A few weeks back, I reported a rumor that Marriott Rewards was reconsidering their unequal treatment of members depending on which legacy program they came from. I’m pleased to report that this is now more than a rumor. Marriott has adjusted the requirements to earn Lifetime Platinum Premier status for those who earned their status from Starwood. Please see below.
I don’t (and won’t) have 750 nights in the program at the end of 2018, so I won’t make this higher lifetime threshold (Platinum Premier). I’m not saying I’m unbiased, but I don’t really have a stake in the game. That said, I think this is an equitable offering for those who have demonstrated much loyalty to the SPG program. As a reminder, December 31, 2018 is the last day someone can qualify for Lifetime Platinum Premier status in the new program.
More information on Marriott’s site here.
The new program into 2019 and beyond
My own Lifetime Platinum status is nice, and although I won’t be at the top of the heap, I’m still mostly happy with the changes Marriott announced for the program in the future. Any merger is likely to have a negative impact on customers. All things considered, this merger is not as bad as I feared. At least not yet.
After the initial merging of programs, the lifetime program is changing slightly. The offerings are a combination of requirements from both legacy programs. Points are no longer part of the requirement as with Marriott. Instead, in addition to nights, a threshold of years as an elite is required for earning Lifetime status. Here is a summary from the Marriott site:
Final Thoughts
I’m glad that those who have put in the time and nights to earn 750 nights in the SPG and Marriott programs will earn equivalent lifetime status. It is not clear what additional benefits Lifetime Platinum Premier will have compared to ‘lowly’ Platinum. Presumably higher upgrade priority with regard to room upgrades when checking in. That hasn’t been announced yet, but it seems logical. I suppose if I booked a hotel each night for the rest of 2018 I could probably make the higher status, but I don’t see how that adds up. I hope that my SPG/Marriott/whatever the new program is called Lifetime Platinum status serves me well in the future. I’m optimistic that it will. What about you?
