Original Member and FlyerTalk Evangelist
Join Date: May 1998
Location: Kansas City, MO, USA
Programs: DL PM/MM, AA ExPlat, Hyatt Glob, HH Dia, National ECE, Hertz PC
Posts: 16,619
My guess is that Hilton realizes that the cost of upgrading someone to Gold is offset by the increased business it receives from someone they give such status too ...