Thanks to an unexpected gift from my preferred hotel chain and airline, I don’t have to set foot on another airplane or hotel this year and will still enjoy top-tier status until at least early 2022.
After initially resisting calls by some elite members to extend status and loosen requirements, hotels and airlines are now falling like dominoes. First it was Hilton, then it was Hyatt. Then it was Delta, followed by United.
Regular readers will know that I’m very loyal to Hyatt and United. Over the last few days, both have announced that status will be extended another year for all elite members.
I made a last-minute push to qualify for 1K status with United last year, but have only had a chance to fly a handful of times this year before COVID-19 struck.
I also got a head start on Hyatt, staying 15 mights and then earning five additional nights thanks to the World of Hyatt Credit Card by Chase. But with travel now suspended, it was only a matter of time before I fell behind.
Honestly, I was not expecting this. While I was reasonably certain that airlines and hotels would offer some sort of promotion to earn status easier, this gift actually disincentivizes further travel on United or blind loyalty to Hyatt this year. But airlines are looking beyond this lost year and instead toward 2021…each day it is becoming clearer that travel will continue to suffer even after restrictions are lifted.
CONCLUSION
While I never expect airlines or hotels to go the extra mile when most take such a “what have you done you for me?” attitude, I am truly quite thankful for this gesture. A world that is quarantined is not the world I want to live in, but airlines and hotels are finally recognizing that after a long string of one-way, customer-unfriendly cuts, loyalty is a two-way street.
Now we just need American Airlines to match and then I’ll really be set for 2021…
Have you benefited from the status extensions airlines and hotels have offered?
I’m waiting for American obviously. I can’t imagine they won’t follow suit. What I am interested in though is if they give YOU an extension for the gifted Hyatt/Exec Plat Poacher Status. (Sorry, I know it’s a harsh name!).
Here’s to hoping! 😉
Covid-19 will be with us even in 2021 so travel will be affected. Vaccines are not 100% effective plus there are anti vaxxers
Well, that would be a classic example of Darwinism at its very best…were it not for the fact that they tend to have children, and it’s sad to make the innocent suffer.
Who cares about anti vaxxers? Everyone just go back to flying and coughing and let those idiot anti vaxxers get infected… It generates healthcare revenue and eliminates the stupid
I also wonder about my incentive to fly on United in 2020 as a 1K. I guess maybe just the 11 miles per dollar and possibly GS? Can’t imagine them rolling over PQPs.
Because you can earn a fresh batch of PlusPoints for 2021, versus just having any 2020 Points roll over for 6 months into next year
Of course. Maybe they will even be usable!
Should be very usable for the next 12 months I’d say…they likely won’t even artificially block award space as much as typical as they will be happy to get more mileage liability off the books, even if not as desirable as pure cash flow
I have gold with BA and am getting worried (yes, I know there are much bigger problems right now, but…) that they won’t extend. My year ends in July and their current 30% offer is ludicrous.
I look pretty good with Delta as well. I am Diamond for 2020 but don’t expect to fly at all at least until things get back to normal. Thus, even if I don’t fly I am carrying Diamond to 2021. Adding to that, Delta is allowing you to rollover all your MQMs to 2021 so you already start 2021 with all MQM’s you got in 2020. Well, because I rolled over a lot of MQMs from 2019 to 2020 I am already starting 2021 with enough MQMs to qualify for at least Platinum for 2022 as long as I meet the MQD spending which is not that hard with the Delta Reserve card.
I don’t agree. Delta only rolls over all MQMs earned in 2020 to 2021. This does not include rollover MQMs as far as I have read.
Yes, you are probably correct. From the email I received from Delta: “Your current Medallion Status will automatically be extended through 2021 whether or not you requalify. In addition, all of your 2020 Medallion Qualification Miles (MQMs) will be rolled over in 2021.
Still, I will have lots of MQMs from my Delta Reserve from 2020 that will rollover into 2021.
I’m pleased with the United offer. I did the extra flying in December (BOS-HNL, BOS-SFO) to qualify for 1K (miles and money) and this has made the effort worthwhile. My lifetime status with Marriott cannot be improved.
If things pick up the latter half of the year, I may make the reduced 1K qualifications!!
United held off mentioning what the lower-qualification tiers will be for 2022 status…smart to wait and see how quickly travel rebounds in Q4 of this year. If they set it too low we’ll have half the plane full of 1K’s! Hoping they just go back to the previous 12,000 PQP for the 2021 flying year.
12K PQP would be two years ago…I expect 15K as they will likely be too greedy
United and Hyatt are my go to programs and I have stayed loyal with both.
As a lifetime GS, the extension does not impact me, but I am happy for everyone who got an extension.
I have had 39 nights by end of March at Hyatt already and with another potentially 60 nights booked until the travel bans.
I was going for lifetime Hyatt Globalist status by end of 2021, but now it will have wait at least a year. The extension helps a little.
I am happy with SQ PPS extension. There was no way I could make it tenth year in a row.
Regarding AA, I have zero activities in my Executive Platinum account, so an extension will work wonder for me.