2020 Wrap-up: Frequent Flyer Points

Every year around the start of the year I take stock of my balances in various frequent traveler points programs, both to see how we'll I've done in accumulating & using miles as well as to set goals for the coming 12 months. Although the start of 2021 is still almost two weeks away I'm done earning frequent flyer points for 2020. I'll review my balances now, starting with airlines.

The dominant piece of the story here is Coronavirus. When I reviewed my miles 12 months ago I set a variety of goals for spending down my balances by going places and doing things. I got off to a good start in January-February, but by March plans came crashing down. During the summer I thought I'd be traveling again by now, but then infections went up (sharply!) instead of down so I've stayed home. Anyway, here's how things shake out for 2020.

⬇️ Southwest Airlines: Down 30k to 257k
Southwest has been my primary airline for the past several years, the airline I take most of my flights on. Although my balance of SW Rapid Rewards (RR) points is bigger than I'd like at least it's declining— showing that I'm able to redeem points faster than I accumulate them. Of course, in this travel-is-canceled year of Coronavirus most of that came from 50k points spent buying gift cards to earn more points. And most of those gift cards I still have sitting in my desk drawer! For 2021 my RR points balance is likely to go up, way up. I'll be chasing status again, starting with a credit card signup bonus then paid flights for earning points as travel becomes safe again. I foresee getting as high as 400k before I switch back to spend-points mode.

⬆️ United Airlines: Up 13k to 318k
Just as I celebrated my Southwest balance going down I bemoan my United balance going up. I would rather be spending down my balance as United keeps finding ways to make its points worth less and less. Basically I'm stuck with a deflating currency. I earned some points taking a few paid flights early in the year. I actually did find a decent redemption opportunity around Thanksgiving but then I canceled Thanksgiving travel due to Coronavirus. I'll go back to looking for redemption opportunities in 2021 once travel becomes safe again. I expect slim pickings, though, as UA has watered down its frequent flyer points program so badly it's rarely worth redeeming vs. paying cash anymore.

↔️ American Airlines: Level at 816k
I tried, man; I really tried. I booked awards flights with AA three times this year but canceled them all due to Coronavirus. I look forward to being able to spend down this sizable balance flying to fun places in 2021 and beyond.

↔️ Delta Airlines: Still at 50k
This is the 50k pot of miles I didn't even know I had two years ago. I did look for redemption opportunities this year and almost found one worth taking, but then Coronavirus shut everything down. I'll look again once travel resumes in 2021 but I'm not too optimistic. 50k Delta SkyMiles isn't actually very much. Many frequent flyers refer to them as SkyPesos.

2020 Frequent Flyer Retrospective: Hotel Points

Earlier today I wrote a wrap-up of my frequent flyer points for the year. Now it's time for the same with hotel club points. As before, though the end of the year is still almost two weeks away I'm already done with travel. Also as before, Coronavirus is a recurring thread in the story. It caused a travel stand-down for most of the year.

⬇️ Marriott Bonvoy: Down 50k to 584k
My goal at this time last year was to find a worthwhile large redemption for my big balance of points in Marriott's too-preciously named Bonvoy program. (Seriously, there was nothing wrong with the name when it was simply Marriott Rewards.) While I didn't find a large redemption I did find one smaller one, spending 60,000 points for 3 nights in February before Coronavirus shut down most travel. I also earned about 10k from a paid stay or two. I tried to spend more than just that 60k in the few other opportunities I did have for travel in 2020, but the challenge is that Marriott had watered down the value of its Rewa— I mean, Bonvoy— program. Opportunities to redeem points at good values are now rare. That's a big reason why I'm shifting to Hilton Honors as my preferred travel program even though I have Lifetime Titanium status with Marriott, their highest normal elite level. For 2021 my goal remains the same as 2020's: spend down my big balance, preferably on worthwhile big-ticket redemptions so I can do more than chip away at it.

⬆️ Hilton Honors: Up 160k to 492k
My goal with Hilton this year was to both earn and burn points while making it my chain of choice. I basically did all that— though not to the degree I intended as Coronavirus curtailed most travel for the year. My earnings came mostly from nearly 200k of bonuses on a Hilton-affiliated American Express card I upgraded to in March. Against that I redeemed one night and paid for a few others. Like I said, not the degree I wanted. Thus my goal for Hilton becomes the same as my goal with Marriott the last two years: find a good, big redemption opportunity.

⬆️ IHG Rewards: Up 145k to 431k
My points balance with IHG shot up in 2020. That was due in large part to earning the 125k sign-up bonus on the new credit card I opened in Oct 2019. I tried hard to spend IHG points this year. Twice I booked and then had to cancel a 150,000 point redemption for 4 nights in a resort town. Yup, Coronavirus again. Goal for 2021? Well, that resort town is still there. Third time's a charm, maybe?

🔄 The Others: Whatever
I know I have a few thousand points each with Choice Privileges and Best Western. I know that primarily because I stayed a few nights with each during our Utah-Arizona road trip in September. They're not my preferred brands, so I stay with them primarily when my preferred brands aren't available— as in the smaller towns we visited during that trip. I think I have some points with Wyndham Rewards. I don't know; I don't care. I'm just not engaged enough to care.