This week, two main loyalty packages made updates that weren’t favorable for patrons. On Tuesday, Marriott Bonvoy up to date its phrases and situations to point that members will earn factors at a diminished price and earn no elite evening credit at StudioRes properties. Then, on Wednesday, Southwest Speedy Rewards drastically diminished factors earnings for choose fares.
As I considered these updates, I thought of how they might have an effect on my interactions with these packages. I already take incomes charges for factors and elite evening credit under consideration when reserving resorts, however it’s a foul signal that Marriott Bonvoy now has a model that awards no elite bonus factors or elite evening credit on stays. And though I hardly ever guide paid Southwest Airways flights, I will now be even much less probably to take action.
Loyalty packages exist to incentivize engagement and spending with a program. So, one simple method to protest unfavorable loyalty program updates is along with your pockets. Listed here are some methods I will defend myself from these unfavorable updates and how one can, too.
Keep away from affected lodge manufacturers
For years, a number of main lodge loyalty packages have singled out some manufacturers as incomes at decrease charges. However Marriott Bonvoy has by far the best variety of manufacturers with decrease incomes charges. Marriott Bonvoy can be the one main lodge loyalty program that does not give an elite evening credit score per evening stayed in any respect its manufacturers.
You may earn 10 Marriott base factors per greenback spent on qualifying fees at most manufacturers. Nonetheless, you will solely earn 5 base factors per greenback spent at 9 Marriott Bonvoy manufacturers, 4 factors per greenback spent at StudioRes and a couple of.5 factors per greenback spent at Marriott Government Residences. So as to add insult to harm, you will solely earn one elite evening credit score per two nights stayed at Protea Accommodations, Metropolis Categorical and 4 Factors Flex by Sheraton, one elite evening credit score per three nights stayed at Marriott Government Residences and no elite evening credit score for stays of any size at StudioRes.
Consequently, I keep away from reserving paid charges at Marriott manufacturers that earn lower than 10 base factors per greenback. I additionally keep away from staying at Protea Accommodations, Metropolis Categorical, 4 Factors Flex by Sheraton and Marriott Government Residences — and now StudioRes — since stays at these manufacturers earn fewer factors and elite evening credit. My husband and I try to keep up lodge elite standing with a number of packages, so each evening counts. Plus, out of precept, I do not wish to frequent these manufacturers if Marriott Bonvoy will give me fewer earnings for doing so.
On a current journey to Turkey, the 4 Factors Flex by Sheraton Istanbul Taksim Sq. regarded interesting due to its location and worth. However then I remembered I would earn factors and elite evening credit at a diminished price, so I stayed at a equally priced Vacation Inn as an alternative. Even when I would wished to remain at a Marriott Bonvoy property in Istanbul, I may have booked the equally handy DeCamondo Galata, a Tribute Portfolio Lodge for the same value and higher earnings.
Likewise, though I loved staying at a number of Protea Accommodations properties in South Africa after I received full elite evening credit and factors earnings for these stays, I now keep away from Protea Accommodations. As an alternative, I now select Hyatt or IHG properties in Cape City and Johannesburg. You’ll be able to’t go incorrect with these cities’ nice Class 1 Hyatt properties.
As a traveler, it is annoying that $1,000 in qualifying fees on a six-night keep at a 4 Factors Flex would get me 5,000 base factors and three elite nights whereas the identical fees at a 4 Factors would earn me 10,000 base factors and 6 elite nights. However it might be actually irritating for this to occur to a member who did not find out about it — particularly in the event that they’re relying on a keep to succeed in the subsequent standing qualification threshold.
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It is price noting that Marriott Bonvoy is much from the one lodge loyalty program with manufacturers that earn factors and elite nights at decrease charges. For instance, you will earn World of Hyatt factors at a decrease price when staying at Hyatt Studios and IHG One Rewards factors at a decrease price when staying at IHG Military Accommodations, Staybridge Suites, Candlewood Suites and Residences. In the meantime, Alternative Privileges has a model — WoodSpring Suites — that does not take part in its loyalty program in any respect.
Associated: Adore it or depart it: My airline and lodge elite standing plans for 2025
Redeem rewards
For Southwest Speedy Rewards and Marriott Bonvoy, you may keep away from the decrease incomes charges caused by this week’s modifications by redeeming factors. Sadly, redeeming factors nonetheless will not offer you elite evening credit on stays at StudioRes properties. But when your major concern is the slashed incomes price, redeeming factors is an effective answer.
I like a great extended-stay lodge with a kitchen, however these properties usually earn factors at decrease charges. So, I often redeem factors for these stays and save my money for stays that earn at the next price. Better of all, I usually get a fourth or fifth evening free when redeeming factors with choose lodge loyalty packages.
For instance, I usually redeem IHG One Rewards factors for stays at Candlewood Suites and Staybridge Suites, which earn at a decreased price of 5 factors per greenback as an alternative of the usual 10 factors per greenback. If I redeem factors for a four-night or longer keep, I can benefit from the IHG fourth-night-free reward profit, a perk of my IHG One Rewards Premier Credit score Card.
Within the case of Southwest, I’ve already been redeeming factors for flights after I determine a Southwest flight is my most suitable choice. In spite of everything, Southwest may lower the redemption worth of its factors at any time — corresponding to the way it decreased the worth of Southwest factors initially of 2024 — whereas journey funds do not expire and will preserve their face worth.
My husband and I usually alternate incomes a Southwest Companion Move each different 12 months, and we often accrue a large stability of Southwest factors by bank card welcome presents whereas doing so. Then, we use these factors to guide as a lot of our Southwest flights as doable. We aren’t planning to earn a Companion Move this 12 months, however I nonetheless have numerous Southwest factors in my account from after I earned a Companion Move in 2021, so I will use these as wanted to guide Southwest flights.
Associated: The right way to earn and use the Southwest Companion Move
Use a unique program
Lastly, it is price contemplating whether or not unfavorable loyalty program modifications are sufficient to vary your loyalty or encourage you to make use of a unique program. In fact, even should you determine you are executed with Southwest Speedy Rewards, Marriott Bonvoy or one other program, switching will take time as you end touring on present reservations and burn up your remaining factors. Or, you could not wish to fully break with this system however as an alternative proceed utilizing it when it is smart.
For instance, I am not flying Southwest a lot this 12 months since my husband and I haven’t got a Companion Move. But when Southwest has a modestly priced nonstop flight on a route I must fly, I will probably redeem Southwest factors to guide the flight.
It is simple to maintain utilizing the packages you’ve got all the time used. You understand how they work, and also you may need elite standing (and even lifetime standing). I will admit that the Marriott lifetime elite standing program compels me to maintain incomes a minimum of Platinum Elite standing. In spite of everything, I presently have lifetime Marriott Gold Elite standing, and — assuming Marriott would not change its program — will earn lifetime Platinum Elite standing after incomes Platinum Elite standing (and the required elite evening credit for this standing) for 4 extra years.
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