‘Not Well-Liked at Delta, United, or Marriott’: What 23 Years of Travel Blogging Taught Me About VIP Perks (Or Lack Thereof) – View from the Wing

When a hotel dishonors a reservation, because they’ve sold out the property to a group, I’ve done well negotiating terms for myself that leave me better off – usually a better room somewhere else and free stay. One reader wondered whether this was the hotel giving me better treatment because of my voice here on the blog, but I don’t think so. Plenty of others have the same experience, though it varies by hotel brand.

And, generally speaking, I don’t get better treatment because of this blog when I travel. Indeed, it’s obvious by the frequency with which I have problematic stays and flights, that even if executives somewhere wanted to treat me better the execution on the ground just isn’t there. I have only been recognized for the blog on-property at hotels 3 times in the 23 years I’ve been writing it. Oddly all of those were in 2016 and I don’t believe it’s happened in the last 8+ years.

I just stayed for the second time at Park Hyatt St. Kitts. My last stay generated a trip report that is #1 on Google for ‘park hyatt st. kitts review’ and that did not generate any special treatment. So as a general matter I suspect most hotels are only capable of special treatment if you ask for it, waving ‘influencer’ in their face or offering some sort of quid pro quo?

When I made ConciergeKey at American Airlines, some readers decided it was clearly because of the blog, when it was because of the December 2021 SimplyMiles haul and the move to counting activity from all sources towards status. Everyone else who’d earned as many miles from the promotion as I did received ConciergeKey as well. And there were more than a few ripples inside American over my being a ConciergeKey – I am not always the most popular figure there.

In fact, the idea that I’d somehow get better treatment rather than worse treatment is itself interesting. I am generally not well-liked at senior levels over at Delta and United, either (and Marriott for that matter!). And how have I never received a letter telling me that I – and my descendants – are banned from Hertz?

Airlines don’t have an easy time getting special treatment from frontline staff, outside of their special services programs like ConciergeKey, Global Services, and Delta 360 (and many United Global Services members say even there the treatment isn’t very special). And hotel chains might try, but too many hotels are franchised.

One chain once compiled a list of upcoming blogger stays, hoping to get the hotels where they’d be staying to give them an improved experience and generate buzz. I had stays on that list – which I know because, while the list didn’t result in better treatment, the chain accidentally sent the list to someone at The Points Guy. Oops. The truth is they’re just not good enough at this to deliver special treatment!

The funny thing is that while hotels and airlines don’t recognize me, often check-in agents and flight attendants will. I’ve had many approach me on board to talk about things they’d read on this blog. And hotel guests do, too, especially at elite-heavy, aspirational point redemption hotels. I think I’ve had folks say hello at breakfast every morning whenever I’ve stayed at the Andaz Maui, and on one stay at the Park Hyatt Maldives (with its just 50 rooms) five different couples introduced themselves. That’s always fun!

Of course, I want to experience travel the same way everyone else does, or at least the same way everyone else who travels as frequently, with the same levels of loyalty program status, does. So unlike many ‘influencers’ I’m not prompting airlines or hotel chains and asking for special consideration because of the blog. And when I do receive something of value from a travel provider (beyond a sandwich in a conference room during a meeting) I make sure to donate its value to charity.