MGM Mlife Status Extensions
Over the past couple of weeks we have seen customer friendly moves from a number of the world’s largest hospitality companies when it comes to elite status and other benefits in their very lucrative rewards programs. Now, one of the biggest gaming companies has gotten into the action. Mlife (MGM Resorts) is making a number of moves that will please their customers in Vegas and beyond.
Mlife Changes Due to COVID-19
In a letter sent out to Mlife Rewards members, MGM Resorts detailed a number of moves they are making to help customers due to COVID-19. Among them are elite extensions, an adjustment of the qualifying calendar and the suspension of points expiration temporarily.
Extending Tier Status & Benefits
In the letter sent out to Mlife Rewards members, the company outlined how they are extending tier status and benefits for all members.
We are excited to announce that the M life Rewards Tier Status, whether NOIR, Platinum, Gold or Pearl, you earned in 2019 or in 2020, will be extended through January 31, 2022.
You no longer have to worry if Mlife elite status is unobtainable for you this year, because whatever status you have should be extended through January, 2022.
Earning Year Changes
In the past Mlife status has run through September 30, however Mlife has changed the earning year as of now as well.
With this extension, we are also changing our earning year to January 1 – December 31 from what’s historically been October 1 – September 30, extending your benefits an additional three months and moving to an easier to understand and track calendar earning year.
Their September 30 cutoff was always strange and this new setup aligns them with many other hospitality brands. Of course with these calendar changes and the extensions mentioned above, Mlife loyalists are essentially getting their status extended for 16 months.
Points & Express Comp Expiration Suspended
Since you aren’t able to visit any Mlife casinos right now, the company is also suspending expiration of points and Express Comps through September 30, 2020.
We want to make sure you don’t miss redeeming and enjoying any Points or Express Comps™ that may expire during the time we are closed. As a result, we have suspended Point and Express Comp expirations through September 30, 2020.
A good move that is in line with industry standards. No one should lose points right now due to these shutdowns.
Some Promotions Cancelled
As a Las Vegas local who really doesn’t gamble, I don’t receive too many offers from Mlife, however if you do then be prepared for some changes. Certain offers, promotions, events, etc. have now been cancelled.
Certain M life Rewards offers like promotions, events and entertainment will expire or be cancelled during the time we are closed. We are working on rescheduling these and other offers and will communicate new dates to you soon. For FREEPLAY®, FreeBet, SLOT DOLLARS®, gifts and other offers valid during the closure, please know that we are building new offers for you to enjoy upon reopening. We will share those updates with you soon.
Good Move by a Bad Company
I worked for MGM Grand in 1999-2000 when it was still a fresh new company. Kirk Kerkorian had launched his newest MGM Grand in 1994 with a focus on family entertainment and bottling up some of the spirit and magic that made Disney great. Employees were known as cast members, guests were treated like gold and employees LOVED working there.
Of course the company has grown and things have changed. Anecodatally MGM is not known as a great company to work for anymore. Additionally, over the years I feel like they have given less to guests compared to their competitors. They pushed in the era of resort fees, brought on junk fees for mini-bar removal, etc. and of course who can forget those parking fees! Now, they are leading a push to weasel their way out of providing as many free drinks to gamblers.
The Human Side of MGM Resorts
But there is a human side to this company that employs tens of thousands of people in Las Vegas and elsewhere. MGM has had to furlough most of their employees while they continue to pay for health care as of now. Rumors suggest they are trying to reopen (at least partially) on June 1, however things can and will change. I hope for the sake of their employees and loyal customers that MGM is successful when they reopen, however they will face an uphill battle in the near term.
Let’s hope MGM’s playbook of predatory fees hasn’t eroded the goodwill and reputation that Sin City has. For the past few years I have heard story after story of people leaving my home town with a bitter taste in their mouth. Vegas can no longer take for granted their run of the mill consumer, but instead needs to embrace the customer service and atompshere that once made Vegas great. Or at least that’s my take.
Bottom Line
MGM Resorts and their Mlife program have extended elite status for members, paused expirations of points and comps plus changed their elite calendar to give people even more extra time. These moves come after many hospitality industry leaders have made similar offerings (although before some competitors like Caesars have announced full plans) and at a time when Vegas is going to have to show a little humility in order to attract customers back.
What do you think? Are you loyal to MGM Resorts? Are you planning a return to Vegas? Share your thoughts in the comments below!
H/T reader Nancy @travelnso on Twitter
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[…] MGM Mlife has apparently sent a letter to members of the program alerting them to the extension of status. I haven’t personally received the letter from MGM yet, but here is the key info as reported by Miles to Memories: […]
I’ve been to Vegas over 40 times, but won’t return until they get rid of all those garbage fees. At least when the mob ran the town they looked after their customers. Now it is all about how much they can squeeze out of you.
I’m a Nevada resident who does gamble. I have noted that Station, Wynn, and Sands (Palazzo, Venetian) are paying their employees during the furlough, INCLUDING their estimated tips, through mid May. I have not seen the others treat their employees anywhere close to this. So if MGM and Caesars want to keep nickel and dime fees for resort, parking, whatever (don’t get me started on removing the coffeemakers from the rooms) AND not care about their employees during the COVID furlough…well it’s not rocket science to see who should have return customers after this pandemic settles down…
All Las Vegas hotels casino should remove parking fees, resort fees which is rediculus nonsense greedy fees and offer back those comps free food and free rooms when it was back in the hay days…. Anyone else agrees with me on this?
Agreed !
MGM is absolutely deplorable. Charging locals for parking, raising resort fees, and the suing people after October 1st?! SMH!! I will not support their casinoS, restaurants, or parking lots.
Yes and do not forget about the resort fees. Las Vegas hotels never charged before now they are charging resort fees that’s insane must get that removed in times like this if you ever will be Vegas must stop those resort fees and parking fees. You are the guest of a hotel and you being charged parking fees come on wake up guys…
I believe it is only through 1/31/22 – not all of 2022. Still not bad tho
That’s what I meant but it was worded poorly. I have corrected it. Thanks Tom!
It’s been said that other Big Gaming Companies are still behind their employees and have helped to pay them for this time of need. I would rather go to Vegas at a hotel and have fun where the employees are happy then a company who held back pay. It’s a joke that Big MGM can’t help the furloughed employee’s make ends meet. I’m not the only person who feels this way. To bad MGM has never made it as big as Wynn and how it takes care of their employees.
All Las Vegas Hotels and Casinos should remove the rediculus resort fees, parking fees and offer free food and comps back in the hay days….
I used to be a fan but the erosion of value soured me on the company, although the final straw was when they sued people for getting shot by that a$$*#^e from their hotel.
That was a crazy story.
I was a guest of the NY, NY property earlier this year and it was a dump. I got hammered with resort fees that were almost 50% on top of my room rate, and I was told that my rate included $30/day for on-property dining establishments. Upon checkout, I was told that the $30/day did NOT apply because apparently, not ALL the restaurants on the NY, NY property are allowed for that credit. This is dirty pool.
EVERY TIME that I go to Vegas, and I am forced to go there for conferences, I get screwed over by some shady policy or bait and switch type arrangement. The result is that I will NEVER go there on my own free will, and when I do go, I fill out the surveys. I make it clear to the meeting organizer that Vegas sucks, and they should consider more centrally located cities like Chicago or Dallas.
The irony is that IBM dumped Vegas, and moved their big conference to San Francisco, where hotels are upwards of $400/night. I’m happier paying more in SFO because I know that I’m paying market rates, the restaurant scene is less plastic, and there’s no surprises. It’s not just that my experience in Vegas is disappointing (thanks primarily to MGM experiences), but I actively go out of my way to trash the experience, and dissuade others from going there for work, leisure, whatever. (PS. Your article hits some of those key points, and you’re spot-on about the animosity that’s out there)
You sound like the life of the party.
Bummer. No more Hyatt/M Life status merry-go-round. It was bound to end at some point, I guess.
Hyatt status runs through the end of February, so unless they change things it should work! As of now Hyatt members will have status through February 28, 2022 so when this Mlife extension runs out end of January, theoretically one should be able to match back on February 1 even if they drop at the end of the month. We’ll have a full post about it soon!
Right…I always forget about Hyatt’s year going ‘till February. Sweet!