nights away for SPG Platinum status in a calendar year.‡

 

[vistana101]

If I have vistana via resale, do I get spg gold? On spg.com, it lists as spg preferred plus only.

Other option for SPG Gold (and now Marriott Gold) is to get the Amex Platinum card which includes SPG Gold as a perk (albeit with a high annual fee). You could also get the Ritz Carlton credit card to receive Marriott Gold (and thus SPG Gold) for a year, and then continually if you spend $10,000 per year on the card.

 

[dioxide45]

So is there a big discrepancy in the earning rate of points now between MR and SPG? Base level, MR gives you 10 points per dollar to only 2 points per dollar in SPG. If you convert those 2 points per dollar to MR, you are only getting 6 points per dollar on spend at SPG properties. If you convert back the 10 points per dollar in MR you are getting a little over 3. So it would seem wise to move stays to Marriott and have a higher earning rate? At the higher elite levels it seems the discrepancy is even worse.

 

[blondietink]

Just booked our first Marriott stay for next month with our new Marriott Rewards number. So many more hotels in cities we frequent, I think this will be good for us. We can rarely find a SPG hotel in the smaller cities we go to and when doing road trips.

 

[thinze3]

If you have an AMEX SPG Card - it earns Starpoints 1:1.

If you have some other kind of AMEX card, I don't think it can be used for Starpoints.

I have the Amex Premier Rewards Gold and was able to check into it. It converts 3 Amex Rewards Points to 1 Starpoint. Mileage is a better option.

 

[thinze3]

Just booked our first Marriott stay for next month with our new Marriott Rewards number. So many more hotels in cities we frequent, I think this will be good for us. We can rarely find a SPG hotel in the smaller cities we go to and when doing road trips.

In most small towns, you can find Cat 1 hotels (think Townplace or Fairfield) for 7500 MR Points or even a Cat 2 for 10,000 (think Courtyard).

2500 Starpoints (converted to MR Points) for a free room? - Nice!
Cat 1 hotels are almost always a steal using points.