Marriott tend to run their bigger promotions three times a year. Their winter Megabonus just ended, and the next one is starting at the beginning of June.
Marriott has one bonus offer that is available for their “base” members that sometimes is better than what is offered to their elites.
During the Marriott’s summer promotion the best offer is probably the free night certificate after every two stays for up to three certificates. These are capped at category 4 properties that are sometimes hard to find in the popular US destinations. I tend to use them in Asia and in the Middle East, where you can find very good properties even at category 4 or lower.
What to do if you like to switch the promotion?
If you like to switch the targeted promotions, there are few ways to do it. You might get shown down on your first try, so it doesn’t hurt to try again.
1. Call Marriott Rewards customer service number and tell them the offer that you would prefer to be signed up for.
There is no need to lie, but I prefer to say that a colleague of mine got offered a promotion that I wasn’t, and if they could switch mine to it.
2. Send an email to Marriott Concierge
You can use the following email address to send your request: marriott.concierge@marriott.com. Remember to include your account info and the promotions that you would like to sign up for.
3. Send a private message to the Marriott Concierge through FlyerTalk
Companies hate when they get negative publicity on FlyerTalk. You can also reach the Marriott Concierge by signing up for a FlyerTalk account and then sending them a request through a private message. http://www.flyertalk.com/forum/members/marriott-concierge.html
How changing the promotion works?
These customer service people cannot change the promotion that you were originally targeted for, but they can notate your account that you were switched to another promotion. Then, once the promotion is over, they need to manually post the certificates or points to your account, and possibly remove what you have earned from the promotion that you were originally targeted for.
My advice would be to do it electronically so that you have a form of proof that this actually took place. If you decide to do it over the phone, make sure that you write down the name of the person and the date and time of the call.
I have tried calling and emailing multiple times with no luck. I am a Platinum Member and they are not willing to budge on giving me a different promotion. I earn miles the majority of the time and had switched to earning points for a few weeks because there had not been a miles promotion in so long. Now they are telling me I cannot participate in the miles promotion because I was not chosen for it. Any other suggestions as to how to get this changed? I am considering switching hotel chains because of how unwilling they are to help and how rude everyone I have spoken to has been. It surprises me that they would be willing to lose a loyal member over a promotion.
You mean the 50,000 bonus miles promotion that I just wrote about? http://loyaltylobby.com/2014/01/14/marriott-rewards-megamiles-2014-promotion-earn-up-to-50000-bonus-miles-targeted/
I believe that they are coming with a new promotion soon for miles collectors that is pen for all.
I just tried for the up up and away and they are saying they don’t know why it will not let me sign up and are sending up to a delta/marriott liason… anyone else have these problems?
Have you heard anything back yet?