Your questions are like my questions. Why bother with Platinum?
The only advantage to plat for me is when on award stays. I'm still good until Feb 2007 (or whenever they roll over), and I should be Gold beyond that for another year. My travel plans only extend two or three years into the future and then I'll be dead.
There are enough Hamptons around that I can maintain my Diamond status with Hilton, and I don't think I want to bother with another chain; I'm certainly not going to be spending much time in Hyatt's or SPG properties.
Originally Posted by pinniped
How is that $60 FI? I'm guessing that in upstate NY, with a little discipline on your dining habits, you could do food + mileage + other incidentals for $50 or less. If it's a clean FI as opposed to a nasty one, might that be your long-term solution?
I'm staying there next week, so I'll let people know. (I'll also do a mini-report on the Binghamton FI).