Yesterday, The Wall Street Journal had an interesting Middle Seat article regarding the "payback" of the various hotel rewards plans:
http://www.wsj.com/articles/hotel-rewar ... 1445407202" onclick="window.open(this.href);return false;
Fair Use:
The many travelers who have never bothered to play in hotel loyalty programs should take note. Marriott Rewards returned an average 9.4% from every dollar spent on hotel rooms when redeemed for reward stays later, a hefty bonus for travelers. That meant if you spent $100 at Marriott, on average you got back $9.40 in free rooms, the study found.
Starwood’s SPG, the loyalty program of Sheraton, Westin and other brands, paid back 6.1% on average. IHG Rewards, which includes InterContinental and Holiday Inn, and Hilton HHonors were close to Marriott’s payout, at 8.6% and 8.9%, respectively. Starwood’s program, however, surpassed its rivals in its payback for credit-card loyalty points.
I must say I'm surprised by this article's findings. I simply "can't be bothered" with the airline's and "fly on a Blue Moon" requirements, as well as their (this IS real life) routings such as ORD-MSN-SUX-DEN/DEN-RNO where obviously the travelers simply wanted ORD-RNO. This year, my United points - and I had about 20K of them having flown overseas - went to Wounded Warriors. I belong to the United plan only because I do most of my flying on them (real lot; four trips this year) and it makes it easier to book a flight.
Hotels have always seemed straight forward to me; you either have enough, or you don't! But I have noticed, along with the article, that IHG has become more stingy, for hotels that always used to be 10K are now 15K a night. Marriott, I find, remains generous, for on a trip to Fredericksburg that I had to cancel account illness within my host's family and otherwise would have been on right now, Marriott would have allowed two nights at their TownePlace brand for 20K.
With all of this as preamble for those who are in the plan, how liberal is Amtrak Guest Rewards? It seems like there are a lot here who ride about in Sleepers compliments of the plan. Since I joined the plan, just as I did United's, to expedite the on-line booking process (and I guess to "be one of the boys" around here), and have never redeemed any of my some 15K (if AGR offered a charity for donations, they'd be gone), what do those around here, especially those also in airline and hotel plans, think of AGR generosity, or lack thereof?