Somebody from change.org reached out concerning a petition that has acquired 1000’s of signatures, which includes airline workers wanting their airline elite standing honored on all stays. I assumed this might be an attention-grabbing matter to cowl.
Petition asks Marriott to acknowledge airline crew standing at resorts
There’s a change.org petition that at the moment has round 7,000 signatures, which urges Marriott to begin honoring Bonvoy elite standing when airline crews (pilots and flight attendants) are staying at Marriott properties whereas on work journeys. Let me simply share the petition in its entirety:
I’m a army veteran who has spent greater than a formidable complete of 1011 nights in Marriott properties. All through my journeys, my household and I’ve remained loyal to the Marriott model. We maintain 4 Marriott bank cards and constantly select Marriott resorts for our lodging. Nevertheless, there is a matter that leaves me deeply upset – the non-recognition of my loyalty standing when staying in rooms bought by my airline.
Amongst airline crew, many people have cultivated a big standing with Marriott, a testomony to our years, usually a long time, of loyalty. But, once we keep at your resorts throughout our journeys, this standing – a logo of our prolonged and devoted relationship along with your model – appears to be unacknowledged.
This lack of recognition will not be solely disappointing, nevertheless it additionally undermines the respect and appreciation we consider must be related to our loyalty standing. That is particularly poignant in my case, as I’m a proud Titanium for Life member – a rank illustrating my unwavering allegiance to Marriott.
Our request is straightforward: Please rethink your coverage concerning lounge entry for these of us within the airline trade. We urge you – as valued members and lifelong supporters of your model – to acknowledge our loyalty standing at your resorts, as you do in your airline. Our loyalty to Marriott has not faltered; we simply ask that you just return the gesture.
Please honor our loyalty, respect our standing, and permit us the enjoyment of our earned privileges throughout all platforms of your model. Present us that our dedication issues. Signal this petition to face with airline pilots all over the world in urging Marriott to rethink its coverage.
My tackle this lodge elite standing petition
For some background, let me clarify why Marriott Bonvoy doesn’t award elite nights or supply elite advantages on airline crew stays throughout layovers. Marriott Bonvoy gives factors and elite advantages to members on “qualifying charges,” and within the case of airline crews, these charges are non-qualifying for 2 causes:
- The phrases particularly state {that a} charge is non-qualifying if “the Member doesn’t instantly pay the Taking part Property for such room” (in these instances, the airline pays instantly for the keep, and never the member)
- The phrases additionally state {that a} charge is non-qualifying if “the visitor room was booked at a tour operator, wholesaler, or crew room charge or package deal” (as you may see, these stays can be booked as crew room charges)
So, the place do I stand on this? From the attitude of Marriott and particular person resorts, clearly they don’t have a lot of an incentive to go above and past on crew lodge stays. Airways get big reductions on room charges by promising a specific amount of quantity, and it’s not like the person crew member has any discretion over the place they keep. These contracts are negotiated on a extremely excessive degree, and assure 1000’s of room nights for a property.
On the identical time, I additionally get the place airline workers are coming from. Clearly in a super world, a loyalty program would foster a long-term relationship with an organization, and shouldn’t be transactional. Members earn their elite perks by way of qualifying stays, so it could be good to have the ability to use them even when a keep isn’t qualifying.
But it surely’s additionally price being practical right here, and understanding that loyalty has grow to be extremely transactional:
- Marriott doesn’t need to strive as onerous as another lodge teams in the case of loyalty, given its large footprint; so in case your “loyalty to Marriott has not faltered,” then that’s type of on you, and also you’re being loyal to a faceless company that doesn’t actually worth you again in the identical method
- With how bank card perks have developed, there are such a lot of pathways to standing, and it’s additionally a lot simpler to earn than previously; that’s additionally why there’s much less leeway or discretion than previously, since resorts don’t have any scarcity of elite members
- Talking of that final level, Marriott resorts simply have a fully large variety of elite members, with issues like membership lounges being very overcrowded; so I can also’t blame resorts for not desirous to be overly beneficiant there
It’s price noting that some airways do negotiate membership lounge entry for sure ranks of workers at many resorts. For instance, at Emirates, pilots and pursers typically obtain membership lounge entry, and it’s one thing the airline pays for (or negotiates).
Backside line
There’s a change.org petition urging Marriott Bonvoy to honor elite perks for airline crew members when on work stays. Marriott doesn’t supply elite credit score or honor elite perks on these stays, since they aren’t paid by the precise member, and crew charges are additionally excluded as qualifying stays.
Whereas I can admire the place airline workers are coming from — they’ve labored onerous to earn standing, and need these perks honored on all stays — I don’t see Marriott budging right here.
The place do you stand on this petition for elite perks on crew stays?
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