For each of the last two years, I shared the hotel observations of a reader who each year racked up more than 240 elite nights on the road, mostly with Marriott, Hyatt, and IHG hotels.
The anonymous correspondent had concluded that Hyatt is the best chain if you can stick to full service properties not owned or managed by bad actors, but they don’t have a big enough footprint and too many of their hotels in the U.S. are limited service. So he still earns Marriott Ambassador status – but he’s reduced the business he gives them by about 40%.
He keeps expecting his travel to slow down. He’s tired of all the travel, and the mistreatment on the road. But pulling back to no more than 150 nights didn’t happen. And he reports back after another year with his observations on where the chains stand, as well as on his status with Delta.
100 flights and 258 hotel nights later, my 2024 travel ends
I ended my 2024 in travel in a much better position than I thought I would finish, as this was the second consecutive year where I >forecast a decline in my work-related travel.
The decline didn’t happen even though my kind of work changed unexpectedly. Yet, I kept traveling and somehow managed to keep Marriott Bonvoy ambassador through 2025, Hyatt World of Hyatt Globalist through 2025, and Delta Air Lines diamond medallion. That works out to 100 flights and 258 nights in hotels, including a handful of independents and a bunch of stays at IHG. I’ve excluded a vacation rental at an Airbnb.
The significant change in work led to a complete revamp of where I go to work. I also think there’s a strong chance that my travel in 2025 will be reduced to minimal levels.
As things stand now, I only have two trips booked for all of 2025. Usually, I would be scheduled at least three months out by now. Then again, my travel forecasts for the last two years have been wrong.
Maybe this is for the good.
Part of me is just sick of traveling. It’s just not enjoyable anymore. And, of course, it’s no fun to fly an airline or stay at a hotel when the airline or hotel no longer values loyalty or sees loyalty as a two-way street.
The following is my take on the travel loyalty programs I use and the statuses I will keep for 2025.
Delta Air Lines
Like most readers, I’m not happy with the direction Delta is going.
Their move to end awarding status based on the number of flights flown or the distance traveled resulted in me booking more nonstop flights. Before, I would happily take an extra connection or go out of the way since that would make a difference with my status and goal of hitting 2 million miles flown. But with status solely based on spending, there’s no reason to fly more frequently.
I end 2024 with 100 individual segments on Delta or Delta partners (like Air France) and spending over $34,000. That’s about 50 fewer segments than I used to fly, as I was hitting 150 segments for several consecutive years.
Delta’s one-time allowance of a rollover bonus for MQMs from the old system means I will automatically keep top-tier diamond status through January 2030. That’s five more years of diamond, regardless of how often I fly Delta.
I don’t think Delta could put the genie back in the bottle, but I’m not sure this will work for Delta in the long run. It seems like quite a few automatic multi-year diamonds are now free agents who can cheat on Delta and still keep whatever perks continue to come with diamond status.
IHG
I have flirted with IHG for years. The former Priority Club was the first hotel loyalty program that I joined. That would have been in the early 2000s. I also fondly remember staying at Holiday Inn properties as a child when traveling with family.
Over the years, I’ve been platinum, diamond, spire, and Intercontinental ambassador.
With 2024 finished, I’m just three nights short of the 40 nights required to keep my lounge access membership for another year. I could have done a mattress run but didn’t. I’ll also let my Intercontinental ambassador status lapse. And that promo to buy top-tier diamond didn’t catch my fancy.
Chasing IHG status isn’t worth it since you can’t even count on an Intercontinental to have a club lounge anymore. One example of a property without a lounge is the franchised Intercontinental Minneapolis-St. Paul Airport. Or if they do have a lounge, like the Intercontinental Houston and Intercontinental San Francisco, they don’t consistently serve hot food every night or maybe they limit you to just two drinks.
For 2025, I’ll be second-tier platinum through the cobranded credit card and probably stay 15 or 20 nights at Holiday Inn Expresses at places in small-town America where sometimes a Holiday Inn Express is the only good hotel option. I might consider IHG in the future if they were serious about giving Marriott and Hyatt a run for the money by improving the overall standard of hotels.
Hyatt
Early this year, when it looked like I might not travel much, I decided to keep globalist as a backup to Marriott ambassador as I wanted top-tier hotel status without having to worry about the spending threshold that Marriott imposes.
By putting everyday spending on Hyatt’s cobranded credit card, I managed to keep globalist status for another year even though I stayed fewer than 30 actual nights.
For me, Hyatt is still a difficult choice because there are many markets I travel to without a Hyatt property. And if there is a Hyatt, it’s probably a Hyatt Place. Do I really want to do 65 nights a year in a Hyatt Place? All these resorts and all-inclusives are great — if that’s your thing — but they don’t do much for business travelers domestically.
And like IHG’s Intercontinental, I’ve been disappointed in the number of Hyatt Regencies without club lounges. I struggle to think of a single Hyatt Regency domestically that I’ve stayed at over the past year or two with an open lounge. Sure, I get a restaurant breakfast but that’s about it. Hyatts with a club lounges are now the exception, not the rule.
In 2025, I’ll continue using my Hyatt credit card for spending as I think having globalist as a backup hotel top-tier status continues to make the most sense. That hints at my relationship with Bonvoy.
Marriott
Let’s just be honest: Marriott is awful. Just awful.
And let’s also admit that Marriott is no longer a hotelier. Over 70 percent of Marriott properties across all brands are franchised or licensed.
Hotel owners view Marriott as a booking platform. We — the people who stay in the rooms — are merely the product that Marriott sells to its real customers, the hotel owners.
Unfortunately, I’m one of those people with no real alternative to Marriott. I’m too invested in the Bonvoy ecosystem to give up Marriott cold turkey.
I’ve been an ambassador, the top-tier excluding semi-secretive cobalt, since before Bonvoy launched. I requalified in 2024 with just under 100 actual nights (excluding bonus nights and credit card nights) and spending just a few dollars over and above the $23,000 threshold. That works out to a minimum 40% reduction in spending with Marriott. I didn’t want to stay and spend more because Marriott provides zero incentives once qualified or requalified.
As bad as Marriott is these days, there are still exceptional properties.
I now spend time researching a property before booking since problems at one cheating or dumpy hotel are often repeated across properties within that owner or management company’s portfolio. Sadly, you as a guest have to take time to find out the owner or operator of a property instead of just trusting Marriott to deliver the consistency that used to define the company.
What would you do in this reader’s shoes?
I feel sorry for this guy. I was a road warrior before retirement, although not to the same extent. Back in the good old days I was upgraded on Delta every flight. But back then hotel chains didn’t have the same loyalty programs they do now.
Now as a leisure traveler I maintain Hyatt Globalist and plan my trips (mostly international) around cities that have Hyatt properties. Hilton is my backup. I’ve always had good stays at Garden Inns. Bonvoy is a strong no.
I fly mainly Southwest domestically unless I can book Delta via Virgin. AA never. United as a last resort.
I agree that Delta’s decision to just extend Diamond status (many seem to report having it until the early 2030s) doesn’t make a lot of sense because they get all the benefits even if they switch their loyalty or every day flying to another airline. That just doesn’t make sense. I also agree that IHG could rival Marriott if they had a better network of brands and hotels. They’re way too focused on lower-end brands. Hyatt seems to have abandoned business travel for resorts.
Two things stand out to me — first, I think, with only a slight nod to hyperbole, that we would all stay at Hyatt if only their footprint was larger. This is true both for business travelers (which Hyatt doesn’t seem all that interested in) and leisure ones. I think we’d also all agree that Marriott *could* have been fantastic but instead screwed up Starwood and is now — yes — little more than a booking platform. However, as the author notes, “Unfortunately, I’m one of those people with no real alternative to Marriott. I’m too invested in the Bonvoy ecosystem to give up Marriott cold turkey.” I think a lot of people are in that boat.
I became a Marriott customer solely because I was a Starwood customer, and I’m sure I’m not alone in that. However, I finally reduced my dependence on Marriott properties after missing Lifetime Platinum (“Missed it by that much:”) and settled for Lifetime Gold. My wife is also Gold via Amex. It’s not that Hilton is that much better than Marriott — that depends upon the specific property — but having Hilton Diamond status is better than being Gold at Marriott…especially outside the U.S.
As for Delta, having lived in California virtually my entire life, I’ve flown on Delta fewer than a dozen times, compared to approximately 50x on US, 75x on AA, 100x on WN, 120x on AS and 130x on VX. (I think it’s probably time we stop talking about the “US3,” and speak instead of the “US6,” adding JetBlue to the mix above and avoiding the addition of the ULCC’s.) Fortunately for me, AS still awards status based upon actual miles flown which, as the author noted above, means I can actually save some money and increase my miles flown by making a connection rather than taking a nonstop.
Respect.
Rick Steves describes three types of people: Tourists (those counting countries and landmarks), travelers (those seeking to learn about the world), and pilgrims (seeking to learn about themselves through travel).
He really should include a fourth, ‘the road warrior’ (whose job it is to travel), and the subject person of this post would be the perfect candidate, and/or a literal member of a flight crew.
Sometimes travel definitely gets us down, but I hope to never lose interest. While some things in the past did seem better, there’s still plenty to look forward to. What’s Delta motto, Keep Climbing? Bah! Well, it’s awfully steep some days.
Thank you for sharing.
Great perspective. Thanks for sharing.
I pulled back 8 years ago and mostly retired after 20 years mirroring this with similar experiences since. We ended 2024 with 125+ Marriott nights and a few Hilton nights.
Delta 3MM and Marriott LTE takes care of status there and CC does Hilton.
Delta is mostly transportation. Still get to the top of the upgrade list, but sitting #1 with zero seats doesn’t mean much.
I’ll continue to do more international on Qatar, Emirates and experiment with others wher the trip is as good as the destination.
Hotels are booked for best value or properties that we really enjoy.
My last year of work travel really wasn’t much fun. I can relate to
Hyatt should have acquired Radisson’s USA portfolio when Radisson had to split. The USA properties with a decent amount of property-level investment to renovate and upgrade would have been a good fit for Hyatt Centric or Hyatt Regency.
As disappointing as Marriott is these days, the decline of Delta I think is even more disappointing not least because Delta sells itself as premium.
181 nights on road this year for me. $55,000 spend with Marriott. I agree with his comments about the brand. For the first time in a decade I will not be diamonds with Delta. Their change de-incentivized me and I’m now Executive Platinum with American more by happenstance than choice. I’m sad to reduce flying with Delta, I viewed them as my home, but they’ve forced me.
I for one wish United would follow Delta’s lead and do away with flight minimums. If anything you are a better customer if you spend the same amount on less flights and shouldn’t be punished.
Man this rings true. I spent 40 years on the road before retiring working for a software vendor, in (at the time) Big 6 consulting and as CIO or CTO of a couple of national companies. That got me around 8 million miles (mostly butt in seat and was way before credit cards awarded miles) and lifetime elite status on DL, AA and UA. Also lifetime Titanium w Marriott and almost lifetime Diamond (hitting it annual still) w Hilton. Keep mid-higher elite status with 5-6 other hotel groups with credit cards or status matches. At this point I’m a free agent and loving it.
When I started traveling in the mid 80s and probably up until the early 2000s it was a totally different world (as many of you know). Royal Medallion on Delta (yes I’m old if I held that status) meant almost certain upgrades as did Executive Platinum on AA. I would go the entire year, with a similar travel record as this guy, and maybe fly in coach 10% of the time. Delta also included complimentary access to the Crown Room (SkyClub predecessor) which were at many more airports and rarely crowded. The world has changed and I certainly understand the economics but I do feel sorry for road warriors today. It is tough enough to put in the many extra hours and spend time away from your families but to be stuck in coach most of the time and staying at a hotel run by a company that frankly doesn’t care (and that is all chains at least at some of their properties) would be brutal!
This was my 20th year in a ‘road warrior’ life.
My thoughts–hotels:
146 Hyatt nights last year (~40 from credit card spend, rest from stays), plus lifetime Diamond at Hilton (earned it in 2025, and also still nearly qualified with stays last year), lifetime Platinum at Marriott (about 15 paid nights in 2024), and platinum at IHG (via credit card, with about 15 paid nights in 2024).
Agree with most of his observations. I share his distress at the number of lounge closures at Hyatt Regency in the USA; in some cities (e.g., Bellevue, WA) where I used to book the Hyatt without thinking based on the excellent lounge I now shop based around other full-service properties (InterContinental, Westin, independent property, etc.) based on rate. Even has Hyatt continues to win more of my business than other chains, I’ve been more of a free agent in cities with lounge closures. Really wish that Hyatt would get serious about brand differentiation and require Regency and Grand properties to have open lounges (or otherwise force them to just be “Hyatt” vs “Hyatt Regency” or “Grand Hyatt”).
I would add that I tend to avoid Hyatt Place–in cities where that tier of hotel is your best option, I generally find a Hampton Inn to be more reliable in-terms of condition, service, comfort, etc. than a Hyatt Place.
Hilton has its problems–I hate the ‘credit’ thing instead of free breakfast, for example. That said, I encounter few service problems at Hiltons and find that Diamond recognition (even if not suite upgrades) is generally very consistent. While a full-service Hilton is typically not as nice as a full-service Hyatt, Hilton Garden Inn and Hampton are solid options in most places.
Also struggling with Marriott. Renovated full-service Marriotts have a cheap quality to the renovation and I find Courtyards simply depressing (and generally understaffed, e.g. the poor front desk person is also the cafe person, leading to long lines or closed cafes, etc.).
Airlines:
Interestingly, status matters less to me than before because I am typically booking first now instead of relying on upgrades.
2MM and ongoing ExecPlat with American. Interestingly, I used to earn ExecPlat the hard way (by flying). With Loyalty Points I fly AA less often but still earn status with a combo of flying (though much of it is on Alaska, credited to AA) and personal CC spend. I suppose that’s an upside of the new scheme? What has me flying AA less often is:
(a) even with a few additions this year, the post-pandemic schedule at ORD is still not business-traveler friendly in many markets–i.e., my business has shifted to UA often because it has to.
(b) poor operational reliability–I had so many delayed and cancelled flights that I got frustrated and started to book elsewhere.
(c) declining in-flight service–so many FAs simply going through the motions and doing only the bare minimum.
Alaska: the best airline in the U.S.–strong operational reliability, a first class cabin with actual legroom, and (by far) the best food. One frustration?: I constantly have to monitor that Alaska flights credit to AA and credit correctly. I’m frequently having to use AA’s request miles function to get the flights to credit, and then they credit in the wrong class, requiring more customer service intervention. Fixing the class code often takes over a month.
For the first time in 15 years, status on United–earned gold this year and was a handful of segments short of platinum. Driving this business shift:
(a) see above–UA has a far superior schedule at ORD,
(b) better service. I gave up on UA in the CO merger years after a string of major operational and service issues. While UA’s food is average (on par, I’d say, with AA’s), I’ve been impressed with the in-cabin service–it exceeds AA’s, especially on things like FAs offering a second beverage, coffee after the meal, general attitude, etc. UA definitely has a ‘rising’ feel to it–new cabins are impressive. That said, there’s still A LOT of awful old cabins (737-800s with LaZBoy style recliners, those stupid old CO Direct TV screens, dark CO style interiors, etc.); AA stands out for (at least on 737 and A321 fleets) total product consistency (even if the product is fairly substandard).
Also earned silver on Delta; through the years have been silver, gold, and platinum medallion. Delta’s doing a good job with first class food. However, Delta strikes me as declining–they won a bunch of my business in the pre-pandemic years with a combination of better-than-industry-average in-flight service and operational reliability. In-flight attitude of FAs and quality of service has noticeably declined, and I’ve run into problems this year with cabin cleanliness, cabin condition (broken plugs, etc.), fleet consistency (some of the ex-Lion Air aircraft 737s are bad), and service consistency (e.g., in first, plastic cups being used on some legs, e.g., ORD-ATL, for no good reason, or skipped snack baskets due to catering errors, etc.). I don’t ever go out of my way to give business to Delta and would have done so previously.
Final airline observation would be re: international. I fly a decent amount of other carriers. I know it’s popular to bash US airlines compared to their international peers. I cannot comment on Asian carriers or Gulf carriers as I haven’t flown them. But I can say that I don’t think the gap between US carriers and European carriers on TATL is as big as sometimes discussed–in fact, US carriers often have a better hard product (e.g., an AA or UA business class seat is way better than Swiss A330 business or LH business or old Club World on an A380). I actually have found the food to be pretty comparable. I only wish that US carriers would invest just a bit in what I’ll call service refinement–perhaps it’s staffing or attitude or training, but the European carriers often deliver small flourishes to the service (e.g., a small dish for your tea bag, an offer of wine before the main course) that is noticeable.
Fun discussion!
This just sounds like such a horrible way to live (even with shiny elite cards earned on OPM) Especially if this is domestic.
Also, road warrior is a stupid term trying to make this miserable lifestyle somehow glamorous?
Globalist for 6 years straight. I’m a hybrid business traveler (wine industry) Hyatt has a strong presence in my target markets (California, France, Spain, etc) but could use more strength in the tradeshow markets (almost nothing decent in New Jersey .. I’ll stay in Hyatt regency Jersey City and Uber .
Hyatt JFK is so close to perfection astoundingly lacking an airport shuttle
Yes you’ll not get special service or hard product at Hyatt house or place in podunks .
But I’ve had really extraordinary stays with upgrades to best of the house rooms often at Hyatt Lax and SFO and the Grand Hyatt at SFO is really special
Stays at park Hyatt in Paris was something aboveboard with the hotel offering private conference room for a tasting with my supplier.
I just don’t get the same value from Marriott .
Hyatt should launch a total revamp of house and place locations to ensure customers can look forward to something better
I wish Hyatt purchased SPG, that would make my life and the author’s life better.
Good review, I’m not yearning for a return to my Road Warrior days.
@ Gary — Glad to see my “Avoid Marriott” policy is still a smart one.
What would I do? For the base problem of finding the properties in a portfolio I’d use my Perplexity Pro AI to find those. But like the poster, I’d find a way to quit travelling so much. I did that for a few years in the mid ’90’s and while I didn’t have a choice in hotels (we were a seminar company and I went where the seminar was), I did rack up a lot of miles…and sometimes, just by being nice at the counter, I’d get the 1st class upgrade…many times without asking. I miss those days- not the travel- when airlines weren’t in a race to the bottom. Now it resembles the bus ride to Cartagena in “Romancing the Stone”, except the riders in the movie were generally better behaved.
What would I do? Cut the cord. Already have and am much happier. Loyalty programs are a sham. I would much rather stay in interesting properties around the world rather than a cookie cutter corporate hotel that looks the same no matter what country. Also, I am finding that paying for upgrades is the way to go. I can choose when and if I want to invest in increased comfort.
All rewards programs let their hotels ignore the rules.
Almost all properties in Caribbean and Mexico absolutely ignore top tier status when it comes to complimentary upgrades and that includes Hyatt, Hilton and Marriott . They want cash upgrades and to sell time shares.
I have been told in Mexico and Dominican Republic when asking for complimentary upgrades that we don’t do it that way here
Ahhh yes as a Domestic Road Warrior (only visit the 50 States as my area) I get the privilege of flying to a new location 46 weeks a year. My company credit card is not a rewards card so I’m not earning the so said freebie miles by charging on a card. I’m still doing it the old school way by miles in flight. I will agree the past couple years my focus on hitting tears with airlines has changed. I’ve hit EP with American every year for 10 years, Usually Gold or Platinum with Delta, AList Preferred including free companion on SW, and about 5 flights on Alaska and UA. I agree Alaskan is absolutely putting out the best product and the best rewards. Their problem is their flights outside of the West Coast fortunately where I live, our lousy. The connection with AA is so clunky in exchange for awards points let alone booking travel it’s not worth the hassle. For my main airport, ONT, when I go back East AA is my first choice simply because they have the best flight times, then I’ll look to Delta and have to go through the dreaded Atlanta. If I’m in the Western half of the US I still find SW and Alaska to be the best options but of late AA have made great strides in flight opportunities. If I have to travel up in central or north east it seems UA can be the best option in some areas otherwise AA or Delta. I fly business or domestic first almost exclusively and as we all know the meals on any of these airlines is hit or miss… Of course you can count on graham crackers and pretzels on SW, lol! This year I’m not focusing at all on hitting any tiers and merely looking up what flights make the absolute best connections for me leaving and arriving to my destinations. As far as hotels, I’ve been a Hilton guy for decades always hitting top tier. They have many levels of hotels and seem to be very consistent between each chain and expectations. For instance a Hampton which I would consider your basic business makes having a breakfast in the morning easy no credits to worry about in the properties are usually very comfortable and laid out nice. Getting into an Embassy suites or Home2Suites also give you an apartment to room feel. I’ve done some Marriotts and I’m not impressed, charge more than a like product from Hilton so why? Past couple years I qualified top tier in IHC, had to use them because they had properties at locations I had to travel to. I would say fairly consistent, addicted to their darn cinnamon rolls! My angst against them is when you want to use your reward points for a free stay you will only get offered a standard room with no options to upgrade. It’s pathetic and disappointing and as such this year I’m going to avoid using them unless I have to. I have stayed at a few hyatts, usually nice properties but far and few between for me and also a little overpriced for what they offer in my opinion. Nobody mentioned rental cars and as I Road Warrior it’s important when you get off the plane to get in and out of the airport and on your way. I used to be loyal Hertz but had three bad experiences at three different airports that I don’t want to get into so I drop them. I’ve been with National past 4 years naturally hitting their highest tier, and I find them to be absolutely the best. Picking out any vehicle I want, always friendly staff, excellent interaction with their website, and easy to use their points should you want some free rentals.
While there are elements of service quality in what the author writes, the key theme is the reward factor from loyalty programs.
As a consumer, it is never pleasant to hear that no profit-motivated company will give away more than it has to but that is the truth.
For both airlines and hotels as well as cars, the industry has consolidated into a few major players. It is simply not necessary for these companies to spend as much to win over and keep customers when there are so few players.
There will always be weaker companies in any industry that will discount – including thru their loyalty programs – to win over customers but ultimately the overall strength of the company and the quality of the product they deliver determines their viability and attractiveness for the long-term.
Hotel chains’ executive management should take note. Reviews like these do much more to influence customers’ decisions than any commercial they can air on TV, Hulu, or social media.
When I stay in a hotel I am looking for consistency, cleanliness and convenience. Internationally I find that ibis, by Accor, offer these and good value.
Why are all these people concerned about with VIP lounges in hotels? If the bed is comfortable, the water hot and the breakfast good (all of which are usually up to standard in ibis), what is the big deal.
What is an “upgrade”? Perhaps a bigger room. What difference does that make for a single traveler staying one or two nights?
Most of this idea that one is a “special guest” is a hotel is baloney. I am a customer (not a guest) and expect a decent product – which I pay for myself now that I am retired. Most of these cards are pretentious nonsense which do succeed in getting some customers excited about a very standard, even bland, product.
Business travelers that acquire elite status and stay 100+ nights use those points to stay at aspirational properties. If those properties are unwilling to upgrade or acknowledge status, the question comes back why do 100+ nights in a hotel chain that disrespects you when you try to redeem
Like Jason Brandt Lewis, I also became a Marriott customer simply by virtue of being rolled in via Starwood. I’m merely a Gold level, but have stayed in. enough properties in Europe, Asia and the US to agree with the concept that they are in the business of selling customers to hotels. The lack of brand consistency, even from one Ritz-Carlton to the next, can be shocking. My Hyatt and Hilton nights were limited, but none of them were special.
The single best hotel stay I had this year was at a property well outside the usual points milieu: The Londoner, a 350-room hotel overlooking Leicester Square in London. From the doorman to the ever-present GM, the service was unstinting and warm, the food great, and the room just about perfect.
For the year ahead, I will be seeking out fewer Marriotts, more Londoners.
@Gary Does he say why:
a) He doesn’t use Hilton?
b) Doesn’t switch to online meetings?
c) Doesn’t use Ritz-Carlton?
d) Doesn’t drop points programs and stay at independents?
As a WoH Globalist, I agree with the observation that Hyatt had plenty of nice hotels and resorts around the world, but doesn’t seem terribly interested in meeting the needs of frequent domestic business travellers. In the last several years, I’ve only been in one domestic lounge (HR Seattle), and it’s been unstaffed forever. I can’t believe how little Hyatt does for Globalists at their generally unimpressive Hyatt Places (where most Globalists will have to at least occasionally visit to retain their status). Since there aren’t even room upgrades at most of these properties, would a welcome drink and a snack be too much to ask for? The bottle of water is insulting.
Would it be possible for the writer to tell us which Marriott owners have the most problems? I, too, have found a lot of inconsistency in the Marriott properties.
The days of airline upgrades seem pretty much over. Maybe on short flights but when I fly UA, first, there are are fairly large number of 1k’s that preboard with no upgrades. The only way to fly business/first it seems is to book it. Hotels are pretty much the same. You go to a Marriott and ask for an upgrade and it seems the hotel is full of Plats and Titaniums all wanting upgrades. The Bovoy “Free Night” upgrades seem fairly useless as well. And it’s harder to find US hotels with decent lounges. For me, a good lounge just makes travel more convenient and comfortable.
It seems if you want to have a comfortable experience these days, you need to buy or use points h for first-class seats and book upscale hotels. One positive note-I recently started using JSX which is some sort of scheduled charter. They use the 175s in private parts of the airport. Can get there with just 20 minutes to spare, valet parking, and minimal TSA-type stuff and you are off and running on a first-class seat. Not much more expensive than regular airlines but way less than private. Not a large footprint presently, but that may be the new trend if you want to be comfortable. I am no longer interested in overly crowded UA or AA lounges and even Centurion Clubs are hard to get into. Not fun anymore. Travel is just becoming hard work.
Very interesting read. I am not a road warrior on anywhere near the same level as the author, but run around enough to be AA EXP and have credit card-level “status” (for what it’s worth) with IHG, Marriott and Hilton. My belief for years, reinforced by this article, is that hotel loyalty is an utter waste of time and effort (at least in North America – my overseas travel is strictly leisure, and I pay for whatever level of accommodation and service I decide I want / can afford).
I have a colleague who consistently goes out of his way to stay at Marriott-ecosystem properties, often sacrificing convenience and/or quality, and is “rewarded” by the very exciting lounge access at a handful of properties and a room upgrade (very important when traveling solo on business!) once in an absolute blue moon. I’ll take the hotel with the best combination of price, location and quality (or online review profile, if unfamiliar to me), thanks.
Very good discussion. I was a hotel Finance Director for one of the 4 major hotel companies and a regional finace director for the last 3 of my 30 years. I served in hotels from 500 to 3,000 rooms. There was a time when consistency across brand standards was enforced. Quality inspections were done regularly, no exceptions. Now the big 4 only care about managed, owned and franchised properties producing revenue because the hotel companies are fee driven not quality driven. The fees paid are a percentage of revenue not a flat fee. I became a Delta 2 million miler because I traveled so much as a regional director and was granted lifetime gold status which now gives me very little, just a free checked bag and a seat in an exit row, neverr an upgrade to comfort or first domestically, certainly not an upgrade internationally. It is now pointless to try and achieve any status in these programs. I have noticed a serious deteration in all catagories of hotel properties. Renovation standards of guest rooms and bathrooms really was lost post covid. Im appalled at the condition of the limited service brands. Charges like resort fees and parking are outrageous. I no longer fly Delta consistently, their interiors are like the hotels guest rooms inconsistent yet they promote the product as superior. The older and used 737’s and used A350’s have inconsistent interiors relative to the newer aircraft delivered directly to Delta from the factory. I do not miss the Sunday night or Monday morings at the airport nor dealing with Friday morning travel home. Akso dont miss the winter weather delays or the delays caused by the summerthunderstorms in Atlanta.
@Chuck is 100 percent right. IHG (more than 90% franchised), Marriott (70%+ franchised), and now Hyatt no longer care about standards. They just want their 5-7% cut.
Marriott is so desperate for new revenue that create new, low-end brands that have a lower fee percentage.
Ever wonder why a Marriott website for a given property is minimal or often has outdated information? Marriott charges a fee to update the website and also prohibits properties from having their own websites outside Marriott dot com.
@Chuck: That is a damning appraisal of the state of Big Loyalty. And compelling, given your background.
Question for you: Presumably, there is still a demand for hospitality, the way it was when you were started your career. If so, people noticing the decline in Big Loyalty would have sought to fill the gap. Who is that? Four Seasons, Mandarin Oriental, independents, Relais et Chateaux, SLH, Preferred Hotels?
Thanks!
Last year I finally gave up chasing loyalty on hotels and airlines. Since 1985 I have been traveling heavily, with almost 4MM on American and another 2.5 MM scattered on UA, DL and other airlines no longer in existence, chiefly TWA, Continental and Northwest. Over the years I’ve attained published top-tier status on practically every USA based airline except Alaska. These are actual butt-in-seat miles, not points earned on mortgages, etc.
Today there is simply no meaningful reason for maintaining business with a particular carrier. I managed to requalify for AA ExPlat but that was more by accident rather than design. Nowadays I book first or business and choose the carrier based on price and schedule. Being based in DFW that usually means AA, although I use AC, UA or DL where it makes sense. These days I find UA with a better service level than AA. All things being equal, I would choose UA over AA. Internationally I choose a combination of price, schedule and aircraft type, particularly avoiding those with outdated hard product. Upgrades, whether complimentary or by instrument, are so hard to get that upgrade benefits are practically meaningless. I have AA Systemwide upgrades that expire every year.
This year I will terminate my AA MasterCard with lounge access. AA lounges are frequently overcrowded. I’ll save my money spent on the high-dollar AA credit card fee and just buy a meal or drink at an airport restaurant or bar. At least I can get a table with a modicum of elbow room. I do use the Capital One Venture X card mainly for access to their superb lounge at DFW. However, I think a better approach is to just scrap all the premium credit cards and find one with cash back, which will be my eventual plan going forward.
As for hotels, I abandoned the points chase rat-race years ago. There is so much variance in product quality within the same brand: It all depends on the operator. I see very little brand equity in hotel companies anymore. Why? Because hotel brands can no longer be trusted. My choice of hotel is based on knowledge about a particular property and its staff, property location, and quality, mainly cleanliness. When traveling in Europe or Asia I rarely stay at one of the USA brands, preferring local or continental properties.
Like the original author that Gary cited, I, too, am weary of travel. The entire end-to-end travel experience has deteriorated substantially, especially in the past six years or so. It was first noticeable with a steady erosion of the AA ExPlat experience that started around 2015. It has been all downhill from there. Hotels came off the rails post-Covid, using the pandemic to justify cutbacks in ordinary property maintenance and a general reduction in loyalty benefits. These deficiencies continue to this day despite being well past the worst of Covid.
Perhaps this is what airline and hotel companies intended to do all along: reach a nexus where they quit giving away free product to loyal customers when they can monetize that same seat or room to someone else regardless of their particular loyalty affiliation (or lack thereof).
I’m thankful, in a way, that I’m nearing the end of my heavy travel days. That being said, I could easily requalify for AA ExPlat or UA 1K if I had a mind to. However, my international travel in 2025 will be scattered among many different carriers with no critical mass gained in any one alliance. Hotels are becoming dingier by the day, no matter the branding. Loyalty has become a sucker’s game. Rude, loutish behavior is commonplace on planes, hotel lobbies and airport lounges as the legion of mindless boors seem to propagate like rabbits. I won’t miss it at all.
“Hotels came off the rails post-Covid, using the pandemic to justify cutbacks in ordinary property maintenance and a general reduction in loyalty benefits. These deficiencies continue to this day despite being well past the worst of Covid.”
This is an important point but let’s be clear hotels aren’t just eroding elite status benefits. They’re eroding basic standards.
Marriott now doesn’t require hotels to provide a bar of soap. A BAR OF SOAP. Even at 5-star, luxury brands. The supposedly full-service 4-star and 5-star hotels now provide barely any amenities and services. Room service? Maybe a meal in a paper bag with plastic utensils. Newspapers? It wasn’t that long ago when all Marriott properties would deliver a newspaper to your door overnight. Now, not even a few copies in the lobby. Bellman? Maybe only at resorts. Your typical Westin, Marriott, Renaissance, Sheraton, Hyatt Regency, etc. is operating at a standard equivalent to a basic hotel of 10 years ago.
@FNT Delta Diamond I couldn’t agree more!!
Great article and comments.
One has to feel sorry for the OP.
I used to travel frequently and earn several free flights with frequent flyer miles, but these programs seem to have deteriorated.
The only solution is to move away from the USA and avoid using USA airlines and chain/franchise hotels. None of them are really worth the money, though I suppose it is okay if someone else is paying for it.
I recently stayed at the Premier Inn at London Gatwick and it was excellent. And an easy indoor walk to the terminal. And a free breakfast buffet for two kids.
Well over 220 nights & 130 total segments in each of the last several years.
Executive Platinum with AA, gold with United, handful of flights with delta & JetBlue.
IHG diamond ambassador, Marriot titanium, Hilton diamond.
What frustrates me most is the cheap business class upgrades that all airlines are now doing.
Somewhere along the line someone decided “we’d rather offer a $100 upgrade than offer the seat to loyal members.” I get that it’s extra revenue, and while many people will give the “if you want business, pay for it” argument, what they’re failing to recognize is many companies won’t pay for business but I can still choose to take my business elsewhere.
On that note, the business of someone like me; someone who is spending 25k+ with the airline, plus another 100k on the co-brander credit card SHOULD be prioritized over offering a zero-status/gold member an upgrade for a marginal fee. In the long-run, this is a losing financial proposition.
The vast majority of flights are taken by the vast minority of business travelers, and we’re also the ones powering their credit card business (which makes as much or more money than actual flights). The entire economy of air travel and hotel stays are based off loyalty programs, yet everyone is moving to de-valuing them at record pace.
Simar things are seen in hotels; almost none of the hotel benefits are “guaranteed” and I can’t tell you how many times I’ve had hotels outright refuse things like late-checkouts because of “business constraints” (meanwhile, dozens of rooms are still available for rent??). In the last 3 years I’ve also had to increasingly hold hotels responsible for not granting guaranteed amenities, or attempting to curtail them in ambiguous ways.
That’s to say nothing of the fact that EVERY hotel chain dialed back services during COVID and NONE have brought those services fully back, yet still want to charge premium rates.
A reckoning is coming if it doesn’t stop.
@FNT Delta Diamond
“Marriott now doesn’t require hotels to provide a bar of soap. A BAR OF SOAP. Even at 5-star, luxury brands. The supposedly full-service 4-star and 5-star hotels now provide barely any amenities and services. Room service? Maybe a meal in a paper bag with plastic utensils. Newspapers? It wasn’t that long ago when all Marriott properties would deliver a newspaper to your door overnight. Now, not even a few copies in the lobby. Bellman? Maybe only at resorts. Your typical Westin, Marriott, Renaissance, Sheraton, Hyatt Regency, etc. is operating at a standard equivalent to a basic hotel of 10 years ago.”
This is just stupidity. You know what else they don’t provide? Dial up internet service. A BAR OF SOAP is something that collects dust. Regular humans don’t use bar soap. EVERY Marriott I have been at in the last 3 years (about 250 nights) has SOAP. It is liquid soap. It is more cost effective and it is what CONSUMERS use. The days of Irish Spring are long gone dude.
Room service would be there if it were utilized, but maybe you missed it,there is a new thing called DOOR DASH. It brings ANY type of food right to your door. It is expensive to put together a room service program that isn’t utilized. Though I will say I have been to multiple properties that DO have it, including the Edition Tampa where I was for Xmas.
Delivering newspapers to your door is just wasteful. If you seriously need a newspaper, ASK. Otherwise, the real world uses these things called phones, computers or Ipads to read. they also dont deliver your folio under the door on your last night. It is conveniently sent to your email.
As for bellpeople, are you really that lazy? IF that is that important to you, search those hotels out. I wonder are you still whining about Mobil or Shell no longer offering people to pump your gas, check your oil and wash your windshield? How about the demise of the milkman coming to your door?
There was a time when hotels didn’t offer much selection in TV, but now they all have HD Smart
TVs to access Netflix and other streaming services. I am glad they got rid of stupid tiny bottle of shampoo and went to bulk. Every hotel I have ben to recently has WIFI high speed internet. Was that a service offered 10 years ago? Not usually, or you had to pay to use it (including on Airlines). ameneties CHANGE over time. Bike and ebikes are now offered at many places. I was allowed to have one for several hours at no cost at a Westin in Toronto. Coffee makers and now espresso machines are in many properties that weren’t there before and a large number f properties are now allowing pets, which is a massive change from 2 decades ago.
Quite frankly, the person who is the road warrior isnt likely paying their own way. so feel lucky you arent taxed on the points you receive as compensation.
No empathy for this guy, if you don’t like being a road warrior, change jobs. I would jump at the opportunity for it. If you knew traveling was in the books, don’t apply, plain and simple.