When United Airlines tweeted about a “new rewards experience” coming to MileagePlus last Friday, I was very afraid. The news at United has not been good lately, but even with minor fee increases and a minimum-spend requirement that effectively kills mileage running for status, United MileagePlus remains world’s best loyalty program. Today, United and Marriott announced a partnership that makes MileagePlus an even stronger program.
Today we’re pleased to announce RewardsPlus, a powerful new extension to the existing partnership between MileagePlus and Marriott Rewards. In addition to improving the value of points and miles for active members of each program, RewardsPlus will also offer strong reciprocal travel benefits, such as Marriott Rewards Elite status, valid at over 3,700 hotels and resorts worldwide. Full details and a FAQ are available at www.united.com/rewardsplus, but here are some of the highlights:
Starting today:
- Access to Complimentary Marriott Rewards Gold Elite Status: Starting today, MileagePlus Premier Gold members (and higher) can register to receive complimentary Marriott Rewards Gold Elite status, which includes benefits such as lounge access and free breakfast (at select locations), room upgrades (subject to availability at check-in) complimentary internet access, priority late check-out, bonus points, and more. Similarly, Marriott Rewards Platinum Elite (top-tier) members can register to receive Premier Silver status in MileagePlus.
Coming soon:
- New Miles-to-Points Transfer: We’re introducing the ability for Premier members (at all levels) to convert MileagePlus award miles into Marriott Rewards points at a 1-to-1 ratio, up to 50,000 miles per year.
- Improved Points-to-Miles Transfer: We’re improving the rate at which all members can convert their Marriott Rewards points into MileagePlus miles by offering a 20% discount off the number of points required for miles. This will be the leading conversion rate for transfer of Marriott Rewards points into airline miles.
- Improved Mileage Earning on Travel Packages: We’re adding 10% more MileagePlus award miles when members redeem for a Marriott Rewards Air and Hotel Travel package using points transferred from a Marriott Rewards account – a bonus of up to 12,000 miles.
You can register for complimentary Marriott Rewards Gold Elite status starting today, by going to www.united.com/rewardsplus. The enhanced points and miles features are coming in August–stay tuned for more information on how to take advantage of these, as well.
My preferred hotel chain is Hyatt and that will not change, but Marriott will bump Hilton as my secondary chain and I intend to take full advantage of this status offer. Marriott Gold Elite status includes complimentary upgrades, breakfast, lounge access, internet, and late checkout–all benefits that are tangible and extremely useful when I travel.
Marriott.com – Choose from 3,700 hotels worldwide. Book now.
Marriott Plats can receive Premier Silver status on United as well, so the lower elite ranks will be inflated a bit, though the fact that United no longer allows Premier Silvers to choose Economy Plus seats until check-in means that higher-tiered elites will not have to worry about even more competition for an Economy Plus seat unless the ticket is purchased less than a day in advance of travel.
Sign-up is a breeze–I just entered my MileagePlus credentials here (scroll down to bottom of page) and my Marriott number was already populated. I confirmed the upgraded status and received the following confirmation:
Now I know this is going to sound cynical, but can we expect a sandwich from United? By that I mean we recently saw increased change fees and new revenue requirements for status qualification in 2014. This was followed by today’s news–a genuinely positive benefit added to the program. Next, will we see the top of the sandwich–one more slice of bad news? For now, all we can do is wait, take advantage of the new Marriott status, and continue to enjoy world’s best loyalty program.
As an MP Silver, I’m pretty happy about this. UA is finally admitting that their lowest status level is something that’s so close to worthless that they’re willing to give away through partnerships – credit cards, hotels, whatever. And by worthless, I mean compared to pre-merger, not compared to being a general member. The few remaining waived fees, occasional E+ access, et al., are still appreciated.
Considering how the ranks have swelled since the merger and diluted the benefits anyway, this policy is more in line with the on-the-ground reality. It means that I have a clear new minimum status level to aim for.
I would be much more annoyed if I were a 1K, Platinum, or Gold. Silvers still get to gum up the priority security lines and boarding areas, and adding scores of Marriott Platinums to the mix should make their lives positively dreadful. Hopefully the next bit of good news will start to put some breathing room between the true top ranks and the hoi polloi.
Matthew,
I just read your story about the picture on UA (via a untied.com link.) I was a USAF pilot for many years (including the first Gulf War) and then I became a UA pilot after leaving the USAF. I was FIRED by UA for refusing to fraud records and flight logs, reporting a scheduling issue with UA’s computer that allowed FAA crew rest rules to be violated, reporting unsafe maintenance practices, and a number of other good deeds. It’s probably a little like your experience with getting booted off a flight – it seems hard to believe until it happens to you, then suddenly you begin to give others a bit more credibility when they convey their experiences with United Airlines (or any unscrupulous business.) I have letters of commendation from UA management, and had an unprecedented number of complimentary reports from Captains (who are encouraged to comment on new crewmembers) during my first year with the airline. Yet, suddenly one day my file was re-created with all the positive reports removed and a couple bogus disciplinary actions fabricated and inserted. In less than a week I went from “extraordinary aviator” (as I was called by several Captains) to unemployed. I can tell you far more about UA and the aviation industry than you have time to hear. I just wanted to say that I know what it’s like when you’re getting the shaft, and it is very easy for others to critique your actions…until something similar happens to them. Then their attitude changes rapidly. After reading your story, and having thousands of hours of flying experience (some with UA itself), I can envision what happened and speculate with a high degree of confidence what happened and WHY it happened…and it has nothing to do with anything you did wrong. UA management is truly – at their very core – immoral, unethical, and from a business perspective they are marginally competent. If you want to know more, you have my email address. Otherwise, my comment for all those who criticized any of your actions on that fateful flight: “Get a grip on reality! Critical remarks about Matthew’s actions show a deep lack of understanding about the aviation industry and about life!” Incidentally, UA treats their FAs like cattle, so it’s no wonder many of them have an “attitude” while doing their job. I’m not excusing The FA’s behavior, but UA management’s treatment of FAs clearly affects the way customers get treated. Oddly…or perhaps not so oddly…UA management has never figured that out!
Incidentally, I apologize for any typographical or syntax errors in this message. I was unknowingly exposed to chemicals during the first Gulf War (you know…the chemicals that never existed!) and, like thousands of other veterans, I began experiencing severe neurological issues years after the event. I’m legally blind, so using a computer is a challenge, and I have chronic severe back pain and a host of smaller issues to deal with every day. Knowing that, you may understand my great appreciation for the piece you wrote about Gettysburg. Your comments were succinct, but unusually insightful. Thank you.