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I am done traveling for the year. Aside from a staycation to celebrate New Year’s, I will not be in any more hotels and my flying is already done for the year. While 2024 saw my travel pick up, I am still nowhere near the road warrior that I was in the past. This year, I flew 138,570 butt-in-seat miles across 133 flights. This brought me to 43 airports across nine countries. While most of the goals that I had set out to hit across airline and hotel loyalty programs were met, I did make some changes throughout the year that will impact my 2025 travel.
Delta Air Lines SkyMiles®
Current Status: Diamond Medallion®
Goal: Diamond Medallion®
Actual: Platinum Medallion®
Medallion Qualifying Dollars (MQDs): $18,270
I spent around $10,000 less with Delta Air Lines in 2024 versus 2023. In October, I made the conscious decision to retain my United Airlines Premier 1K® status and that meant that my flying shifted. I finished at Platinum Medallion® and that’s fine for me. I always buy F/J seats, so upgrades were not an issue. I did not find much benefit in anything else offered by Diamond Medallion® that Platinum Medallion® does not get. Sure the upgrade certificates were nice, but they were a pain to use.
2025 Prediction: I will maintain Platinum Medallion® status.
United Airlines MileagePlus
Current Status: Premier 1K®
Goal: Premier 1K®
Actual: Premier 1K®
Current Premier Qualifying Flights (PQFs):
Current Premier Qualifying Points (PQPs):
18,000 PQPs and 54 PQFs or 24,000 PQPs are needed to reach Premier 1K®. I decided that I wanted the PlusPoints afforded to United Premier 1K® members (largely to upgrade my husband) and shifted a lot of flying from Delta to United. United has been improving its in-flight catering and its route network is second to none. I’ll continue to fly United and will likely maintain Premier 1K®. My Global Services days are gone and I don’t see those returning, but Premier 1K® will work for me.
Prediction: I will maintain Premier 1K® next year.
Spirit Airlines Free Spirit®
Current Status: Free Spirit Gold
Goal: Free Spirit Gold
Actual: Free Spirit Silver
Current Status Qualifying Points (SQPs): 2,866
I earned the status through a status match last year that was and until December 2024. I flew a good number of Spirit flights, but not enough to maintain Free Spirit Gold status. I’m not upset as I will see no difference since Spirit overhauled how it sells its seats and I can now get a Big Front Seat® and everything else that comes with it at booking regardless of status. The airline is going through a lot right now and I don’t think we’ll see the carrier as it is now at this time in 2025.
Prediction: I will fly Spirit less in 2025 and lose status.
World of Hyatt®
Current Status: Globalist
Goal: Globalist
Actual: Globalist
Current Qualifying Nights: 62
I hit 60 nights this month and earned my Globalist status once again. I’ll hit Lifetime Globalist within the next few years and will be off of the hamster wheel here. I love Hyatt and Globalist has been great to hold once again.
Prediction: I will retain Globalist status.
Marriott Bonvoy®
Current Status: Titanium Elite
Goal: Titanium Elite
Actual: Titanium Elite
Current Qualifying Nights: 75
I stayed at 27 nights at Marriott properties in 2024. I received 25 nights from holding the Marriott Bonvoy Brilliant® American Express® Card, 15 nights from the Marriott Bonvoy Business® American Express® Card, and eight nights from some promos. I spent less nights than ever before, but maintained Titanium thanks to the credit card nights above. I am Lifetime Platinum Elite, so I knew no matter what that I wouldn’t go below that level. I was Ambassador pretty much since it was introduced by SPG. The program has been diluted so much that I no longer strive for this level with its minimal benefits above Titanium Elite.
Prediction: I will continue to retain Titanium Elite.
Hilton Honors
Current Status: Diamond
Goal: Gold
Actual: Diamond
Current Qualifying Nights: 6
I held Gold status with Hilton Honors as a benefit from having The Platinum Card® from American Express. I stayed 10 nights this year at various Hilton properties. Diamond status was a gift from a recent Delta promotion and I think I will shoot to maintain it. I was Hilton Diamond for many years and I need to see how far I am away from Lifetime Diamond.
Prediction: I’ll retain Diamond (or fall to Gold as a benefit of holding The Platinum Card® from American Express).
Anthony’s Take: I reached the levels I cared most about and I’m okay with the few drops. 2025 looks to have more travel than 2024 and I’ll evaluate as I go.
(Image Credits: amgun via iStock, Delta Air Lines, United Airlines, Spirit Airlines, Hyatt, Marriott, and Hilton.)
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Advertiser & Editorial Disclosure: The Bulkhead Seat earns an affiliate commission for anyone approved through the links above This compensation may impact how and where links appear on this site. We work to provide the best publicly available offers to our readers. We frequently update them, but this site does not include all available offers. Opinions, reviews, analyses & recommendations are the author’s alone, and have not been reviewed, endorsed, or approved by any of these entities.
