New Marriott Bonvoy LT Titanium Membership Card -Too Funny - Bad Design
Aug 28, 2019, 10:45 pm
#1
Original Poster
Join Date: Mar 2003
Location: Pittsburgh, PA, USA
Programs: MR LT Titanium, IHG Plat.,UA Premier Silver, & PA/OH Turnpike Million Miler
Posts: 2,332
New Marriott Bonvoy LT Titanium Membership Card -Too Funny - Bad Design
I still carry all of my travel program membership cards with me in my wallet. It is just habit I guess since I can't remember the last time I actually needed to present one to a hotel nor to an airline. I recieved my new Marriott Bonvoy Lifetime Titanium membership card recently and put it in my wallet. I didn't think much about it. Like I said, it is just a habit.
About a week later I took a business trip and flew to Denver and back from Pittsburgh. On my way out, went through the TSA Pre line in Pittsburgh and through security no issues. At the end of the week I am returning from Denver again in the TSA Pre line. I go through the WMD and it triggers. The TSA agent was nice and thinks it is my belt buckle and asks politely if I can remove it. I hand him my belt and walk through the WMD again and it triggers again. Both the TSA agent and I are stumped since my pockets are empty and I don't have any other metal on me or do I? Wait it dawns on me I got my new Marriott Bonvoy LT Card. So I hand it to the TSA agent and he comments on how heavy a card it is. I walk through the WMD one more time and this time no issue. So the Marriott Bonvoy LT Card has enough metal to trigger the WMD's (at least some of them). Great design for the frequent travel going through airports on a regular basis.
I told my wife the story when I got home and we both got a good chuckle out of it. This week I am back in Denver again; however, my Marriott Bonvoy LT card didn't make the trip. It is safely back at the house on my desk. Perhaps this is a subtle message for me to stop needlessly carrying all of the travel program member cards. To the Marriott Bonvoy program materials designers, you really goofed on the new card design :-)
--Jon
About a week later I took a business trip and flew to Denver and back from Pittsburgh. On my way out, went through the TSA Pre line in Pittsburgh and through security no issues. At the end of the week I am returning from Denver again in the TSA Pre line. I go through the WMD and it triggers. The TSA agent was nice and thinks it is my belt buckle and asks politely if I can remove it. I hand him my belt and walk through the WMD again and it triggers again. Both the TSA agent and I are stumped since my pockets are empty and I don't have any other metal on me or do I? Wait it dawns on me I got my new Marriott Bonvoy LT Card. So I hand it to the TSA agent and he comments on how heavy a card it is. I walk through the WMD one more time and this time no issue. So the Marriott Bonvoy LT Card has enough metal to trigger the WMD's (at least some of them). Great design for the frequent travel going through airports on a regular basis.
I told my wife the story when I got home and we both got a good chuckle out of it. This week I am back in Denver again; however, my Marriott Bonvoy LT card didn't make the trip. It is safely back at the house on my desk. Perhaps this is a subtle message for me to stop needlessly carrying all of the travel program member cards. To the Marriott Bonvoy program materials designers, you really goofed on the new card design :-)
--Jon
Aug 28, 2019, 11:11 pm
#2
Join Date: Dec 2017
Location: SFO/YYZ
Programs: AC 25K, AS MVP Gold, BA Bronze, UA Silver, Marriott Titanium, Hilton Diamond, Hyatt Globalist
Posts: 2,478
All the metal credit cards in my wallet set it off anyway so I just put it in my bag's side pocket to go through the scanner. I think this is probably true for many people so this seems like a non-issue especially for the sort of traveler with LTT since it seems like every card is made of metal these days.
Aug 28, 2019, 11:28 pm
#3
Original Poster
Join Date: Mar 2003
Location: Pittsburgh, PA, USA
Programs: MR LT Titanium, IHG Plat.,UA Premier Silver, & PA/OH Turnpike Million Miler
Posts: 2,332
Some of my credit cards are also metal. The Marriott LTT card is the first one I have had any issue with. It is a fairly heavy and thick card. As to your suggestion, I prefer not to be separated from my wallet at anytime. There are far too many people at the checkpoints and it would be easy for someone to steal a wallet. It only takes one bad apple for that to happen. Each to their own method...
--Jon
--Jon
Aug 29, 2019, 7:31 am
#5
Join Date: May 2010
Posts: 3,461
Am I the ONLY person missing something here?
I hand him my belt and walk through the WMD again and it triggers again. Both the TSA agent and I are stumped since my pockets are empty and I don't have any other metal on me or do I?
If your pockets were empty why would you possibly need to hand him anything?
I hand him my belt and walk through the WMD again and it triggers again. Both the TSA agent and I are stumped since my pockets are empty and I don't have any other metal on me or do I?
If your pockets were empty why would you possibly need to hand him anything?
Aug 29, 2019, 7:44 am
#6
A FlyerTalk Posting Legend
Join Date: Apr 2004
Location: GVA (Greater Vancouver Area)
Programs: DREAD Gold; UA 1.035MM; Bonvoy Au-197; PCC Elite+; CCC Elite+; MSC C-12; CWC Au-197; WoH Dis
Posts: 52,149
Aug 29, 2019, 9:19 am
#8
Join Date: Feb 2013
Location: London
Programs: HertzPresCircle, Virgin Atlantic Gold,Hil-Diam, Europcar Elite Vip, Emirates Gold, MarriottTitanium.
Posts: 419
Aug 29, 2019, 11:05 am
#9
Join Date: Aug 2008
Location: Somewhere in Florida
Posts: 2,626
We tried this with a few friendly employees at an airport when I had plenty of time to kill
The my friend's Ritz-Carlton Visa card would set off the metal detectors, whilst the Chase Sapphire Preferred / Reserve did not. The Ritz card was easily 2x the metal of the CSP.
The my friend's Ritz-Carlton Visa card would set off the metal detectors, whilst the Chase Sapphire Preferred / Reserve did not. The Ritz card was easily 2x the metal of the CSP.
Aug 29, 2019, 11:09 am
#10
Join Date: Dec 2017
Location: SFO/YYZ
Programs: AC 25K, AS MVP Gold, BA Bronze, UA Silver, Marriott Titanium, Hilton Diamond, Hyatt Globalist
Posts: 2,478
That and the non-contactless AMEX plat are probably what sets it off with my wallet too.
Aug 29, 2019, 12:45 pm
#12
FlyerTalk Evangelist
Join Date: Sep 2007
Location: BOS
Programs: DL DM 2MM, Marriott LT Titanium, Hertz PC, Avis PC
Posts: 15,224
Aug 29, 2019, 1:01 pm
#13
Join Date: May 2010
Posts: 3,461
Yes, I understand that this is a difficult concept for men but when the man near me "YELLS" at me for taking my shoes off (which I do because I KNOW they have metal in them) and then sets off the alarm because "Empty your pockets" means "Only some of your pockets I do smile.
