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There is a post on flyertalk that has been getting a lot of attention over the past day. The OP has posted a screenshot of a “leaked” 5 tier structure that starts at 10 nights for Silver, and ultimately ends with a top tier Ambassador level at 100 nights and $20k spend. There is also a rumor circulating that SPG airline transfer will cease April 16th. No idea if any of this is true, but the info is out there…
Here’s a look at the speculative chart
Gold is 50 nights right now, but also is quite easy to attain via Amex Plat. Currently, it’s hands down the best mid tier status you can hold due to guaranteed lounge access. At 25 nights…I can’t imagine that is going to stay. If this structure is introduced I’m guessing lounge access moves to Platinum ( hopefully not Platinum Premier, which is also rumored).
Marriott’s current tier structure
SPG’s current tier structure
If you want to get super speculative, another post speculated the following changes were being considered at Marriott.
The poster stipulates that many of these proposed changes won’t come to fruition, but my goodness, they are draconion. Read through them…they’ll make you shiver.
Thoughts…
If the first chart is introduced…it doesn’t seem fair that stripped down benefits would go into effect until early 2020 as those who are currently earning status are doing so based upon the benefits they think they’d get upon reaching that goal, i.e. if I hit SPG Platinum then I get guaranteed lounge access and upgrades to suites if available at check in. If you qualify now…that status is good until March of 2020.
I don’t think Marriott Gold can continue in it’s current form purely because of Amex Plat – if you travel much at all, the dollar amount of the club upgrades will negate your annual fee. So something will change there, and judging by this chart, it’ll be a deval of Gold with Platinum taking its place.
Opinions, reviews, analyses & recommendations are the author’s alone, and have not been reviewed, endorsed or approved by any of these entities.
Chase Sapphire Preferred® Card
Welcome Offer
60k Points after $4k spend in 3 months
Annual Fee
$95
Points Earned
Transferrable Chase Ultimate Rewards
- 60k points after $4k spend in 3 months
- Worth $750 in Chase Travel℠ and way more if you maximize transfer partners
- 5x on all travel purchased through Chase Travel℠
- 3x on dining, including eligible delivery services for takeout & dining out
- 3x on select streaming services
- 3x on online grocery purchases
- (excluding Target, Walmart and wholesale clubs)
- $50 Annual Chase Travel Hotel Credit via Chase Travel℠
- The begins immediately for new cardmembers and after your account anniversary for existing cardmembers
- 2x on all other travel
- 10% Anniversary Bonus
- Every year you keep the card, your total spend will yield a 10% points bonus. If you spend $10k in a year, you’ll get 1k bonus points
- Chase Sapphire Preferred continues to redeem at 1.25c in the Chase Travel℠ and the slew of other benefits remain in tact including Auto Rental Collision Damage Waiver ( primary ), purchase protections, etc.
- Points are transferrable to 14 Ultimate Rewards partners
- Redeem in Chase Travel℠ for 1.25 cents per point
- No foreign transaction fees
- Suite of Travel and Purchase Coverage
- Auto Rental Collision Damage Waiver is my favorite
- Get complimentary access to DashPass which unlocks $0 delivery fees and lower service fees for a minimum of one year when you activate by December 31, 2024
- $95 Annual Fee
We keep an up to date spreadsheet that lists the best ever offers: You can find that spreadsheet here.
Historically 80k is a very, very good offer and hit in both 2022 and 2023. In 2021, we saw the offer hit an all time high of 100k. Who knows if that will ever come back.
Main Cast:
Cards that earn flexible points and should be used on the bulk of your purchases.
Supporting Cast:
Cards that earn fixed points in the currency of the airline/hotel and can not be transferred at attractive rates. These cards yield benefits that make it worth keeping, but not necessarily worth putting a lot of your everyday spend on.
The Chase Sapphire Preferred® is exceptional starter card and offers transferrable Ultimate Rewards, and pairs well with other Chase cards.
If you carry this card alongside Chase’s cashback cards like the Chase Freedom Flex℠and Chase Freedom Unlimited® or the business versions: Ink Business Cash® , Ink Business Unlimited® you can combine the points into Preferred account and transfer into hotel and airline partners
Annual fee is quite low at $95 a year + you get a 10% anniversary bonus on points + $50 hotel credit in Chase travel.
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