Choice Privileges - "Enhanced Elite Member Benefits"

From an email yesterday (sorry, don't know how to capture it as they don't set the email up as a link to its own web page at the moment, so here are change highlights):

Platinum status earned at 20, rather than 25 nights.

Diamond bonus points are leveraged 50%, rather than 40%.

Extended award stay booking windows become:

-- 50 days for Gold
-- 75 days for Platinum
-- 100 days for Diamond

And highlighted in the boiled down alert I received on my phone: "The bonus does not apply to Airline Rewards, Amtrak Guest Rewards points, points earned from the Choice Privileges® credit card or any other promotion." This probably always has been the case, but I just haven't paid attention. Anyway, they probably specially noted it just so the begged question is answered.

I would add that it is probably more important for some now, as Southwest's "Rapid Rewards 2.0" is imminent. (See toomanybooks's thread on this board and the hot thread on FlyerTalk's Southwest board.) In particular, the leverage in converting ChoicePrivileges points isn't changing. It's just that now may be the best time to convert if one is looking for the best deal out of "Rapid Rewards 1.0" before it dies on 2.28.11 -- e.g., to top off a "RR 1.0" account, in particular. ...OK, so it actually does matter in terms of the changing - reduced - leverage in "RR 2.0" ...but this round it's due to changes in Southwest's program, rather than to ChoicePrivileges per se.


[As anyone who reads my posts knows, I'm not a shill for Choice. Just haven't seen this reported here.]

I saw this on the Loyalty Traveler blog, too.

http://boardingarea.com/blogs/loyaltytraveler/2011/01/07/choice-privileges-elite-member-enhancements-for-2011/

I can confirm that Plats (I am one, thanks to a status match) now get a 75 day booking window. It doesn't state that on the website, but it allowed me this new booking window.

Not a huge deal, but a longer window is definitely a real enhancement.

Extended award stay booking windows become:

-- 50 days for Gold
-- 75 days for Platinum
-- 100 days for Diamond

Just to clarify, is this now a single worldwide booking window? Or is this chart just for international? (Previously international was a longer booking window than domestic US, but still not as long as this, at least not for Diamond.)

(I am Diamond but have not received this email yet. I only just got the email for the 3x points promo, encouranging me to register for my elite bonus, the other day. I did, however, get similar -- though only Diamond-specific -- info along with my updated Diamond card in the snail mail the other day.)

Just to clarify, is this now a single worldwide booking window? Or is this chart just for international? (Previously international was a longer booking window than domestic US, but still not as long as this, at least not for Diamond.)

(I am Diamond but have not received this email yet. I only just got the email for the 3x points promo, encouranging me to register for my elite bonus, the other day. I did, however, get similar -- though only Diamond-specific -- info along with my updated Diamond card in the snail mail the other day.)

As a plat, this week I was able to book a USA domestic rez betwen 60 and 75 days, so I'm guessing it's everywhere.

Like you, I've not been told anything by Choice, but it seems to work!

sdsearch, you have PM. :)

Strange that, as indicated by sdsearch above, and just now by BigLar in his new thread, apparently Plats received this a month ahead of Diamonds. :confused:

(And, sd, I was going to FWD you the actual email, which I was otherwise unable to reproduce here.)

Strange that, as indicated by sdsearch above, and just now by BigLar in his new thread, apparently Plats received this a month ahead of Diamonds. :confused:
Maybe they wanted to "equalize" the phase-in, by sending Diamonds the info (that they can book 25 days ahead of Platinums) in an email that got sent to Diamonds 25 days after it got send to Plaitinums??? :)

When did this new benefit start exactly? Was it really at the start of the year, or is it when everyone got their emails, or sometime in between? And was it immediately 100 days for Diamond, or did it "phase in" and is only by now 100 days for Diamond?

(I seem to recall some posts about it not working for some people according to what seemed to be the new booking windows, at the very start of the year?)

I can confirm that golds now get a 50 day window. Would like to point out that you will get error messages during this process, the first one says "cannot book until 40 days before", and then later one that says, "cannot book until 30 days before" but if you keep barging ahead the room can be reserved.