I am very happy with CO platinum but my concern is finding a hotel partner.

I am HIlton gold, Marriott Gold, Hyatt Platinum and Starwood Platinum.

I have come to despise Starwood, so they are out. I really like Hyatt but they have few locations where I travel so that seems kind of foolish.
I like Marriotts and Courtyards but never get upgraded as a gold. Will be interesting to see what happens when they unveil their program changes with Courtyard.

Hilton is hot and cold. Some are great, some are terrible. I am leaning that way though, especially with some of their new additions. I hope they are incorporated into the HHonors program. Guess I still have a few days to decide, but just can't seem to make a choice.
By the way I wish you all happy and safe traveling in the New Year to come. Hope to run into a few more of you in the skies or on the ground.

rjwx2man, why do you despise Starwood? I've had the opposite experience.

Sheryl, I know. I've been to Austin three times, and each time they were disastrous trips on United. (Though I still love the city). I was replying to this:

US also offers unlimited complimentary upgrades on any domestic fare for the top tier. I realize this doesn't matter to AusTXHiker since he can't get to US from AUS but doesn't change that fact http://www.flyertalk.com/forum/smile.gif



[This message has been edited by dg1 (edited 12-26-1999).]

I'm currently AA Gold and TWA Elite (both through 2000). Hilton Gold and Starwood Gold. Methinks for 2000 I will move my air travel to CO and stick with Hilton for hotel. CO comped me Silver (I asked for Gold) for 2000. TW just doesn't have the routes and I'm tired of paying dollars and miles for AA upgrades.

The only question is: What's the smoking policy at IAH and EWR? Most/all CO flights that I'd take from MCO will connect in one of those cities, so that is a consideration! Also, what is the smoking policy in the CO President's club? (Yah, I know this part should be on the CO board. Sorry).

Cheers,

'toad

No smoking at IAH. No smoking in Presidents Club. The distance to go outside during your connections at IAH isn't really that bad, unless you have only 30 minutes or so. Nothing like what I've been told it is at CLE.

Decisions, decisions! Right now I am UA 1K, AA Gold, CO Gold, and US Preferred. DL even managed to get two roundtrips from me this year, but I have no status there. I will carry UA 1K (qualified on miles), AA Gold (challenge), and US Preferred (segments) into next year. Most of my business will be directed towards AA as I will be flying a lot between DCA and DFW. I am now signed up for the Platinum challenge and should hit that by early February. There is no way I will hit 1K on UA and I don't think it is worth it anyway. I will get some segments on US and CO, but probably not enough for status.

For hotels, I am Starwood Plutonium, Hilton Diamond, and Marriott Platinum. All of these will continue into next year. Even though I have some reservations about Hilton, the "Tails you win" promo looks good for putting up some big miles, at least thru March. Starwood is likely to get the remainder of the stays as long as they continue the great promos. Marriott is still a personal favorite but usually overpriced. I have heard rumors about substantial changes to the program, but until I see them they will not see too much of my business.

QuietLion,

The reason I despise Starwood and am dropping them from my plans for 2000 is their inconsistant manner of doing business. Up to the time I left their fold I had about a dozen stays. I had only one that I would consider good. Great upgrade in Chicago at the Sheraton towers. The rest were at Westins were staff was rude and charges were even incurred ( or attempted ) for an upgrade. I got no satisfaction from the property management on several occasions and found it best to go elsewhere. I am not demanding at all, maybe that is the problem. I did expect some type of reasonable service as a Starwood Platinum but rarely received it. I could tell you several horror stories from the Sheraton in Raleigh to the Westin in Cincinnati but I am sure you get the point. It is just a preference thing, and I have done better elsewhere.

Wow, that sounds dreadful and I don't blame you. I only had terrible service once, at the Sheraton New York Hotel and Towers, and when I emailed Starwood they sent me vouchers for a full refund! At Hilton, on the other hand, I have poor service jsut about every time. I like Marriott but their program is just not as good as Starwood's.

Thanks for the explanation.

Well next year will be interesting for me. I just reached Gold Elite with NZ Air Points and was comped to PremEx a month or so ago for 99 and 2000. I'll be moving from New Zealand to the US and my new employer prefers AA and have comped me Platinum.

So I think it will look something like this:

Use a mix of UA (whenever possible) and AA within the US to keep PremEx and Platinum, Use NZ on long hauls to LHR and AKL from LAX/SFO to maintain *G on NZ.

Maybe I won't have my FF number in my profile and i'll submit boarding passes/tickets every 3 months or so, to balance the earnings between UA and NZ...

Ok.. Ok.. let me see...

This year I had PremEx on UA for 1/2 the year then made 1K this fall (through Feb of 2001). I also get recomped to Hilton (gold) through next year.. and they promise some good additions to their program... Also have Gold with Starwood Prefered. I was in a corporate apartment this year, so I do not have my Hilton Diamond.

I think my strategy is to keep Marriott Gold and try to stay more for the next level. Hilton I will see what happens with there "new family" members and how they fit into Hilton HHonors.

I really enjoy Starwood. I have stayed at some wonderful Westins.. and W Hotels. The Sheratons are sometimes good, sometimes yuck.. But I do love the Westin/W chain (where I will be spending my free Fridays!!).

For now, I will requalify on UAL 1K, and try to get some miles on Delta (since why bother getting UA miles if it doesn't count).. also I have 100,000 milesi n Delta from the 1-1 promotion with Diners Club, and some status may help when flying on them.....

I do alot of domestic short hops, so most of my miles are in bonuses and I qualify on segmnets (although this year I had 98,000 miles and 110 segments on UAL).

As always, an addict, my wife would prefer I had no status and minimal miles (so i would be home)...

LOL!

Punki et al, I will be staying with Delta for 2000 and probably Hilton much more(double dip). Fell short of PM on Delta this year for first time, but I asked for a comp to PM in the coming year. Who knows? a friend of mine told me once never stop asking in regards to upgrades, etc. It might not hurt that I returned a $300 voucher they issued me in duplicate, but who knows? I have gotten e-mails which did not deny the comp outright, so waiting on pins and needles. How did that expression get started?

I will start (jan-1-2000) from:

LH miles&more [*]Senator till feb-2002 (TWO), allows Lounge-access (also UA's Red Carpet)[*]one (complimentary) international one-class upgrade-voucher, good on any fare and LH-flight worldwide, at check-in[*]about 40'000 miles on my account (plus 150'000 on Gisela's account) for upgrades on international LH-flights good on any fare (my favorites: FRA-SFO and FRA-BKK).[*]2 UA-one-class international upgrade-vouchers good on LH-transatlantic-flights (bought with UA miles, expiry end of 2000)[*]all upgrades for upcoming (jan-2000) *A-rtw already 'paid' with miles

UA Mileage Plus[*]1K till feb-2000, afterwards Premier Executive (till feb-2001)[*]110'000 miles on my account[*]16 one-way-confirmable upgrade vouchers expiry somewhen in 2000[*]many 500-miles-upgrade vouchers (good in N-America)[*]all upgrades for upcoming (jan-2000) *A-rtw already 'paid' with miles

SR Qualiflyer [*]no status[*]85'000 miles in my account[*]all upgrades for April 2000 trip ZRH-HKG, BKK-ZRH (to join my children on their rtw) already 'paid' with miles (low-promotional-eco-fare did beat anything else on the market, so I took that SR-ticket against my overall policy/strategy)

my 'strategic'-goals in 2000

UA[*]1K for 2001

LH[*]'just' for inner European LH-flights with high(er) minimum-miles (eco: 1000 versus 500 with UA, business 2000 versus 625 with UA)[*]and for special mileage-promotion opportunities, [*]and 100%-miles on Thai- and LH-eco (instead of 50% only with UA).[*]and for 300% credits on UA-N-American-flights in first on two-class-aircrafts (with paid int. business rtw-fare) instead of 250% with UA.

SR Qualiflyer [*]earning miles with my credit-cards (Diners, Eurocard/Mastercard), Swisscom-telefon-card and duty-free shopping in Zurich[*]rare paid flying (only when SR is the only 'reasonable' option, example Zurich-Gran Canaria: to my father's 86th birthday) [*]using mileage award-tickets for high-priced mid-week, high-season inner-European flights (example: Zurich-Paris)

[This message has been edited by Rudi (edited 12-29-1999).]

... and thank you Punki for asking - it was about time that I made some thinking on my future 'tactics' (I wouldn't call it strategy). http://www.flyertalk.com/forum/smile.gif

So now the real (I know we've had that discussion before) millenium is approaching, what are your strategies?

I am just going to sit tight with AC Aeroplan unless the rules change dramatically.

I am also going to TALK TRAVEL!

I'm going to stick it out with UA, as my trancon travel looks like it will be increasing in '01. Delta always a backup, especially for the Florida vacations.