Originally Posted by
josephstern
Next, you are comparing Delta and Hyatt, and while I see the comparison in many ways, I think you might be doing the wrong thing to give up on Delta if your reasoning is the same as for giving up on Hyatt.
I think you may have missed my point. I am giving up on the loyalty programs of Hyatt and Delta. The next time I need a flight, I will comparison shop and choose the best option at that time. Previously, I would ONLY look at Delta and Hyatt and choose destinations that were convenient just so I can be loyal to those programs to reap their "rewards". I'm not doing that anymore.
For example, I booked a business class flight to Dubai on Delta/KLM with a 5 hour layover in Paris just so I wouldn't "waste" the $4000 rewards dollars and the MQMs to qualify for next years status. But I could have taken a non-stop flight from Chicago to Dubai on Emirates for a few hundred dollars less. Pretty foolish of me.
From now on, I will choose the best airline/flight combination without thinking about rewards programs.