Yes, many point-earning programs have a policy that requires continued earning within some period to keep your accumulated points -- with most airlines you need to fly or earn miles within 3 years. I think TR points go away if you don't visit any property for a year, but I could be wrong on that.
Only 8-10 years ago I had a year where I traveled a great deal on business with others paying for it, a lot of full fare first class travel, on the road 160 nights. I got United Airline's top rating (it was a black card, I think it was called Global Services or something) based not on miles but (when I called them to tell them I hadn't earned it yet) on "revenue I've brought in". I was a little embarrassed to have spent so much of other people's money on travel that the airline made me special, except I was working very hard and used the first class travel to rest properly between assignments and also to work en route, which I could not have done as well in coach (and I've confirmed that now that I'm back in coach again!). Still, it was part perk and part a necessity for doing the work I was doing as well as I could do it.
I used to get very special treatment -- notes from the pilot, a person at the airport during international travel to assure I got to where I was going, priority in everything. If I was not treated well (yes, that can still happen - and sometimes it was egregious, not a lack of special treatment but a lack of the normal treatment that any passenger deserves), I was a very effective complainer with my travel history as my leverage.
My favorite story was when I was on one trip and they lost my bag and asked me to describe it -- I described it as a black rectangular suitcase with a United Airlines tag on it that said "special handling" :)
The year finished, and (thankfully) the need to travel very much - and my category quickly slipped downward to "no one special" - not even short lines for check in. When I went to redeem some miles for an upgrade on an international flight, I was told I'd need to pay an $800 fee, and when I called customer service to remind them how much I'd spent earning the miles, and how valuable I once was to them, I got a very courteous conversation, but no forgiving the fee (so I flew coach - paying fees for "free" flights with my miles is still a pet peeve of mine, but that's the game these days).
All of the "frequent flyer / frequent stayer / frequent player" programs seem to reward you when you're racking up the points, but when it's over, you can hardly even use the points you've accumulated. It's strictly "what have you done for us lately?".
With one local casino that I get to once or twice a year, but occasionally not at all for a year or two, but giving them good action when I'm there, I get free room offers all the time for a few months after a trip, but if I miss a whole year, it's "come down and play and then talk to me and we'll see what we can do". Not even a starter "casino rate" -- and the rack rate is over $200 a night, more on the weekends. Unfortunately, it's often difficult for me to go there frequently enough to "cash in" on the occasional free room before they wake up one morning and say "what have you done for me lately". They openly admit that my action justifies comps, but that they don't do anything for those who haven't been there in the past year.
Of course, other casinos are different - sometimes.
--BG
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3a. Re: Re Bob Dancers recent column about hotel stays (breakfast)
Could have fooled me. 14years ago I had enough points for a two week stay anywhere in the world. Didn't stay with them for a year and they wiped out all my points. I wasn't even aware of the requirement back then. They told me I was SOL. Nothing they could do. I even wrote to a couple of executives and got no response. I haven't stayed at a hilton owned property since.
