Choice Privileges - American Counseling Association - 00800769

A salute to sc flier, who mentioned this over in the LPGA thread:

http://www.counseling.org/Counselors/BenefitsAndServices.aspx

See paragraph 6.

It's too good to stay buried in another thread, and too useful if the LPGA rate is indeed dead. Caveat: I haven't turned up at a hotel with a reservation on it yet.

00800769

scflier mentioned it might be good idea in the LPGA thread to know a little about the organization- from what I can tell, it deals with school counselors.? Be curious to get feedback on any responses from checkin clerks if any.

Unfortunately, the link doesn't work anymore (it did - I hope this thread didn't cause the problem) but the code still does -- bringing in rates in the 30s in the Monterey area, my favorite place for Choice-hopping. Here's the link to their homepage:

http://www.counseling.org/

...I'm not affiliated with them in any way.

***************
OP link fixed, for now?

I have used this at 3 locations several times and never had a problem
Savings are best I have seen.

Do we really want to have the thread with the code in the title. Its not going to remain viable for long.....

While it can be useful to FlyerTalkers, I don't think it's likely to move the needle much in the American Counseling Association scheme of things -- unfortunately for them. (Just look at the number of hits on this thread.) While such rates can be more proprietary, meaning that an organization resists widespread usage, or the code is for a particular event, I suggest that this is one case where, since they publish it on their website, using it is a win-win. The user obviously wins if it's the best available, and the organization wins by increasing its clout with the chain everytime a customer uses it. When the latter dynamic prevails, there comes a bind in the cheese when the chain squeaks and contacts the organization and says this isn't working. I suggest that this board is small potatoes.

I wonder if that happened with the LPGA rate, but I still doubt that FlyerTalk discussion caused it. Perhaps LPGA got a new booking channel at renewal. But if this were the HH or AA board..... (And I do remember the guy who made a thing of publicizing every AA meetings code for a couple of years until they shut him down.)

Like I've said before, there are lots of organizations that publish a Choice discount code on their website. (A large subset of them appear to be Farm Bureaus in various states.) They can be found with a web search, but it takes a while. So either most people don't do it, or they do do it but keep quet about which organization's code they've chosen.

IMHO just putting it on your website is not publicizing it, the same way that making a whole thread about it on FT is.

The problem with one previous code (TravlingBetter) was not that it got published on their website, it's that once it got published on FlyerTalk, someone in the mainstream press wrote it up, and that killed it.

It's not just whether Choice reads FT. It's also that a lot of widely-read press read it, and "steal" deals from here for their columns in major magazines or on major websites. And that's what kills it.

(But, because it's too "hard", they don't steal my suggestion to just search the web for Choice discount codes on your own and stay quiet about which one you chose, and yet learn a little something about whichever one you chose so that you can answer a question about it if asked. :) )

(But, because it's too "hard", they don't steal my suggestion to just search the web for Choice discount codes on your own and stay quiet about which one you chose, and yet learn a little something about whichever one you chose so that you can answer a question about it if asked. :) )

:)

Couldn't get it to work this morning , anybody else having trouble ? When it asked me to confirm it says "Text" and will not go any farther

It didnt work for me on my my last few attempts.
I think it might be dead or just extremely limited properties now.

It's not the SOS code I normally use, but just as test, I tried it right now, and it worked fine. I tried it for 8/16 around Anaheim CA and it produced the same oodles of hotels at the same rates I'm using to seeing with my SOS code, when there's no big event going on there. (Some of these hotels have been blocking out SOS rates at times during the OC Fair, for example, so events can definitely make SOS rates dry up temporarily.)

Couldn't get it to work this morning , anybody else having trouble ? When it asked me to confirm it says "Text" and will not go any farther
I got "Text" once, I think it was when I tried to use it in Europe (for a stay back in the US). IIRC, I was not able to book SOS rates for hotels in the US while staying in hotels in Europe (using my own laptop brought from the US, using the regular Choice web site). Once I got back to the US, it worked fine again.

I haven't encountered a roadblock. I always check it online, and then call for the GEICO rate. (Do people click the "Confirm" button re ACA? Might have to clear the cache, though I haven't had to.) Until recently, the GEICO rate has been lower. But just recently, I've found them to be the same at the properties where I stay most frequently. Don't know if it's a reflection of busy-ness at this time of year, or if it reflects an underlying change. And, by the way, OT, the GEICO rate usually requires hand-holding with the reservationist, though some know where to look right away.

I was going to comment that in the last couple of weeks, this and the Net VIP and SMP rates have definitely converged for the properties where I usually stay. Then today, it became inaccessible online. From three different computers, in red:

"Sorry -- the information you entered did not match our records."

I was going to comment that in the last couple of weeks, this and the SOS rates have converged for the properties where I usually stay. Then today, it became inaccessible online. From three different computers, in red:

"Sorry -- the information you entered did not match our records."

Same problem
"Sorry -- the information you entered did not match our records."
Any other codes we can use ?

A salute to sc flier, who mentioned this over in the LPGA thread:

http://www.counseling.org/Counselors/BenefitsAndServices.aspx

See paragraph 6.

It's too good to stay buried in another thread, and too useful if the LPGA rate is indeed dead. Caveat: I haven't turned up at a hotel with a reservation on it yet.

00800769

Thank you 'firewind' for posting the code in the title ... you just screwed all of us that use this code.

When are some posters going to learn not to do such things?
Like calling the airlines or hotel about a mistake fare/ rate?
Or posting the special discount codes publicly? that too in a title?

Now it's back to the 10% discount with the AAA rates rather than the 20% off one received using the ACA rates!

Thank you 'firewind' for posting the code in the title ... you just screwed all of us that use this code.

When are some posters going to learn not to do such things?
Like calling the airlines or hotel about a mistake fare/ rate?
Or posting the special discount codes publicly? that too in a title?

Now it's back to the 10% discount with the AAA rates rather than the 20% off one received using the ACA rates!

Hi, dd1612. I did expect to see this point discussed again (as further above). Note three things: First, while this could be considered in the category of a mistake fare, there are vastly more shared codes in FlyerTalk. Note the rental car boards, as perhaps the largest example. Likewise, the other hotel boards. I'd repeat the point that is always cited in such FlyerTalk debates that it is a main purpose of FlyerTalk. In fact, and speaking from experience, not all affinity groups want their codes to be secret. They gain clout, the more their codes are used. And this code did continue for five more months.

Second, right after sdsearch's typically well-balanced comment, I did try to redact the code from the title (see the OP's different title and reason, "to bury the lead") but since gleff left for MilePoint, this board hasn't had a (silent) moderator.

Third, the demise of the code (I haven't tried it over the phone yet, but can guess the result) could be attributable to any of several factors. Annual contract renegotiation, itself subject to a number of factors, for example. But I have a theory that would blame myself even more directly and broadly. But that's for another thread.

In my own defense, and I do see all sides, all watching may be glad to know that I have since uncovered several more discounts that I haven't revealed here ...in the spirit of the other side of the argument. No, please, don't thank me. ;)

Hi, dd1612. I did expect to see this point discussed again (as further above). Note three things: First, while this could be considered in the category of a mistake fare, there are vastly more shared codes in FlyerTalk. Note the rental car boards, as perhaps the largest example. Likewise, the other hotel boards. I'd repeat the point that is always cited in such FlyerTalk debates that it is a main purpose of FlyerTalk. In fact, and speaking from experience, not all affinity groups want their codes to be secret. They gain clout, the more their codes are used. And this code did continue for five more months.

Second, right after sdsearch's typically well-balanced comment, I did try to redact the code from the title (see the OP's different title and reason, "to bury the lead") but since gleff left for MilePoint, this board hasn't had a (silent) moderator.

Third, the demise of the code (I haven't tried it over the phone yet, but can guess the result) could be attributable to any of several factors. Annual contract renegotiation, itself subject to a number of factors, for example. But I have a theory that would blame myself even more directly and broadly. But that's for another thread.

In my own defense, and I do see all sides, all watching may be glad to know that I have since uncovered several more discounts that I haven't revealed here ...in the spirit of the other side of the argument. No, please, don't thank me. ;)

Come on Fire share those codes isn't that one of the benefits of this board ? Help your fellow traveler

Come on Fire share those codes isn't that one of the benefits of this board ? Help your fellow traveler
I have explained before, if you search the web for Choice Special Organization codes, and spend the time sifting through the search results for those results that are pertinent, you will eventually find several at least. Just don't all of you try to post which one you use, because then it'll be shut down again. Much more likely to not be shut down if everyone does their own hard work and each person comes up with a different code.

A lot (but not all) of the ones I've seen come up first on the list when I last did this (a couple years ago) was various states' Farm Bureaus, etc.

The one I chose was an organization I was already familiar with. I suggest you choose similarly: find an organziation that lists a Choice discount on their website that, if asked, you can explain believably, because the name of the organization comes up on the hotel's reservation info. (I don't find I'm "quizzed" about it, but I'm occasionally asked about it casually, and it wouldn't be good if I said "uh, I don't know who that is!" :) .)