Travel is back! The airlines have returned most planes into service and flights are packed. Summer fares have been high again with many people opting to fly for vacations - the int'l airlines have even brought back the A380 into service after previously planning to retire them. I've been flying each week through the first part of the year though that will be coming to an end as I start a new role on the east coast.
American
I was offered a promo these past months with escalating status if you fly or meet certain point thresholds on American - the credit card helped for some points and I had a few flights home as well. I ended up reaching Gold status for the rest of this year and next, which is perfect for the times I need to fly home.
United
United is still my first choice for flights and I've re-qualified for 1K next year. I've had limited upgrades out of SFO in the first part of the year - with my flight frequency declining for the rest of 2023, I'm hoping to utilize the status when I can for using pluspoints. I acquired the Club Card a few months ago which has been useful for longer layovers and international flight staging.
Hyatt
My weekly stays have exclusively focused on Hyatt, and I've already requal'd as Globalist for this year and next. Point redemptions have changed a bit with the recent deval of Category 7/8 properties though I'm still finding excellent deals for the locations we typically visit. Suite upgrades have also been successful this year at selected properties including the Park Hyatt Zurich.
Hilton
I successfully re-qualified for Diamond status last year and was able to use it as a great rate alternative when needed. Higher rates will mean that I won't reach Diamond status next year.
Have you had any exciting travel plans this year?
