Loyalty Programs

Often folks ask me for recommendations for where to stay or how to book flights or transportation. My response is always two-fold. 1) I always try and stay at Marriott properties because I believe in the product (I may also have stock in Marriott) and 2) am a member of their Bonvoy program and enjoy getting the perks. As for flights, Delta is my chosen airline. This started because it had the best routes and connections when I lived in northern Idaho but it has continued to be my choice airline because of its reliability, expansive route maps, and level of service. In full transparency, I also hold Marriott’s Ambassador Elite status and Delta’s Diamond Medallion status.

But I also travel for work—which I must look at the most economical travel and housing. But with some exceptions, my two choices are also the most economical and often a win for my employer because I don’t have to pay for baggage on flights (which saves about $100 per trip).

There are also times where the Marriott hotel property doesn’t meet my needs. As much as I love Marriott, I won’t stay at one hotel brand and give-up experiences of where I am visiting. For example, next time I travel to Santa Cruz, I’ll go back to the Dream Inn versus staying at one of the Marriott properties. The Dream Inn is a much better property and aligns better with the experience I want to have there—a view of the ocean, hearing the waves, and a patio where I can sit and enjoy those two things.

I think every loyalty program has its perks. Some require less loyalty than others and provide greater rewards for your loyalty. If you hold a level of status with a brand, most competitors allow you to challenge their status match (I’ve done this with Alaska Airlines and Enterprise). This process allows you to complete a quick questionnaire on the competitor’s website and submit proof of your status. Within a few weeks, you usually receive approval for their status. When I went through this with Alaska, I simply did a screenshot of my status with Delta, completed the forms on Alaska’s website and received my bag tags and status within a month (it registered on my Alaska account within two weeks, the bag tags just took the extra two weeks). Note: Most companies will only allow you to do a status match once, so if you’re going to do it, I suggest you have travel planned for that competitor airline and it be worth the status level.

I have many friends and family who don’t select housing or airlines because of loyalty programs and they enjoy their trips just as much. Marriott and Delta are my go-to not because of the loyalty, but because I believe in their products and, for the far majority of time, I can find a hotel where I’m going and a flight to get there.