I thought it might be helpful to throw some numbers at this discussion of devaluation. Using
BlondeBomber's spreadsheet, I analyzed the 2,291 properties he had both pre 6/1 and post 6/1 categories for.
This analysis shows the distribution of properties across the old and new categories, and compares how many points it takes to get a single night reward. The comparison does not consider the loss of the multi night discount, which would drive the numbers up a bit.
It also obviously does not consider the VIP award hyper inflation, and the loss of other accruing benefits. If you find the analysis lacking without those factors, then I encourage you to download the sreadsheet and present your own alternative perspective.
Code:
Total Properties 2291
================================================================
Pre-6/1/03 After 6/1/03
Category # % Cat. # %
Opportunity 188 8% 1 170 7%
Executive 1511 66% 2 1225 53%
Select 384 17% 3 578 25%
Classic 139 6% 4 218 10%
Premium 69 3% 5 61 3%
6 39 2%
================================================================
Mean pts/1 night 21076 22211
Median pts/1 night 20000 20000
IMHO what these numbers show is a less dramatic picture than I think many people are painting. Using the mean per one night, the bottom line is
Inflation 5.4%, devaluation 5.1% (devaluation calculated off a basis value of $0.0075 per point).
[I'll try to follow up later with a commentary on the VIP awards, and perhaps a more nuanced way of looking at it rather than just 17%, 50%, & 75% inflation.]
[This message has been edited by Rut Dog (edited 03-28-2003).]