Originally Posted by
Stripe
There are two aspects to the loyalty program. Points and status benefits. Do most HHonors members choose the Hilton family just for the points, or is it to maintain status too?
The individual hotels can't control the point devaluation but they do have some control over how they treat you based on your status. IMO, the ongoing closings of exec lounges and other cutbacks will do more to strain the loyalty of the best customers.
Excellent points.
When I started traveling in earnest for my job almost 15 years ago, I started at the bottom tier of all the programs and it took me a couple of years to reach elite and then top elite tiers of some of the travel programs.
Once I made top tier, I noticed that things started happening. Upgrades that you were eligible for as a mid-tier (but rarely happened) became commonplace at top tier. Any kind of irregular situation was taken care of immediately in your favor. An otherwise s---hole job of frequent travel became much more tolerable because of the perks. Take those perks away and you will take my business away.