Has anything leaked about the new Elite status that will replace the old Gold status?

 

Only that it's not going to "replace" the old Gold status, because old "Gold Status' was not really a status. It was nothing more than a points promo with a very poor name.

What's been leaked is that it will be truer status, so it will have nothing do with the old Gold status except for the word "status". But how many levels there will be, what the qualifications requirements will be, and what the benefits will be, nothing's been leaked that I know of.

Please adorn your cynic hat. What they said was that this new elite status would be coming in 2016. And December 30, 2016 is still "in 2016" .

 

Cynic hat on - hoping for a nice tier status as I tend to stay in Wyndham properties a lot and carry the Branded Barclay card.

 

Well, please don't lose that hat!

WyndhamRewards' most obvious competitors (given the more "budget" space they operate in) would be Best Western Rewards and Choice Privileges, neither of which are known for any clear or obvious in-hotel benefits. Best Western may have a "check-in gift" at higher elite levels, but it's hit or miss in practice. Choice doesn't even attempt that.

In both of those, the main elite benefits are the earning of extra points on paid stays (how many extra depending on your elite tier).

(Plus at Choice there's a longer booking window for awards depending on tier status, but that's peculiar to Choice because it restricts everyone somehow as to how far out they can book awards. No other program I know of does that.)

 

I would enjoy a " no early check in fee" I work at night and oftentimes show up very early in my day of reservation. Hotels are all across the board on this - from free if room available to $25 dollars flat. super8 advised me the other day that there was a rate available for early check ins but that under no circumstances would before 1 o'clock be considered. Anyway the 10 stays and a free night was ok - like you said though no reason to be in a rush as their competitors don't have much to offer as an alternative.

 

I have the Barclay Wyndham card and points enough for several nights at Wyndham locations but have not stayed at one in a while now. One of the biggest reasons is lack of status and or lack of places nice enough stay at when I travel.

I am by no means a "status guy" who requires recognition because I chose to grace the hotel lol, but the status perks with points earning, points rebates, higher floors and or nicer rooms is appreciated. I currently am Spire with IHG, Diamond with Hyatt, and Diamond with Hilton. With those three I will try to plan my stays there until my status expires just due to the perks I mention and extra points earning potential. With Wyndham I'm nothing, not even Gold I do not believe.

Wyndham could get more stays from me with a similar program with real perks that would drive me to stay there over the others. Even when my status inevitably lowers at the others the lower status is still more than Wyndham. They would do well to do something to compete and set themselves up to stand out from Choice and BW.

 

Why did you get a Wyndham card if their hotels do not fit your needs?

In terms of the other hotel chains you mentioned, why would your status expire if you are a frequent traveler to those properties?

 

Well around me there are not a ton of nicer properties, though when I travel I can find some great locations. It just seems to take a little more work than some others that's all. I enjoy my stays when I get a good location and like the card and points program a lot and I'll be keeping it! 15k a year with my card is great.

My travel will not remain at high levels, I will retain status at a couple places but I will fall off the Dimond level at least I suspect.

 

I figure that will continue with the "Gold Status" free nights and any other 'status' will not be much. I use them a LOT, like 100-150 nights a year and don't really see them offering anything that special. I wish they did.

 

Still nothing on the new "status"

 

Actually, there is a hint. I got an email recently from WR, which listed how many "qualifying nights" I've had this year. So while there's nothing that those qualifying nights count towards as of yet, that implies that sometime this year they'll announce what they count toward.

 

Maybe we will get an announcement in time for Summer travel season

 

Hope its something good. I liked the AA miles promo they had recently.

 

We truly are probably waiting around for nothing

 

Well, probably not quite nothing, but perhaps something close to it.

Several competing hotel programs have status that doesn't gives you much dependable other than elite bonus points on your stays or maybe a bottle of water at check-in.

So I can see a WR status program where you get MM% extra points on stays after X nights in a year (that year or the previous year), or NN% extra points on stays after Y nights in a year.

If you were going to stay enough to qualify anyhow, it'd certainly be better than a poke in the eye with a sharp stick, but also not worth "working towards" for most people.