by Cedric ‘BIG CED’ Thornton
The lawsuit alleges the travel loyalty program failed to match an offer that would have awarded the passenger flight perks.
A Marriott Bonvoy member is suing the hotel chain for $6,472, alleging that it failed to match an offer that would have awarded him perks he could have used for the flights he took.
According to Paddle Your Own Kanoo, frequent flyer Sergey Firsov said Marriott Bonvoy failed to process a status match offer with the United Airlines MileagePlus program.
The lawsuit was filed in Northern California, where the plaintiff alleged that Marriott took five months to upgrade his status, resulting in the loss of perks, including free baggage and other status benefits he would have received. One reason Firsov said he chose the program was for its benefits.
He achieved Titanium Elite status with Marriott Bonvoy, which means Firsov would automatically be matched to United’s MileagePlus Premier Silver status. With that bump, he gained one free checked bag in economy, group two boarding, and eligibility for a free day-of-departure upgrade.
Firsov claimed that it took Marriott Bonvoy five months to process the status match, which made him eligible for the Premier Silver benefits at United as well as other airlines that are part of the Star Alliance.
Although United Airlines refunded some of the baggage costs, Firsov believes that was insufficient. Because Marriott failed to process the status match in a timely manner, he seeks a full refund of the $6,472 in airfare for United and other Star Alliance carriers. He is also requesting that he be awarded additional damages for emotional distress and wants his Premier Silver status to be extended for a year.
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Source: Black Enterprise
