For all of you who were Diamond members - read on........

I have been a Hilton HHonors member since 1989 and a Diamond member since 1994. (Yes it existed then) Requirements were 15 stays and 25 nights. Even if their rules were unwritten(June 1999 Frequent Flyer magazine) all you had to do was call and ask. I have over 200 stays(many different properties) and 400-500 nights(Hilton lost automated tracking when they changed computer systems)

These requirements were established (as I was told) to ensure loyalty by requiring stays and nights so a person could not 'camp out' at a hotel to get elite status. Well that has all changed.

( I can't figure out why IF Inside Edition played so ignorant in their article on Hilton in June, they had to know the requirements. So it was invitation only, I made it and others could have as well)

Now you can 'camp out' and are not required to have both nights and stays. To me, this reduces the loyalty requirement and bumps up these customers status to 'campers'. Nothing personal against them, but I guess they screamed loud enough to cause these changes and consequently cause a demotion to the loyal people who have traveled to many cities and stayed at countless Hiltons. (Not all-new Diamond members are 'campers' so I salute them for their loyalty).

Us old timers have outlived our welcome and since business is good right now, I guess Hilton sees that as OK. Airlines are doing the same thing. You can read about it every month in IF magazine and it all relates to here and now. Loyalty for years of service does not matter any more. The hard times are over so the newer customers, with skin deep loyalty, will be gone tomorrow or when there is a down turn in the economy.

I voted for Hilton in the Freddie awards, shame on me. There are also other problems with Hilton as well, this is just the most visible. I am also Marriott Gold, should I try for Black? Starwood, are you calling me??

Us veterans(airlines, hotels, etc.), well what does 900,000 HHonors points, 200 stays and 400-500 nights get you....

A DEMOTION - THAT'S WHAT



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