Marriott Travel Packages Update: No More Upgrades/Downgrade, Extensions, Points Back & More

I know some of you are sick of the Marriott travel package updates/saga but SPG Lurker (an official spokesperson) just answered a bunch of questions and I think they are worth mentioning.

  • Travel package certificates expiring during the blackout period may be extended upon request.
  • We will convert existing certificates to similarly valued categories after 8/18. Members who know their travel plans should make reservations prior to 8/18. You will not be able to modify your certificate for an existing reservation or attach it to a new one 8/18-9/18.
  • Members will be able to cancel and get points back at a reduced amount.
  • After 8/18, certificates cannot be upgraded or downgraded, regardless of when they were purchased.
  • If you have an existing Travel Package and would like to use for a SPG hotel, you will need to wait until after 9/18. Or, you can redeem points for a new Travel Package under the new program starting 8/18, including SPG hotels.
  • Between 8/18 and 9/18, you can cancel a Travel Package reservation, but you will not be able to rebook until after 9/18.

Considering they are saying you’ll be able to cancel and get points back at a reduced amount, we can deduct that the certificates won’t be automatically converted to points. That was always wishful thinking in my opinion. It’s annoying they won’t allow packages to be upgraded or downgrade anymore as well.

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Drew
Drew (@guest_630490)
August 17, 2018 10:08

What happens if I reserve with a certificate and then cancel? Does that revert back to the original certificate? Or something new? Or unknown?

andy
andy (@guest_630286)
August 16, 2018 17:51

DP: Just called and booked Category 1-5 7-Night Packages in about 15 minutes. The rep was very helpful and know what she was doing right from the start. Granted, I still don’t have a redemption in mind yet, but I need the airline miles now.

Aubrey
Aubrey (@guest_630203)
August 16, 2018 14:15

I just got off the phone with a Marriott rep who tried to say that travel packages couldn’t be purchased any longer. It was a 45 min wait so I really didn’t want to
HUCA. After some debate he agreed to “try” booking it but didn’t think it would work. It did! So be persistent if a rep gives you bad info!

Sasha P
Sasha P (@guest_630164)
August 16, 2018 11:36

So frustrating I was slowly switching from Hilton but now I see Marriott has been devaluation after devaluation after devaluation! All under disguise of a more member benefits- lies! They inflate prices to lower them- advertising gimmick!
I’m done following that carrot and done with them!

Tuccs
Tuccs (@guest_630156)
August 16, 2018 10:53

I have 3 free nights at Ritz 1-4 and a cat 8 cert. what will happen to these?

R K
R K (@guest_630086)
August 16, 2018 02:36

How is this not a class action suit waiting to happen?

Blue
Blue (@guest_630113)
August 16, 2018 07:58

It is. Way too many agents have promised something different. Which is why I don’t think Marriott can possibly maintain this position.

DaveC
DaveC (@guest_630083)
August 16, 2018 02:03

Where does it say no more extensions? When I booked my TP a couple days ago, the rep said it could be extended. That was the understanding I had. It wouldn’t be right if Marriott took that away. Right now I’ve booked a resort in Kauai for July 2019, but I’m really looking to go in early 2020. Even if they do stop extensions, I wonder if they’ll let me change the res date to 2020.

P
P (@guest_629985)
August 15, 2018 21:08

More expensive and more restricted is what I’m getting from all the updates.

fll
fll (@guest_629965)
August 15, 2018 20:18

I suspect the No Upgrade or downgrade is to maximize the breakage Marriott is hoping.

We are not given ANY information on how the existing certs will be converted to whatever instrument for booking a hotel stay.

For those who claim we already know the pre/post point levels of the 6K+ hotels have missed several very crucial points –
Other than the old Cat 5 has the exact matching to the new Cat 4, there are NO clean and exact match for most old categories, not to mention the Ritz tiers.
For example, Cat 6 30K/night does NOT exist in the new carts because there is NO 30K/night – it jumps from 25K to 35K and then to 50K – missing several levels on the old charts.

On top of that, we can not book SPG properties before Sept 18. All these SPG properties will become Marriott properties on Aug 19 but we can not book them until Sept 19…

Many people would end up not being able to use their certs because of the above. So they would cancel the cert and accept a “reduced point refunds” – that is EXACTLY Marriott is counting on because now it has breakage on the hotel stay part. The hotel stay part actually is the sweeter portion of the TP, as it is almost like “free” stay even you only use 4 or 5 nights out of the 7 nights.

Ryan
Ryan (@guest_630124)
August 16, 2018 08:47

I agree, I bet that increasing breakage is their goal.

Along those lines, I expect a gradual devaluation in many of the program features (not just the usual points devals) over the next year or two. I think Marriott kept some of the good SPG features in order to placate people during the merger finalization. I’m guessing one of the first “enhancements” will be requiring more points in order to get the 5K mileage bonus for airline transfers.

Sami
Sami (@guest_629934)
August 15, 2018 19:30

big question is what “reduced amount” means. they can’t get the airline miles back so i wonder if “reduced amount” means the X minus 120,000 figure that’s been thrown out there or is much, much lower than that.

Ben
Ben (@guest_629951)
August 15, 2018 20:09

+1

As Greg at FrequentMiler pointed out, downgrades on the new, post-Aug 18 travel package chart could have yielded massive points refunds. However downgrades on the old, pre-Aug 18 travel package chart are pretty reasonable. “Reduced amount” could just mean the old chart.