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Aug 14, 2023

Marriott Tried To Recognize Lifetime Loyalty Achievements Of Customers But Fumbled In A Basic Way

by Gary Leff on April 8, 2023 Back in the fall Marriott launched its lifetime status website. It features a thank you video from Marriott CEO Anthony Capuano and a couple of appearances from Senior

by Gary Leff on April 8, 2023

Back in the fall Marriott launched its lifetime status website. It features a thank you video from Marriott CEO Anthony Capuano and a couple of appearances from Senior Vice President of Loyalty, David Flueck. And it contains a number of statistics from your account:

In typical Marriott fashion it shows my having redeemed more points than I ever earned, even though I have a positive account balance.

The website also lets you order a set of lifetime Platinum (or lifetime Titanium) luggage tags. Here’s the kicker: they tell you to expect them “within approximately 12 weeks.” Twelve weeks? I ordered mine three months ago and received them this week.

These are just lifetime Platinum tags. Here are the lifetime Titanium tags, by the way, identical except that a metal attachment says Titanium instead of Platinum.

Lifetime Titanium was offered only through the start of the Bonvoy program – Marriott’s lifetime Platinums received it, and those who met the criteria from Starwood or achieved it rapidly after announcement could get it before the door shut tight on earning it via nights stayed and years of elite. There are two other ways to get ongoing Titanium status, however.

I admit, though, I have questions.

To be honest I’d forgotten about the lifetime gift until a week or so ago when it occurred to me that I’d never received them. I hadn’t internalized the website saying ’12 weeks’ – I expect that you ‘order’ non-personalized lifetime elite luggage tags, they ship them, you receive them. Given the quality of the package, which certainly exceeds the cost of the tags themselves, they might even have… overnighted them to gain the desired effect.

In contrast waiting 12 weeks to deliver.. luggage tags.. seems like it undermines the effort. And maybe lifetime Titaniums, at least, might get something a little bit nicer? Send you a signed copy of Bill Marriott’s book (even using a book plate)? Send you a couple of their bourbon glasses? In other words, if you’re going to order something, follow Delta’s lead in letting you select a lifetime gift.

I don’t actually mean to single Marriott out, other than having just received their luggage tags. American Airlines didn’t renew my ConciergeKey status this year. The only reason I knew this is because readers who whose status was renewed told me when it happened, and my account didn’t reflect the updated expiration date.

Otherwise I’d have just seen (at some point, April 1 or whenever I checked) that my account no longer showed I was a ConciergeKey member. American never actually even told me before expiring my status. And they haven’t sent me a 2023 Executive Platinum kit, either, including the luggage tags I earned for this year back in the fall. (A week after being downgraded I received an email, offering me a consolation prize of 4 Admirals Club passes or 2 Flagship lounge visits – but AA.com errored out every time I tried to make a selection.)

Waiting months to batch ship acknowledgments of loyalty just doesn’t work in 2023, if it ever did. That’s something done for very minor budgeting (in the scheme of things) or the convenience of a staffer, at the expense of recognizing a significant loyalty investment. Communication should happen quickly, and recognition should match the level of the achievement, whatever it is.

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