As we enter the final quarter of the year, I thought I’d provide an elite status progress report and my thoughts on what the rest of the year and 2024 may look like.
My 2023 Final Quarter Elite Status Progress Report
I find myself in the familiar position of pursuing elite status with United Airlines MileagePlus and World of Hyatt, two programs I have been fiercely loyal to for nearly 20 years (wow, time flies…). There was actually little doubt that this year would be any different (I did toy briefly with a status match to Alaska Airlines and more oneworld flying, but that did not happen).
As we embark upon the last few months of 2023, I’m about where I need to be both in terms of my status with United:
and with Hyatt:
In late August, by the way, I was only at 20 Hyatt nights and thought that my days as a Globalist would be over. But something happened that I will reveal here in due time that radically changed everything…these nights were not just Excalibur stays (the MGM mattress runs became unnecessary for me).
It appears that my spending will easily push me over the $18K with United, but I may have to do a segment run to get up to the 54 segments. I will not come close to spending the $25K.
My Prediction: Devaluations Coming
My biggest concern is that we will see a 20-25% Aeroplan devaluation by the end of the year. I find Air Canada’s loyalty program to be the most valuable in the world, but whenever there is value there is the risk of devaluation. We’ve heard rumors of that all year, but I expect it… especially because Air Canada has sold points so cheaply lately.
I would not say Aeroplan is currently great in terms of redemption pricing. Far from it, the carrier already raised prices last year and strikes a hard bargain on certain redemptions (particularly from the West Coast to Europe). My concern is that Aeroplan will go from fair to uncompetitive if it devalues too much.
Hopefully, Air Canada will take a measured approach.
I do not expect any more redemption devaluation at United or Hyatt this year. I still predict a big devaluation from Alaska and American Airlines is coming.
What Will 2024 Look Like?
We also do not know what changes, if any, United and Hyatt will make to their programs for 2024-2025. Will United raise
We still don’t know how much, if any, Delta is going to walk back its draconian SkyMiles changes. As the outrage appears to be dying down, it appears Delta is holding off as long as possible to see how much it can get away with. Perhaps the “rollback” will be much more gradual than we hope for. In any case, Delta has tipped its hand: we see what direction it is moving.
It’s a bold gamble and I hope it fails, but it just might work and then others would follow.
CONCLUSION
I’m largely on track for my usual top-tier status with United and Hyatt and hope to finish early this year so that I can spend most of December at home with Heidi and the kids. There’s another personal issue that overshadows everything, but I’m not yet ready to discuss it publicly.
How are you doing in terms of your quest for elite status?
Who cares. Literally who cares about your constant self promotion and entitlement.
I do get a laugh out of your delusional comments, but why do you waste your breath? Thanks for all your clicks, dear.
I care. You are the reason I read your website, and I like how transparent you are with your opinions, status, experiences, and life. I personally have learned a lot from you, and appreciate all you and Kyle share and do.
Ignore the trolls….their only goal is to pull focus.
Thank you Michael.
Girl why are you on his blog then?
And this is one of the few blogs where the writer takes all of the abuse from commentators without resorting to censorship. Creepy homosexual Ben Schlapig (or whatever his last name is) and Fat Gary certainly can’t take it.
Pretty much everyone agrees that anything on this or that other platform is always better than your incessant pointless commentary.
Yeah? Well you read it. You can’t UNread it LOL.
Hope all is ok on the personal front Matthew.
I am in a similar situation as you with UA (but am at around 21K PQP). My issue is I could max out and fly 26-27k by year end, but with no rollover PQP they will be ‘wasted’. It’s a real shame that UA doesn’t follow Delta’s lead with rollover PQP, as IMO it would actually incentivize people to spend more before year end, rather than creating this bizarre perverse incentive not to …
Agreed on the (problem of a lack of) rollover, which is why I will be branching out for a couple trips coming up.
Delta doesn’t rollover MQDs, only MQMs. From what I understand, PQPs are money spent. Delta never rolled over the money spent.
I hit the 60 nights for Hyatt pretty easily this year after taking a hiatus from work to travel for 3 continuous months, but holding on in 2024 is highly unlikely for me…
I actually had to do a couple extra transcons & Hawaii flights with Alaska to hit 75k again as so much of my hiatus travel was award flights. That one may also hit the dustbin next year
I think the roadmap for an Alaska devaluation is clear, they’ll bring legacy pricing in line with the recent partner additions of say, Qatar & Royal Jordanian in the next couple years. Who knows for the others. Honestly, I’ve gotten enough value for a lifetime out of these programs since I started 6 years ago & have learned to adapt to whatever changes, however harsh come our way.
I will be praying that all is ok on the personal front. Blessings to you, Matthew.
Joshua 1:9
A life change that made earning Globalist more likely via lots of recent hotel nights, but a personal issue that overshadows ‘everything’ including family?
A bit of theater of the absurd that you say you are not ready to discuss it, but kind of are by dropping the hints if you catch the drift.
We’re hoping the hotel clue is a sign it’s an opportunity vs an unfortunate turn.
It’s an unfortunate turn, but my family is fine, which is why I phrased it the way I did. You’ll understand once I share.
Already qualified for Delta Diamond for the 15th year in a row but we all know that is totally useless. I wish I would get Globalist again with Hyatt but will miss it by 18 nights which I don’t see how I can fit in. Any ideas are welcome.
Road trip to Mexico, you and me, 18 nights, only Hyatts. I can take the sofa bed (don’t get any ideas!), but I’ll warn you now that I snore.
Do you have the credit card? If not, 18 nights is easy. Sign up, get the 5 nights, spend $5K on it for the 2 elite night bonus, and then you just need 11 more nights. There’s a Cat 1 in Eden Prairie (I think you’re in MN). You could potentially be getting stays for 2,500/nt with the current promotion. The card bonus will more than cover that.
I have both personal and business Hyatt credit cards. The hotel you suggested is usually around $130/night so 18 nights would be around $2500 so not sure it is worth it.
I was hoping you could snag a few nights at 3,500 points, but without adding a card to the mix, that’s still a lot of points
A good ol’ fashioned segment run doesn’t sound so bad. We all miss those days a little bit.
A good ol’ fashioned doesn’t sound so bad either, Jerry!
Cheers to that!
And the ‘ol fashioned at the Polaris lounges are actually pretty good. Methinks the segment run is simply meant to be.
I like your work Matthew and am much more of a lurker on your site than commenter. Ignore the haters. Its not our fault they all live in their mothers basements and do weird things to themselves. On my status front, I’ll probably end up close to 60K PQP on UA and around $40K on Bonvoy (already requalified for Ambassador). Not sure if GS will be granted, lets see what happens. It is my biggest spend on UA in a year that I can remember….
Agreed, without Matthew’s work I would do a lot more of it myself.
Glad your family is fine at least sir!
First, unexpected travel for unfortunate reasons doesn’t sound good at all. As someone who has spent much of the last decade dealing with death, dying and disaster, I am glad that at least the family is fine. As to the travel, I enjoy reading your adventures (why would I be here otherwise, a lesson some trolls should learn). But I admit much of my reading is more for entertainment and your perspectives, which usually match closely with mine.
That said, I am quite content, after years of low and mid level airline status, to have absolutely none with anyone (my three free AA Platinum months thanks to a Hyatt status match deal nonwithstanding). But I am very happy (almost ecstatic) with my Hyatt Explorist status and my Marriott and Hilton Gold have proven to be worth far more than expected (that Hilton breakfast deal in Europe is quite a value!) Hyatt really treats al its loyal guests quite well from my experience. I don’t ever anticipate having top tier status with anyone and that’s fine with me. As an old Gen Xer, I couldn’t keep up with your travel schedule even if it was all free. But glad you are enjoying it. You come to our part of Bavaria on one of your next German trips and dinner Is on me and the wife!
My frustration with United lies solely on “loyalty”. I get it. You fly more, you spend more, your status goes up. Here’s my issue though – I don’t fly internationally all that often. However, I fly domestically very frequently.
Example: This year to-date I have 78 PQF + 14,546 PQP. My PQF far exceeds the required 54 to maintain 1K status. Typically i hit 60+ PQF each year. However I will be far short on the 18,000 PQP requirement. As an aside, I’m also a several consecutive year United Club member.
So, am I whining and entitled? As much as I like the 1K perks, I don’t think I am. I’ve always felt that the PQF demonstrates the loyalty. By design though, I feel the domestic flier like myself struggles with the PQP.
I hope everything’s ok
United and Hyatt are my go-to options as well. But, I can’t tell if this is a joke or not…and I definitely don’t get the whole mattress and segment running logic. I mean, I’m at 89 Hyatt nights / 93,246 base points YTD and just pocketed another 84,648 Hyatt points from a relaxing Miraval excursion last week. Doesn’t feel like I travel that much, either.
As for United, even my 12-year old daughter (1K since 2016) already has 24,770 PQPs YTD and a growing surplus of near useless PlusPoints, 520 of which expire in January 2024. Seems like we need fewer 1K/GS/Globalist members, so the more loopholes we can close, the better. Would love to see new 1K PQP-only requirement of $50K+ and Globalist requiring 100K+ base points…and to include elimination of segments and nights alternatives.
True loyalty is measured in dollars spent, not segments flown, miles traversed, or nights stayed. These silly metrics have been abused for far too long by the blue collar sales and business development ilk.
Not sure I agree- I like the UA still has options for people who fly a lot, but shorter distances (lower cost but more often) but also an option for those of us who fly internationally once a month on paid business class. It allows UA to capture loyalty from two different audiences, not just long distance high dollar folks, but people who travel a lot. I have no idea how a 12-year is spending $24,000 a year on tickets but good for her! She must be seeing the world. Most folks don’t have that kind of money though but still want to earn loyalty.
The fact no one can use Plus Points is just a factor of UA limiting skip the waitlist availability. Most people don’t want to chance a wait list for long-haul flights. So for UA it makes sense since it means people buy the ticket they want rather than get free upgrades.
Finally, I haven’t seen United or Polaris clubs particularly over-crowded in my travels this year and as noted I think UA limits the plust points upgrades artificially, so not sure why we need to limit the ability for people to get status.
True loyalty has very little to do with actual spend. As most of the status perks are available with a business class ticket, status simply isn’t relevant for those who are price insensitive. Equally, a hub captive often pays a premium for the direct flights but will usually only get to the airport 1.5 hour before departure and drop by the lounge for a coffee which could have been bought for €3 or whatever in the terminal, but lounge access is a lifesaver for those who have to connect and spend hours at hubs waiting for their connecting flights- that’s where loyalty comes in, recognising the inconvenience of long connections and sweetening the pill. The whole idea of frequent flyer programmes is to drive revenue at the margins and encourage otherwise irrational behaviour (in terms of passengers accepting higher prices, longer connections etc). Of course quite a few FFPs are moving away from that approach and try to mostly make money through credit cards, but even then the loyalty perks are mostly worthwhile for those flying frequently on tickets whose price doesn’t include priority everything.
Don’t be a slave to United. Accept lower elite. Do it for Hyatt for 2024
I have zero status after years of United and American benefits. I miss the free extra leg room seats for the kids for free but mostly fly business using points that I buy or get off my cc or my (diminishing) stack of aa miles. I don’t really miss the loyalty. If I don’t have lounge access I buy a coffee or sandwhich and sit at an empty gate. Even the best lounge a la carte meal is like $50 of value. Meh.
Saw a lot of people complaining about the first class lounge being closed iñ doha. Sad yes, but even those free beds can be substituted for a $100 hotel room in the terminal. Hardly a huge cost on an $x k business or first class flight .
Flying Bali to syd next week with 40k Virgin Atlantic points on Garuda biz. Don’t have to worry about status at all.
Congratulations on your progress to achieve the highest tier status with both Hyatt and United. These are the two programs I used the most in my 30+ years of travel and glad I have achieved lifetime Globalist and GS and not to worry about requalifying each year.
I have enjoyed reading your blog since inception and have always respect your comments and views.
Hope everything will go well as regard to the personal issues. Everything happens for a reason and hope you embrace the change and look into the future positively.
@ Matthew — It looks like you were too quick on the draw re: your United comments, as Kirby has said “no material changes” for United MP status for 2025! OTOH, your comments on Aeroplan are concerning snce I know you know some of the people over there…
Hoping Matthew has everything wrapped up for December family time. Sometimes this is the most important in life and helps put all else in perspective.
Matthew, re: “I will reveal here in due time” and “another personal issue that overshadows everything, but I’m not yet ready to discuss it publicly” and “You’ll understand once I share.” After reading each of those sentences I feel like the brunt of the childhood joke “how do you keep an idiot in suspense for 24 hours?” (I’ll tell you tomorrow.)
Not sure it if was your intention but based on the comments, this blog entry has become all about you personally rather than the pursuit of status. I realize that all might be a way to incentivize people to return, like a cliffhanger TV episode, but my assessment is that it’s unnecessary, and also insulting and disrespectful to your readers, which is very much unlike you. And if you never post the specifics, we’ll be additionally annoyed.
The “something” related to Hyatt status which “I will reveal here in due time” is further irritating as some of us might be in the same status earning position yet be unaware of something that lessens the possibility of “days as a Globalist would be over.” If it’s something others can take advantage of (in view of the current date) you should post it ASAP. If not, please don’t write (in effect) “I have a secret way to maintain status which I’m not going to share.”
Your loyal, dedicated and appreciative readers (like me for example) will return and read whatever you choose to share regardless of any cliffhangers. Thank you.
(As others have commented I too certainly hope all is well and that the personal issue is good things.)
Thanks for your post.
The nature of the issue has nothing to do with Hyatt or United. Rather, it has simply led to many unanticipated hotel nights. It’s not divorce or separation or injury, lol, which is why I stated that my family is fine. There’s no tricks or no interesting reasons for my sudden surge of Hyatt stays. I have a NO secret way to maintain status. These hotels stays were by necessity.
And the reason I am dragging it out is not to increase clicks or anything like that…it is because it is a very dynamic situation that I must be delicately handled.
Thank you for the (courtesy and respect of a) clarification. Good to read that all is (basically) well. Good to NOT be a 24 hours-in-suspense idiot. Looking forward to reading about the end of the dragging.
Matthew, I am so glad you and your family are okay. I am appalled by the comments about Ben and Gary by that hateful reader.