This week, two main loyalty applications 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 decreased price and earn no elite night time credit at StudioRes properties. Then, on Wednesday, Southwest Fast Rewards drastically decreased factors earnings for choose fares.
As I thought of 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 motels, but it surely’s a foul signal that Marriott Bonvoy now has a model that awards no elite bonus factors or elite night time credit on stays. And though I not often guide paid Southwest Airways flights, I am going to now be even much less probably to take action.
Loyalty applications exist to incentivize engagement and spending with a program. So, one straightforward approach to protest destructive loyalty program updates is along with your pockets. Listed here are some methods I am going to defend myself from these destructive updates and how one can, too.
Keep away from affected lodge manufacturers
For years, a number of main lodge loyalty applications 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 night time credit score per night time stayed in any respect its manufacturers.
You will earn 10 Marriott base factors per greenback spent on qualifying costs at most manufacturers. Nevertheless, you will solely earn 5 base factors per greenback spent at 9 Marriott Bonvoy manufacturers, 4 factors per greenback spent at StudioRes and a pair of.5 factors per greenback spent at Marriott Government Flats. So as to add insult to harm, you will solely earn one elite night time credit score per two nights stayed at Protea Resorts, Metropolis Categorical and 4 Factors Flex by Sheraton, one elite night time credit score per three nights stayed at Marriott Government Flats and no elite night time credit score for stays of any size at StudioRes.
Because of this, 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 Flats — and now StudioRes — since stays at these manufacturers earn fewer factors and elite night time credit. My husband and I try to keep up 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. regarded interesting due to its location and worth. However then I remembered I might earn factors and elite night time credit at a decreased price, so I stayed at a equally priced Vacation Inn as a substitute. Even when I might 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 Resorts properties in South Africa once I acquired full elite night time credit and factors earnings for these stays, I now keep away from Protea Resorts. As a substitute, I now select Hyatt or IHG properties in Cape City and Johannesburg. You possibly can’t go unsuitable with these cities’ nice Class 1 Hyatt properties.
As a traveler, it is annoying that $1,000 in qualifying costs on a six-night keep at a 4 Factors Flex would get me 5,000 base factors and three elite nights whereas the identical costs 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 learn about it — particularly in the event that they’re relying on a keep to achieve the subsequent standing qualification threshold.
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It is price noting that Marriott Bonvoy is way 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 Resorts, Staybridge Suites, Candlewood Suites and Residences. In the meantime, Selection Privileges has a model — WoodSpring Suites — that does not take part in its loyalty program in any respect.
Associated: Like it or go away it: My airline and lodge elite standing plans for 2025
Redeem rewards
For Southwest Fast 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 provide you with elite night time credit on stays at StudioRes properties. But when your main concern is the slashed incomes price, redeeming factors is an effective resolution.
I really like a very good extended-stay lodge with a kitchen, however these properties usually earn factors at decrease charges. So, I normally redeem factors for these stays and save my money for stays that earn at a better price. Better of all, I usually get a fourth or fifth night time free when redeeming factors with choose lodge loyalty applications.
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 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 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 once I determine a Southwest flight is my best choice. In spite of everything, Southwest may lower the redemption worth of its factors at any time — similar to the way it decreased the worth of Southwest factors at the beginning of 2024 — whereas journey funds do not expire and will keep their face worth.
My husband and I sometimes alternate incomes a Southwest Companion Go each different 12 months, and we normally accrue a large steadiness of Southwest factors via bank card welcome presents whereas doing so. Then, we use these factors to guide as lots of our Southwest flights as attainable. We aren’t planning to earn a Companion Go this 12 months, however I nonetheless have a whole lot of Southwest factors in my account from once I earned a Companion Go in 2021, so I am going to use these as wanted to guide Southwest flights.
Associated: How one can earn and use the Southwest Companion Go
Use a unique program
Lastly, it is price contemplating whether or not destructive loyalty program modifications are sufficient to alter your loyalty or encourage you to make use of a unique program. In fact, even if you happen to determine you are accomplished with Southwest Fast Rewards, Marriott Bonvoy or one other program, switching will take time as you end touring on current reservations and burn up 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 sensible.
For instance, I am not flying Southwest a lot this 12 months since my husband and I haven’t got a Companion Go. But when Southwest has a modestly priced nonstop flight on a route I have to fly, I am going to probably redeem Southwest factors to guide the flight.
It is simple to maintain utilizing the applications you have at all times used. You understand how they work, and also you may need elite standing (and even lifetime standing). I am going to admit that the Marriott lifetime elite standing program compels me to maintain incomes a minimum of Platinum Elite standing. In spite of everything, I at present 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 standing matches and the flexibility to routinely obtain or earn elite standing via choose bank cards, just like the Marriott Bonvoy Good® American Categorical® Card, it could be comparatively painless to begin utilizing a new-to-you loyalty program.
Associated: How and why it is best to maximize your lodge stays through the use of a number of loyalty applications
Backside line
Loyalty needs to be a two-way road. So, if you happen to aren’t comfortable along with your loyalty applications, it could be time to turn into a free agent or extra concerned with one other loyalty program. I love sure elite standing advantages, similar to assured 4 p.m. late checkout, confirmed suite improve awards and Oneworld Emerald standing, so I deal with 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. Nevertheless, I’ve grown annoyed with the loyalty program’s many exclusions and the way its advantages and incomes charges usually differ by model. Plus, now that Marriott Bonvoy has began providing no elite night time credit or elite bonus earnings at one model, I anticipate extra manufacturers will observe.
