SPG Lifetime Platinum

Yesterday I was starting on my second martini, lazily setting my fantasy football draft rankings while watching the sail away from Livorno (I am on vacation – 1/3rd of the way into my Grand Mediterranean adventure) when I received the most delightful of frequent travel emails – I finally achieved SPG Lifetime Platinum Status!

I consider this no tiny feat since I’ve been either a double or triple top tier elite for the last 13 years (and once a quadruple top tier… Ugh!) which means I spend too much time in hotels.

The benefits of SPG Lifetime Platinum status are nothing to sniff at – late checkout, extra points, and other bonuses.

I enjoyed a junior suite upgrade on my qualifying stay (which was at the Le Meridien in Barcelona along with late checkout and my usual bonuses.  The hotel offered a convenient location right off La Rambla, a perfect refuge between visits out and our great tour with Culinary Backstreets.

It is nice to know that in the future, I will have two fewer things to worry about – 1) how to requalify for status with Starwood and 2) what my perks will be at Starwood hotels.

I’ve previously earned two other lifetime statuses – Lifetime Gold and later Lifetime Platinum (at 1 million and 2 million miles respectively) on American Airlines.  I’m now at well over 4+ million miles on the carrier (and inching toward my 4 million miler status) without a single dollar of credit card spend or other externally derived mileage.

I’m hoping to continue now to make progress towards my other lifetime statuses in other programs.  I will still take full advantage of staying in Starwood hotels when I can however.  I love the perks and have my favorite properties.  But I will no longer feel obligated to skip a nice Marriott to stay in a mediocre Four Points out of blind brand loyalty.

So another drink to status… cheers!