No bets placed here. I've considered the GP program for 8 years before jumping in. I live in Calgary, and there isn't that many Hyatts locally to travel to (actually none at all, except Downtown Calgary, and I don't do mattress runs for status in a hotel where I live).. Lots of Fairmonts though close by.

We don't spend more just because of the Lifetime Carrot. But I've been with Fairmont for 10 years, and spent upwards of $300K on the program. I feel as I'm not a valued elite member because of the lack of lifetime recognition.

So I've decided to qualify Platinum with Fairmont President's Club through Amex Platinum Plat5 each year (5 nights instead of the 30 nights), and not devote business solely to the FPC program. Hyatt is generally half the price of Fairmont and offers incredible value and benefits. Since we travel 2 1/2 months a year for the purpose of leisure anyways, we've chosen Hyatt as a cornerstone for our travels for the benefits and recognition it offers. Plus we appreciate that Hyatt honors its long term customers with recognition.

In the end, I don't care as long as we enjoy our stays at Hyatt. I'm actually quite excited about the possibilities going forward for our travels. The Lifetime Diamond.. if I last that long.. would be great recognition, if the value of the program is preserved. Its a nice end game.

We'll move on if the program removes the key benefits that motivate us. I'm ready to go where the market takes us. The market has us here at Hyatt currently.