Choice Privileges - I don't want CP points, how to get FF credit?

This is probably both a N00b and a FAQ (and should be a sticky, for infrequent guests like myself).

I only just now signed up for Choice Privileges, only because the front desk at the Quality Inn I'm currently staying insists it's the only way to get any kind of frequent flyer credit.

I gave them the new CP number (something like "BOB03012") and the front desk called me back a few minutes later to say their system didn't accept it. Nor did it accept the number "GP-BOB-03012" (another number I found when checking "My Account" on the Choice Privileges web site).

Furthermore, when I click on the "Print Card" button on the "My Account" page of the Choice Privileges web site, it comes up with a little window with my name and my Alaska Airlines frequent flyer number... in the format "GP-00002277800". I suspect that's a website bug, but I'm not familiar with how CP does things so it may indeed be an actual valid number that can be given to the front desk and that can be used to specify I want airline points.

Soooo... my questions to the forum are these:

1) if I'm giving my CP number to the front desk, what form does it usually take? (with no hyphens, one or two hyphens?)

2) if I want to make sure I'm getting airline miles and not accumulating points into yet another hardly-ever-used hotel program, do I only need to have Alaska set as my "Preferred Loyalty Program" (instead of Choice Privileges points)in the settings on my website profile?

Thanks very much for insights & help. I'd rather get this taken care of while I'm staying at the property, versus having to fax in forms and bureaucracy after the stay is finished (all to get 250 measly miles... sigh).

This is probably both a N00b and a FAQ (and should be a sticky, for infrequent guests like myself).

I only just now signed up for Choice Privileges, only because the front desk at the Quality Inn I'm currently staying insists it's the only way to get any kind of frequent flyer credit.

I gave them the new CP number (something like "BOB03012") and the front desk called me back a few minutes later to say their system didn't accept it. Nor did it accept the number "GP-BOB-03012" (another number I found when checking "My Account" on the Choice Privileges web site).

Furthermore, when I click on the "Print Card" button on the "My Account" page of the Choice Privileges web site, it comes up with a little window with my name and my Alaska Airlines frequent flyer number... in the format "GP-00002277800". I suspect that's a website bug, but I'm not familiar with how CP does things so it may indeed be an actual valid number that can be given to the front desk and that can be used to specify I want airline points.

Soooo... my questions to the forum are these:

1) if I'm giving my CP number to the front desk, what form does it usually take? (with no hyphens, one or two hyphens?)

2) if I want to make sure I'm getting airline miles and not accumulating points into yet another hardly-ever-used hotel program, do I only need to have Alaska set as my "Preferred Loyalty Program" (instead of Choice Privileges points)in the settings on my website profile?

Thanks very much for insights & help. I'd rather get this taken care of while I'm staying at the property, versus having to fax in forms and bureaucracy after the stay is finished (all to get 250 measly miles... sigh).

1) As far as I know, your CP number is comprised of your initials, birthday mmdd, and then a single digit identifier. For instance, my number is MCL****3, so two other MCL's shared my b-day when I signed up 7 years ago. I can see that system having not worked after a while, though. In regards to the question, though, I think you may have had an undertrained clerk. I have no problems, ever, by reeling off "MCL****3".

2) Yes. However, you may want to check to see if that is giving you the best value. By that I mean if you aren't accumulating CP points, you may not be getting the bonuses for the frequent promotions. You can always convert the points into airline credits later, but this is where I will get fuzzy. I don't know if that conversion is significantly less than a direct reward. It is something you should look into.

Forget the card you can print. (I didn't even know you could do that, they've always sent me a plastic card.)

There are multiple places online where it tells you your member number when you log in.

Go to www.choicehotels.com and sign in on the lower left on the main page. You then a page that shows (in the middle) My Account, where in order it lists you member name, then your member number, then your member start date, etc.

On the left, if you choose Edit Profile, and then scroll down, there's a place to select what you want to earn. The first line which lets you select points as your earning preference shows your member number.

Now, once all that is straightened out, you need to make the reservation at www.choicehotels.com or 1-800-4CHOICE if you want to give your Choice Member number and earn miles based on your preference. In the reservation confirmation you print online (and even earlier, before you commit to the reservation), it tells you if this stay will qualify for earning anything, and in that sentence it tells you what you will earn (whether it's Choice points or airline miles).

If you booked directly with the hotel, if you want to earn miles you must give them your FF number, not your Choice number. If you give them your Choice number, you'll earn Choice points, not airline miles. (And then you'll have to fight with Choice afterwards to get them to issue miles instead, which they may or may not do.)

See, the way the Choice system works a reseravation either has a Choice number and earns Choice points, or has an airline FF number and earn airline FF miles. It can't seem to hold both pieces of information at the same time.

Meanwhile, here's the dilemma for an infrequent traveler: If you choose to earn miles (and get the earning straightened out), you'll earn 250 miles for each stay, no matte how many stays you have. If choose to earn points, you'll earn a patlry number of points for one stay, but you'll earn 8000 points total for 2 stays. That then will convert 5000 points to 1000 miles, with 3000 points left over. So if you are likely to have another Choice stay by early November, you'll earn way more miles if you choose to earn points rather than choosing to earn miles directly.

I've never done a Choice walkup, or booked a Choice reservation directly with a hotel, in my life, so I don't know the right way to do it. (I know the wrong way to do it because a friend set their earning preference to miles, then made a reservation directly with the hotel, and ended up earning points, not miles.)

To follow up on this thread I am booked right now at an Econolodge that I checked into last night for one night. I booked it through Choiceprivileges.com which is where I book all of my choice hotel stays. My profile is always set to points but on this stay it made more sense for me to get a SWA rapid reward credit since Econolodge stays are not eligible for the 2X promotion. Anyway, the guy checking me in after I told him I wanted mileage for my stay instead of points proceeded to give me a long winded excuse that he couldn't do that without raising my rate (I have the LPGA rate). Its always at Econolodges or Roadways that I run into this problem. Two weeks ago at a Roadway the clerk couldn't even figure out how to input my FF number and I had to call ChoicePriviilges to get the credit which has still not shown up. Anyway, I'm pretty irked about this current stay deal, I tried calling Choiceprivileges but they are closed during the weekend. In theory I thought all you have to do is provide your FF number at check-in but in reality its always a big hassle getting the credit. Anyway, anyone else have these problems at Econolodges or Roadways or am I not doing this right?

Thanks

Well, if you book through choicehotels.com the type of earning is locked in at the time you book. So to change it now, the hotel probably has to re-do the reservation, which is why the rate would go up.

But although you are not eligible for the 2 stay = 8000 promo at EconoLodge (which is what I think you meant by 2X?), you are eligible for double points at EconoLodge (though double of the normal half :) ), which is what others might call 2X.

You can change your earning preference online at any time, but the new preference will only apply to reservations made while you have it selected. So in the future, to avoid all the at-hotel hassles, I suggest you change your prsference to earning Southwest when you're about to make an EconoLodge or Rodeway reservation (if double points on half points isn't enough for you), and then change it back if you want right after the reservations are confirmed. Then you never have to tell the hotel to change anything, just to process your reservation as it was made.

Well I did talk to a rep at Choice Privileges today and she told me they should have taken my FF number without any problem. She fixed the earning on that stay from points to mileage and reverified my Rodeway stay is still pending as mileage. To her credit she was very helpful. So in theory you should be able to make your reservations off of Choicehotels.com and then be able to override your profile settings at check-in. Next time this kind of thing happens its good to know I can just call in and get it fixed if need be.

1) As far as I know, your CP number is comprised of your initials, birthday mmdd, and then a single digit identifier. For instance, my number is MCL****3...

Mine is constructed completely differently from that.