Good news: The Golden Starpoints Goose is still producing.
For many in the information business, change is great: It’s an article, maybe two, plus an update.
But every so often you have to sit back, use your accumulated knowledge, look at a change, and say, “stay the course.”
“Sit still” are the two hardest words to write in the airline journalism business.
But back in May 2016, when we got wind that Marriott was after Starwood and the air was crackling with anxiety about “what happens to my Starwood Points,” we said, “sit still, for now. There is still much reaping in store.”
When the purchase became official in October of that year, we said “do not bail out.” We thought that Marriott would treat its purchase with kid gloves—that Starwood Preferred Guest Members would not get an e-mail announcing some sort of point-transfer that was actually a radical point devaluation. We also predicted that Marriott would spare itself an online assault by giving SPG members good notice if and when changes were to occur.
Cock-a-doodle-doo! We were right.
Sleep easy, the programs remain the same. There’s the SPG program (the one that aroused anxiety), Marriott Rewards, and Ritz-Carlton Rewards. They operate separately, but members of one can link to the other two for elite status matching and point-transfers. For example, even if you do not transfer points between the programs, a Starwood elite-status account gives you a match with Marriott and Ritz Carlton.
You still get the SPG access to 46 airlines—that’s the big benefit—but also access to the benefits offered by the other two programs, meaning you can transfer points between SPG and the Marriott programs.
The one key thing to remember is that the conversion rate from Starwood Preferred Guest to Marriott Rewards is 1 to 3—so for every SPG point you transfer you get three Marriott Rewards that can offer value when used with Marriott’s Travel Packages (for more go here).
Marriott is working on integrating the three programs, but according to Arne Sorenson, President and CEO of Marriott, the programs will continue to run in parallel until sometime next year, the anticipated launch of the integrated program.
Like we said, sit tight. Meanwhile, see our special report on How (and Why) I Just Got 152,000 United Miles—plus Seven Nights at the Ritz Carlton Central Park—for 180,000 Starwood Points for the benefits of transferring points from SPG to Marriott.