FlyerTalk Forums - View Single Post - Sneaky Expiration of Starwood Points?
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Old Mar 31, 2011, 7:29 am
  #21  
travelinfoo
 
Join Date: Feb 2006
Programs: HH diamond
Posts: 2,646
Originally Posted by sc flier
Yes, but wouldn't they usually benefit best if you pay for your stay with cash rather than points? Isn't there a financial gain (or reduction of liabilities) if points were to expire? (It's actually pretty difficult to answer this question because it's way more complicated than this.)

I really don't understand why SPG would want to close an "inactive" account so quickly. It's unusual in the hotel business. I have accounts with other hotel brands that I haven't stayed at in years, but I still get their marketing offers to keep them on my mind and my few points still stick around for whenever I build them up to a suitable level. And since I'm on the verge of finally getting enough points for an award, I'm tempted to complete that one or two additional stays that I need to get to such a goal.

I think that many infrequent guest are turned off by SPG because they've lost previously their Starpoints due to inactivity. Why bother participating in SPG if they know that they are unlikely to stay at a Starwood property frequently enough to keep their account open?

This mindset about account status abandons less frequent leisure travelers, frequent leisure travelers who have greater loyalty to another hotel chain, frequent business travelers who currently have greater loyalty to another hotel chain, and frequent business travelers who are temporarily assigned to a project without an SPG option. Especially for those last two categories, why would SPG choose to abandon those customers so easily?

What is SPG's reason for closing accounts so quickly? Is it an antiquated reason made 12+ years ago based on old technology limitations of their databases? Is it an attempt to save on postage? Something else?
Actually this is NOT unique to SPG. Have you checked out the long whiny thread on Hilton's forum about expiration of points? HHonors policy is ONE YEAR, granted awards do count. But they also do not notify.

It's hard to feel sorry for someone who doesn't read the T&C and then complains about it. I'm a leisure traveler and I know the terms. I've also had points from other hotel programs expire, all without notice.
In the end, it is YOUR responsibility to keep track of your accounts, not the program's. If you have trouble, you can always use one of the consolidator sites, like awardwallet.
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