Originally Posted by
travelinfoo
The elite game is not just about loyalty; it's about money. Many ppl attain their Gold and Diamond levels via CC; now Gold can be bought for $95. None of these indicate a special loyalty to Hilton.
But it always was about money. Loyalty and status level is just one surrogate for expenditure, i.e., money. I hope no one think they get benefits because the chain like them because they are "loyal". They get benefits because they bring money into the chain.
Hilton will not have made the deal with Citi if it would not have been to their financial interest. So yes, even if you get the $95 Gold status, you still bring enough revenue to the chain that it think worth while to give you that status.