2016 Travel Halfway Point – How Are You Pacing?

As we edge into the first full week of July, it is officially the 2016 travel halfway point.  If you are chasing status, today is an important day to do a quick check on how you are pacing towards those goals as there is still plenty of time to catch up.

I have several goals for my 2016 travel.  These goals help me stay on target with my travel planning.  As part of my Year of Yes, I’ve been focusing on a lot of non-travel goals in my life.  One of those has been my overall health and fitness so I’ve prioritized that above many other things that have caught my attention in the past (like weekend trips and long dinners out) and I’m also working on getting a lot of clutter (both real and figurative) removed that has accumulated in my life over the last two decades of heavy travel.  But even with those non-travel goals in mind, I still have quite a bit of travel to do so I’ve focused my attention on 3 goals for 2016.

Goal 1 – American Airlines Executive Platinum status – I’ll need 100,000 elite qualifying miles or 120 segments to requalify.  As of June 30, I’m at 73,702 EQMs and 58 segments.  It seems safe to say that I’ll qualify again on elite qualifying miles for 17 consecutive years as an Executive Platinum.  Right now I anticipate I will requalify in September.

Goal 2 – Marriott Platinum – I’ll need 75 nights this year to qualify (or 5o nights to maintain my current Gold status).  As of June 30, I’m at 31 nights for the year so I’m a bit behind on my requalifying pace.  I will need to focus on exclusively picking Marriott properties for my travels and likely will take my qualification right up to the wire.  As a Starwood Lifetime Platinum, I’m hoping my two combined histories will make it easier for me in future years once the programs merge.  I’ve considered asking for a challenge or comp to take me there more easily as well.

Goal 3 – Hyatt Diamond – I’ll need 25 stays this year to requalify.  As of June 30, I’m at 15 stays so I’ll be on track to requalify during the fall months.

After reviewing my 2015 travel, I wanted to focus more on consistency with my travel and personal life.  As such, I’ve been taking more nonstop flights and staying in one hotel longer.  My focus has also been on more personal experiences which has included stays in non-chain hotels or with friends (such as the weekend I spent at a wine chateau in California or an upcoming trip that will include time in a Dubai high-rise apartment), cruising (19 nights so far this year with 10 more booked and another 10 on the radar), and trying to spend as much time at home when I can.

The remainder of my 2016 travel looks to be fairly heavy on the work side with multiple 1-4 day trips to various cities where I have projects.  I have a Labor Day trip (postponed from July 4th) on Emirates (business class) to visit friends in Dubai, a September LA weekend to re-visit the Pan Am Experience, and a fall trip back to the Mediterranean for Seabourn‘s “Sommelier’s Odyssey” wine-themed sailing from Athens to Monte Carlo.  I have yet to plan Thanksgiving or holiday travel but anticipate that some Caribbean or Asian sunshine will factor into those plans.

How are your 2016 travel goals looking at the travel halfway point?  Are you on target or in need of a points/miles makeover?  Sound off in the comments below!