Memo to loyalty programs: Slashing benefits and earning rates impacts my booking decisions

This week, two main loyalty packages 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 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 accommodations, 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 e book 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 solution to protest unfavourable loyalty program updates is along with your pockets. Listed here are some methods I will shield 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 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 will earn 10 Marriott base factors per greenback spent on qualifying expenses 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 harm, you may solely earn one elite night credit per two nights stayed at Protea Hotels, Metropolis Specific and Four Points 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.

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 Accommodations, Metropolis Specific, 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 latest 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 decreased charge, so I stayed at a equally priced Vacation Inn as a substitute. Even when I would needed to remain at a Marriott Bonvoy property in Istanbul, I might 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 bought full elite evening credit and factors earnings for these stays, I now keep away from Protea Accommodations. As a substitute, I now select Hyatt or IHG properties in Cape City and Johannesburg. You’ll be able to’t go incorrect with these cities’ nice Category 1 Hyatt properties.

As a traveler, it is annoying that $1,000 in qualifying expenses on a six-night keep at a 4 Factors Flex would get me 5,000 base factors and three elite nights whereas the identical expenses 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 following standing qualification threshold.

Each day E-newsletter

Reward your inbox with the TPG Each day publication

Be a part of over 700,000 readers for breaking information, in-depth guides and unique offers from TPG’s specialists

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 evening credit on stays at StudioRes properties. But when your main concern is the slashed incomes charge, redeeming factors is an effective answer.

I like a very good 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 the next charge. Better of all, I typically get a fourth or fifth night free when redeeming points with choose lodge loyalty packages.

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 after I resolve a Southwest flight is my most suitable choice. In any case, Southwest might lower the redemption worth of its factors at any time — similar to the way it decreased the value of Southwest points in the beginning of 2024 — whereas journey funds do not expire and will preserve their face worth.

My husband and I usually alternate earning a Southwest Companion Pass each different 12 months, and we normally accrue a large steadiness of Southwest factors by bank card welcome gives whereas doing so. Then, we use these factors to e book as a lot of our Southwest flights as attainable. We aren’t planning to earn a Companion Cross this 12 months, however I nonetheless have a variety of Southwest factors in my account from after I earned a Companion Cross in 2021, so I will use these as wanted to e book Southwest flights.

Associated: How to earn and use the Southwest Companion Pass

Use a special 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 special program. In fact, even should you resolve you are accomplished with Southwest Speedy 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, you might not wish to fully 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 12 months since my husband and I haven’t got a Companion Cross. But when Southwest has a modestly priced nonstop flight on a route I must fly, I will probably redeem Southwest points to e book the flight.

It is easy 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 status program compels me to maintain incomes at the very least Platinum Elite standing. In any case, I at the moment have lifetime Marriott Gold Elite standing, and — assuming Marriott does 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.

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

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

Loyalty ought to be a two-way road. So, should you aren’t glad along with your loyalty packages, it could be time to turn into a free agent or extra concerned with one other loyalty program. I love certain elite status benefits, similar to assured 4 p.m. late checkout, confirmed suite improve awards and Oneworld Emerald status, so I deal with packages 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 pissed off 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 evening credit or elite bonus earnings at one model, I count on extra manufacturers will comply with.