It is nice to have status--there are definitely tangible benefits. I remember several years ago pre-*wood that I had status at Westin and we had circumstances that necessitated immediately booking a block of 5 rooms in NYC. All the hotels we could think of were sold out, but the manager at The Plaza fit us in (and I became a minor hero for a day or so). Just last month during the horrible ice/sleet storm in NY, my minor (Silver) Marriott status allowed me to use the Elite reservation line and get the last room at the Marriott in Saddle Brook (as others around me were resigning themselves to the cots being distributed in EWR). On the other hand, it also just plain nice to have hotel and airline people greet you with (hopefully) an extra smile and acknowledgement of your business. Long ago, before upgrades were considered entitlements and almost all were BUP's, I remember one of my friends (who was BA Gold) being so impressed because a GA came on board (unsolicited) to apologize they were not able to upgrade him from J to F. (I guess those days are gone). So...congratulations, and enjoy your time with your home and friends away from home!