Memo to loyalty programs: Slashing benefits and ea...

This week, two main loyalty applications made updates that weren’t favorable for purchasers. On Tuesday, Marriott Bonvoy up to date its phrases and situations to point that members will earn factors at a decreased charge and earn no elite night credits at StudioRes properties. Then, on Wednesday, Southwest Rapid Rewards drastically reduced points earnings for choose fares.

As I considered these updates, I thought-about how they’d have an effect on my interactions with these applications. I already take incomes charges for factors and elite night time credit into consideration when reserving resorts, but it surely’s a nasty signal that Marriott Bonvoy now has a model that awards no elite bonus factors or elite night time credit on stays. And though I hardly ever ebook paid Southwest Airways flights, I will now be even much less probably to take action.

Loyalty applications exist to incentivize engagement and spending with a program. So, one straightforward option to protest unfavourable loyalty program updates is along with your pockets. Listed below are some methods I will defend myself from these unfavourable updates and how one can, too.

For years, a number of main hotel loyalty programs 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 also be the one main lodge loyalty program that does not give an elite night time credit score per night time stayed in any respect its manufacturers.

You may earn 10 Marriott base factors per greenback spent on qualifying fees at most manufacturers. Nonetheless, you may solely earn 5 base factors per greenback spent at 9 Marriott Bonvoy brands, 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 damage, you may solely earn one elite night credit per two nights stayed at Protea Hotels, Metropolis Categorical and Four Points Flex by Sheraton, one elite night time credit score per three nights stayed at Marriott Government Residences and no elite night time credit score for stays of any size at StudioRes.

In consequence, 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 Resorts, Metropolis Categorical, 4 Factors Flex by Sheraton and Marriott Government Residences — and now StudioRes — since stays at these manufacturers earn fewer factors and elite night time credit. My husband and I try to take care of lodge elite standing with a number of applications, so each night time 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. appeared interesting due to its location and value. However then I remembered I would earn factors and elite night time credit at a decreased charge, so I stayed at a equally priced Vacation Inn as a substitute. Even when I would wished to remain at a Marriott Bonvoy property in Istanbul, I might have booked the equally handy DeCamondo Galata, a Tribute Portfolio Resort for the same price and higher earnings.

Likewise, though I loved staying at a number of Protea Resorts properties in South Africa once I bought full elite night time credit and factors earnings for these stays, I now keep away from Protea Resorts. As an alternative, I now select Hyatt or IHG properties in Cape City and Johannesburg. You possibly can’t go flawed with these cities’ nice Category 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 will 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 achieve the following standing qualification threshold.

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It is value 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 may earn World of Hyatt points at a decrease charge when staying at Hyatt Studios and IHG One Rewards points at a decrease charge when staying at IHG Army Hotels, Staybridge Suites, Candlewood Suites and Residences. In the meantime, Choice Privileges has a model — WoodSpring Suites — that does not take part in its loyalty program in any respect.

Associated: Love it or leave it: My airline and hotel elite status plans for 2025

For Southwest Rapid Rewards and Marriott Bonvoy, you possibly can 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 night time credit on stays at StudioRes properties. But when your major concern is the slashed incomes charge, redeeming factors is an efficient answer.

I really like extended-stay hotel with a kitchen, however these properties typically earn factors at decrease charges. So, I normally redeem factors for these stays and save my money for stays that earn at a better charge. Better of all, I typically get a fourth or fifth night free when redeeming points with choose lodge loyalty applications.

For instance, I typically redeem IHG One Rewards points for stays at Candlewood Suites and Staybridge Suites, which earn at a decreased charge of 5 factors per greenback as a substitute 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 benefit, a perk of my IHG One Rewards Premier Credit Card.

Within the case of Southwest, I’ve already been redeeming factors for flights once I determine a Southwest flight is my best choice. In spite of everything, Southwest might lower the redemption worth of its factors at any time — resembling the way it decreased the value of Southwest points at the beginning of 2024 — whereas journey funds do not expire and will keep their face worth.

My husband and I sometimes alternate earning a Southwest Companion Pass each different yr, and we normally accrue a large steadiness of Southwest factors by means of bank card welcome provides whereas doing so. Then, we use these factors to ebook as lots of our Southwest flights as attainable. We aren’t planning to earn a Companion Go this yr, however I nonetheless have numerous Southwest factors in my account from once I earned a Companion Go in 2021, so I will use these as wanted to ebook Southwest flights.

Associated: How to earn and use the Southwest Companion Pass

Use a unique program

Lastly, it is value contemplating whether or not unfavourable loyalty program modifications are sufficient to vary your loyalty or encourage you to make use of a unique program. In fact, even for those who 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 deplete your remaining factors. Or, chances are you’ll not wish to utterly break with this system however as a substitute proceed utilizing it when it is smart.

For instance, I am not flying Southwest a lot this yr since my husband and I haven’t got a Companion Go. But when Southwest has a modestly priced nonstop flight on a route I must fly, I will probably redeem Southwest points to ebook the flight.

It is simple to maintain utilizing the applications you have at all times used. You understand how they work, and also you might need elite standing (and even lifetime standing). I will admit that the Marriott lifetime elite status program compels me to maintain incomes at the very least 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 night time credit for this standing) for 4 extra years.

However, particularly with status matches and the power to routinely obtain or earn elite status through select credit cards, just like the Marriott Bonvoy Brilliant® American Express® Card, it might be comparatively painless to start out utilizing a new-to-you loyalty program.

Associated: How and why you should maximize your hotel stays by using multiple loyalty programs

Loyalty must be a two-way road. So, for those who aren’t completely happy along with your loyalty applications, it might be time to change into a free agent or extra concerned with one other loyalty program. I love certain elite status benefits, resembling assured 4 p.m. late checkout, confirmed suite improve awards and Oneworld Emerald status, so I give attention to applications that present these advantages.

I am nonetheless giving Marriott Bonvoy some nights every year, as I am solely 4 years away from incomes lifetime Platinum Elite standing. Nonetheless, I’ve grown annoyed with the loyalty program’s many exclusions and the way its advantages and incomes charges typically differ by model. Plus, now that Marriott Bonvoy has began providing no elite night time credit or elite bonus earnings at one model, I count on extra manufacturers will comply with.