Hotel Deals - Discover America 2011 - hotel deal promos

A thread has been started on this in the SPAM forum, but I wanted to post it here because so many of us get great hotel deals (and other travel deals) during last year's run.

http://www.flyertalk.com/forum/s-p-m/1194225-discover-america-offered-again-spring.html#post16031276

Hardly a month goes by when I don't use my Discover America "prizes." I think my favorite was the Choice Hotel points that few wanted, but are extremely valuable in certain cities. I bought about 6 different deals in all. I hope there's some good value offers this year, too.

Thanks for posting this here, I wouldn't have seen it otherwise.

Brilliant! I got a steal of a deal last year and am delighted to see the promo coming back!

I am ready with the Amex(s) :) Can't miss out on the great deals... last year got frozen in africa :(

A thread has been started on this in the SPAM forum, but I wanted to post it here because so many of us get great hotel deals (and other travel deals) during last year's run.

http://www.flyertalk.com/forum/s-p-m/1194225-discover-america-offered-again-spring.html#post16031276

Hardly a month goes by when I don't use my Discover America "prizes." I think my favorite was the Choice Hotel points that few wanted, but are extremely valuable in certain cities. I bought about 6 different deals in all. I hope there's some good value offers this year, too.

Thanks for the reminder. I loved it last year -- and yes, I bought a lot of points netting me (still) $250/night rooms for around $35 per night.

Hooray! Thanks for posting this - I loved this deal last year, and I would have missed it in the SPAM forum.

Thanks for posting. My wife and I are in the middle of planning a trip to the states so will be looking into this asap :)

Thanks for posting. My wife and I are in the middle of planning a trip to the states so will be looking into this asap :)
Plan accordingly:

"Any U.S. resident 18 or older with a major credit card is able to purchase from the inventory of specially priced travel products offered by 30 leading travel companies related to destinations, hotels, airlines, rental cars, attractions and theme parks, dining, shopping, and gaming locales among others."

Yes, it is odd that this is officially limited to US residents only.

Thanks for posting. My wife and I are in the middle of planning a trip to the states so will be looking into this asap :)

Watch the rules because, last time, I think the deals were restricted to N. Americans (not sure if there were workarounds).

Watch the rules because, last time, I think the deals were restricted to N. Americans (not sure if there were workarounds).

Workarounds are usually having a CC/DC with a U.S. billing address... ;)

Workarounds are usually having a CC/DC with a U.S. billing address... ;)
And perhaps a US shipping address. Some items may require actual shipping of certificates or GCs.

So April has come but I don't see any news about this one...

So April has come but I don't see any news about this one...
"Preview week starts April 4"

Thanks for this....I remember that there was 'something' America that started in April, but couldn't find it!

All sorts of offers, but hotel-related ones are Marriott gift cards 100$-up- 20% off, 24K Hyatt pts for $225, 40K Choice points for $150 and up to 7 free nites at Country Inns/Suites for $50 nite or 3 free nites @Radisson for $80 nite. The prices I listed include 10% off when you use Amex. Most of the pts offers they listed were for categories/certain properties within their company but they just give you points; you have up to 2 years to use them if I read it right. The Marriot gift cards and the Carlson free nites have no expiration date. You can sign up for any of the deals you see now and they will e-mail you when it's available to purchase. https://dailygetaways.discoveramerica.com/Default.aspx

All sorts of offers, but hotel-related ones are Marriott gift cards 100$-up- 20% off, 24K Hyatt pts for $225, 40K Choice points for $150 and up to 7 free nites at Country Inns/Suites for $50 nite or 3 free nites @Radisson for $80 nite. The prices I listed include 10% off when you use Amex. Most of the pts offers they listed were for categories/certain properties within their company but they just give you points; you have up to 2 years to use them if I read it right. The Marriot gift cards and the Carlson free nites have no expiration date. You can sign up for any of the deals you see now and they will e-mail you when it's available to purchase. https://dailygetaways.discoveramerica.com/Default.aspx

The Radisson nights seem pretty good for NYC and Boston. The Radissons there get decent reviews on TA (yeah, it's TA, I know) and typically go for at least twice the $80/night. The Ts&Cs are pretty scary though - doesn't mention which are the participating properties, only that all in resorts are not included, and says that the participating properties can change at any time.

So for the Marriott gift cards I see on there, can we use those worldwide? I don't see any mention of only use in the US, but it is "Discover America."?

The Radisson nights seem pretty good for NYC and Boston. The Radissons there get decent reviews on TA (yeah, it's TA, I know) and typically go for at least twice the $80/night. The Ts&Cs are pretty scary though - doesn't mention which are the participating properties, only that all in resorts are not included, and says that the participating properties can change at any time.

The mention about "participating properties" seems to be just a way for the hotel to try to inoculate itself from circumstances where a property desired by a holder of these certs ends up not being available due to the hotel getting de-branded. If redeeming Carlson/Radisson points at an ordinary Radisson property in the US (such as NYC or Boston properties) is possible, I'm betting that these certificate will be good at the property too.

All sorts of offers, but hotel-related ones are Marriott gift cards 100$-up- 20% off, 24K Hyatt pts for $225, 40K Choice points for $150 and up to 7 free nites at Country Inns/Suites for $50 nite or 3 free nites @Radisson for $80 nite. The prices I listed include 10% off when you use Amex. Most of the pts offers they listed were for categories/certain properties within their company but they just give you points; you have up to 2 years to use them if I read it right. The Marriot gift cards and the Carlson free nites have no expiration date. You can sign up for any of the deals you see now and they will e-mail you when it's available to purchase. https://dailygetaways.discoveramerica.com/Default.aspx

Marriott gift cards seem like a joke, the rest of the deals are decent.
By the way, where did you see the rest of the deals? I can only see up to April 15...

All sorts of offers, but hotel-related ones are Marriott gift cards 100$-up- 20% off, 24K Hyatt pts for $225, 40K Choice points for $150 and up to 7 free nites at Country Inns/Suites for $50 nite or 3 free nites @Radisson for $80 nite. The prices I listed include 10% off when you use Amex. Most of the pts offers they listed were for categories/certain properties within their company but they just give you points; you have up to 2 years to use them if I read it right. The Marriot gift cards and the Carlson free nites have no expiration date. You can sign up for any of the deals you see now and they will e-mail you when it's available to purchase. https://dailygetaways.discoveramerica.com/Default.aspx
Where do you see the 24K Hyatt pts for $225?

I didn't get anything from this promo last year. Were the fairly easy to get?

Marriott and Choice work for me because of the flexibility in using worldwide. The Carlson and Best Western deals specify US only. And pffft, Hyatt has reminded me why I am not even a member of their program - no properties in the 3 major EU cities I'm going to this year.

iggyray, are you viewing in Calendar mode? If not, it's the last tab on the right, after April 15th.

phatrabbitzz, it's Hyatt 24k for $250.

All sorts of offers, but hotel-related ones are Marriott gift cards 100$-up- 20% off, 24K Hyatt pts for $225, 40K Choice points for $150 and up to 7 free nites at Country Inns/Suites for $50 nite or 3 free nites @Radisson for $80 nite. The prices I listed include 10% off when you use Amex. Most of the pts offers they listed were for categories/certain properties within their company but they just give you points; you have up to 2 years to use them if I read it right. The Marriot gift cards and the Carlson free nites have no expiration date. You can sign up for any of the deals you see now and they will e-mail you when it's available to purchase. https://dailygetaways.discoveramerica.com/Default.aspx

I re-read the T&Cs for the Hyatt offer. I didn't see the 2 year limitation. Can you direct me to it?


Marriott and Choice work for me because of the flexibility in using worldwide. The Carlson and Best Western deals specify US only. And pffft, Hyatt has reminded me why I am not even a member of their program - no properties in the 3 major EU cities I'm going to this year.

...

phatrabbitzz, it's Hyatt 24k for $250.

I like the Hyatt offers as long as I can use them Worldwide (in addition to using them in the USA.) And remember this is a DISCOVER AMERICA (USA not North or South America) promotion. Also, from what I read the Cambria Suites (i.e. Choice Privileges) is also for USA properties.

And the site stipulates that one can get an additional 10% off by using any AMEX card. So, USD$ 250 * 0.90 = USD$ 225.00

How hard are these to get?
Do they sell out in under a minute or does everyone who gets on within the first 5 minutes pretty safe?

My wish List:
-1 1000 Marriott and 2 500 Marriott GCs
-Hyatt Points
-Hertz Rental Week
-Choice Points (200K if possible and will use for 8K/night properties)

I will buy them all if possible.

How hard are these to get?
Do they sell out in under a minute or does everyone who gets on within the first 5 minutes pretty safe?

My wish List:
-1 1000 Marriott and 2 500 Marriott GCs
-Hyatt Points
-Hertz Rental Week
-Choice Points (200K if possible and will use for 8K/night properties)

I will buy them all if possible.

I am wondering for this kind of car rental deals, how does insurance work?

How hard are these to get?
Do they sell out in under a minute or does everyone who gets on within the first 5 minutes pretty safe?

My wish List:
-1 1000 Marriott and 2 500 Marriott GCs
-Hyatt Points
-Hertz Rental Week
-Choice Points (200K if possible and will use for 8K/night properties)

I will buy them all if possible.

The better deals sell out very quickly. I missed out on a couple of the better ones and I was all-go at the very start(ing minute) of the particular sales which interested me.

Where do you see the 24K Hyatt pts for $225?

I was quoting the Amex 10% off- MOL puts it down to $225.

[QUOTE=MIT_SBM;16156529]I re-read the T&Cs for the Hyatt offer. I didn't see the 2 year limitation. Can you direct me to it?


Sorry about that -no expiration on points- it was 2AM when I went thru these:p I guess the Choice points were the ones w/expiration. (Maybe B/Western also but the offer was so lame I didn't bother to read T&C).

Last year the best deal was the Wyndham promo with the hotel transfer bonus to US Airways. I don't see anything near that lucrative this time. These deals seem to work best when an airline has a hotel transfer promo going on.

The better deals sell out very quickly. I missed out on a couple of the better ones and I was all-go at the very start(ing minute) of the particular sales which interested me.

Remeber you set up to get an email alert when they go on sale. I guess you can stay up till midnite and fire away. If you use Woot! then you are used to this. OT, but it reminds of the planned select seating choices NW was going to try before a lot of elites/FT'rs complained. Depending on your status and timing of flight you could be up at 3AM just to snag a coveted exit row aisle seat.

I am wondering for this kind of car rental deals, how does insurance work?

Theory is rent something else- GPS for rental and then it's covered. Ck w/ your ins agent. Otherwise, Amex offers ins cvrge for I think 24.95 length of rental but again I don't know if they would cover free rental- call them and see if charging something extra would qualify. I called Amex-they do not cover free rentals irregardless if you throw on a GPS.

Is it me or are these deals not nearly as good as last year? Didn't they offer a $500 marriott gift card last year for $400?

Hmmmm. I guess if you use the AMEX then the price drops to last years numbers.

April 18-22 is the last week I can see after clicking the calendar view. April 23-29, May 2-6, and May 9-13 all say 'More great getaways are coming soon. Check back later.' Is that what everyone else can see?

So buy Choice privilege points for the "Comfort" brand, but can you use them for other Choice brands?

The website has a FAQ for the Daily Getaways and one of the lines state:

Who is the “seller” for the fixed price items?
You are purchasing all items on the site from Discover America®. The offers and auction packages are made possible by participating travel organizations and Convention & Visitors Bureaus.

So, does this affect the way in which these points may be used? Specifically, since the points for the Hyatt stays are not being sold directly to the end user by Hyatt, could Hyatt place additional restrictions on a set bucket of points that are deposited into one's HGP account by Discover America, LLC? For example, if one were to purchase the '2 Nights at Elite Hotels at Hyatt for $333' package. Could (and would) Hyatt restrict 30,000 HGP points in the subject account to be used only at Hyatt's Category 4 hotels?

T&Cs state:
Package includes 30,000 Hyatt Gold Passport bonus points that may be redeemed at participating Hyatt Gold Passport Category 4 hotels for “free night awards”.

April 18-22 is the last week I can see after clicking the calendar view. April 23-29, May 2-6, and May 9-13 all say 'More great getaways are coming soon. Check back later.' Is that what everyone else can see?

Yep, same here.

The website has a FAQ for the Daily Getaways and one of the lines state:



So, does this affect the way in which these points may be used? Specifically, since the points for the Hyatt stays are not being sold directly to the end user by Hyatt, could Hyatt place additional restrictions on a set bucket of points that are deposited into one's HGP account by Discover America, LLC? For example, if one were to purchase the '2 Nights at Elite Hotels at Hyatt for $333' package. Could (and would) Hyatt restrict 30,000 HGP points in the subject account to be used only at Hyatt's Category 4 hotels?
It says may be used, not it must be used for cat 4 hotels only.
So buy Choice privilege points for the "Comfort" brand, but can you use them for other Choice brands?
And after 2 stays right now you can get a free gas card- but the points are just deposited in your account- you can use them as you wish. I read it for both promotions as examples of how you can use your pts.

they've always just deposited points into one's account - they've never cared how I spent the points.

they've always just deposited points into one's account - they've never cared how I spent the points.

Same for me - I bought points last year and they were deposited to my account. I was able to use them however I wanted to.

The offers do not look that great. Last year was way better. As to the points, I know they offered IHG points last year that they classified as either Crowne Plaza or IC. It was structured as 25K for Crowne Plaza, or 40K for IC. I bought points. The points were just deposited to my account. I could use them as I pleased.

As long as they offer Wyndham points, I'm a happy camper.

There are 3 weeks yet that we don't know what will be offered - may all your wishes be fulfilled.:cool:

It says may be used, not it must be used for cat 4 hotels only.

And after 2 stays right now you can get a free gas card- but the points are just deposited in your account- you can use them as you wish. I read it for both promotions as examples of how you can use your pts.

Points stays are not eligible for promotions. They count however for the status.

Theory is rent something else- GPS for rental and then it's covered. Ck w/ your ins agent. Otherwise, Amex offers ins cvrge for I think 24.95 length of rental but again I don't know if they would cover free rental- call them and see if charging something extra would qualify. I called Amex-they do not cover free rentals irregardless if you throw on a GPS.

The one that I know works for MasterCard - use a weeklong reward on an 8 day rental. As long as at least one day is charged, you are covered.

One I'm thinking about but would not know off the top of my head if it would work is based off of Mastercard needing a base rate (i.e. no fuel charges, taxes, etc.) higher than $0. If I'm using Hertz and reserve a full size and then upgrade to a different class for $5/day, would that cover the rental?

Last year Starwood points were available. 50,000 for $725. Transfer them to AA and get an additional 12,500.

62,500 pts = 01.16 per mile. Not to bad a deal.

But they definitely were in limited supply. A lot of folks were unable to get in on it due to high demand and WEB site "clogging"

And if memory serves me, each days sale started sometime in the morning. Like 7 or 8 EST. Definitely NOT at midnight.

Starwood Lurker posted in the Starwood forum (http://www.flyertalk.com/forum/16160101-post194.html) that he has been told Starwood will not participate this year.

The one that I know works for MasterCard - use a weeklong reward on an 8 day rental. As long as at least one day is charged, you are covered. I aksed the AMEX agent that too and she said no ;when my insurance agent reads the T&C, I'll feel better about actually knowing whether I am covered.

One I'm thinking about but would not know off the top of my head if it would work is based off of Mastercard needing a base rate (i.e. no fuel charges, taxes, etc.) higher than $0. If I'm using Hertz and reserve a full size and then upgrade to a different class for $5/day, would that cover the rental? Again, I'd ask your ins agent if you have one. Basically I'd see if a seperate non-owners policy would be somehting of value especially if you don't own a car or in case of an accident, you don't want to possibly see your rates go up on your own policy.

Starwood Lurker posted in the Starwood forum (http://www.flyertalk.com/forum/16160101-post194.html) that he has been told Starwood will not participate this year.
AHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHH!!!! I'm going to kill myself!!

Again, I'd ask your ins agent if you have one. Basically I'd see if a seperate non-owners policy would be somehting of value especially if you don't own a car or in case of an accident, you don't want to possibly see your rates go up on your own policy.

I actually don't own a car (live in downtown Philadelphia) and don't have car insurance*. My rental car insurance would be through Mastercard's MasterRental program, hence why I mentioned MasterCard multiple times in my post above.

Additionally, when I tried to get a non-owners policy as a backup, USAA told me that it does not cover collision in a rental car. They said that it was a law in PA, although I'm not sure I fully believe them.

*Technically, I do through Zipcar, but it only covers their cars. I can show the policy to an insurance agent if I want a true insurance policy as proof I didn't have a lapse in coverage.

I actually don't own a car (live in downtown Philadelphia) and don't have car insurance*. My rental car insurance would be through Mastercard's MasterRental program, hence why I mentioned MasterCard multiple times in my post above.

Additionally, when I tried to get a non-owners policy as a backup, USAA told me that it does not cover collision in a rental car. They said that it was a law in PA, although I'm not sure I fully believe them.

*Technically, I do through Zipcar, but it only covers their cars. I can show the policy to an insurance agent if I want a true insurance policy as proof I didn't have a lapse in coverage.

I would take the Mastercard rental policy to an agent if you have one and see what they say about non-rev rentals or rentals w/one day paid, 7 free or whatever minimal costs to get base rate charges of some sort. There's no way I would try to decipher what they write up in their policies. Ultimately in case of an accident they will be the one determining whether they will pay, not you or me. Not to cause undo alarm, but I would hate to find out the hard way.

If you factor in the AMEX discount, it seems like the cost of the Choice points is only marginally higher than last year.

This offer wasn't particularly popular among Flyertalkers last year, and probably won't be this year, since you can't convert them to airline miles or (easily) use them at 4 and 5 star hotels. But Choice points are otherwise extremely useful if you need some place halfway decent to crash. In Europe, for example, there can be some amazing bargains with purchased Choice points.

I plan to buy some more to get another year's worth (expire in Dec. 2 years later), but not as many as I bought last year, since I bought enough for 2 1/2 years!

even w/out the Amex discount the 40K Cambria Suites offer would save me up to 200$ at one hotel I stay in- and I compared my rate not including taxes so yes I am planning on stocking up also!

I plan to buy some more to get another year's worth (expire in Dec. 2 years later), but not as many as I bought last year, since I bought enough for 2 1/2 years!
Officially, there's also a restriction on the number of Choice points which can be purchased per account. "No more than 2 sets of points purchased through this offer are allowed per loyalty number. A maximum of 6 sets of points is allowed per loyalty number across all Choice Hotels offers."

Anyone getting into the Choice program should understand that the number of points required per night at any particular Choice property can change seasonally. The booking period for a Choice award is limited, too. Choice is not ideal for people who feel the need to confirm their hotel awards more than 2 or 3 months ahead of their arrival date.

Officially, there's also a restriction on the number of Choice points which can be purchased per account. "No more than 2 sets of points purchased through this offer are allowed per loyalty number. A maximum of 6 sets of points is allowed per loyalty number across all Choice Hotels offers."

Anyone getting into the Choice program should understand that the number of points required per night at any particular Choice property can change seasonally. The booking period for a Choice award is limited, too. Choice is not ideal for people who feel the need to confirm their hotel awards more than 2 or 3 months ahead of their arrival date.
IF getting into yes, but if an elite the higher your level you are, your booking window expands

IF getting into yes, but if an elite the higher your level you are, your booking window expands
Extended booking window for reward nights (# of nights prior to arrival date):
Gold 50
Platinum 75
Diamond 100

I approximated this as "2 or 3 months." For people who are hoping to book their vacation farther in advance (such as for coordinating FF tickets), this has the potential to be a little nerve wracking. More frustrating, IMO, is that you won't know exactly how many points a property might require in peak season until you're getting close to the booking window. This problem is not as severe as it was a year ago, but it still makes it hard to plan far in advance.

An example:
In Charleston, SC, one of their better properties is 16K points through April 15 but then goes up to 20K through at least Sept 15. Meanwhile, another property in the area is 20K through June 30 but then drops to 16K through Sept 15.

When I analyzed the seasonal changes once last summer for the 5237 properties at the time, 1009 hotels were about to increase their award cost while 882 were going to decrease. Presumably, most of these seasonal adjustments reversed later in the year. Of those that went up, the average seasonal increase was 37%. 47 of these properties had an increase of 100% - 233%.

There's a lot of sense to this model when it matches seasonal cash price fluctuations, but it is very different from the major frequent guest programs of other hotel brands.

Did not see this event last year, so am catching up.

I make a reservation at Marriott with any vendor I wish, at any price that I can get (AAA, AARP, or ?) as long as I do not prepay my stay with a cc, and then when I check out of the hotel, I say I want to pay with my Marriott Gift Card (S).

The gift cards can be purchased during this event for approximately 20% off using my AMEX card. I get points for my stay, 20% off the best deal I could find, and points on my CC purchase?

What is the downside of that?????
What does the hotel get by doing this with Discover America, AMEX and or Discover America?

What does the hotel get by doing this with Discover America, AMEX and or Discover America?

More customers?

What does the hotel get by doing this with Discover America, AMEX and or Discover America?
A tax write-off (http://www.discoveramerica.com/ca/discover-america-overview.html)?

The hope that some of those GCs will never be used?

Extended booking window for reward nights (# of nights prior to arrival date):
Gold 50
Platinum 75
Diamond 100

I approximated this as "2 or 3 months." For people who are hoping to book their vacation farther in advance (such as for coordinating FF tickets), this has the potential to be a little nerve wracking. More frustrating, IMO, is that you won't know exactly how many points a property might require in peak season until you're getting close to the booking window. This problem is not as severe as it was a year ago, but it still makes it hard to plan far in advance.

They comped me to platinum last year (I asked after I bought 500K points, I showed them status in some other hotel program) and I've really had no problem with the booking window. Choice hotels really aren't the type of properties that sell out months in advance (although, realistically, how many hotels sell out months in advance?). When I do have airline tickets purchased well in advance and I've spotted a good Choice opportunity, I do generally keep track and try to book my stay at the 75 day mark. Probably unnecessary, but I get eager when I see a good deal. :)

So I don't think the booking window should deter anybody from buying Choice points. You do need to consider your travel patterns, however. If you never stay at mid-priced hotels, this probably isn't a good opportunity for you. They occasionally let you use your points at high end partner properties during a winter promotion, but that opportunity is somewhat unpredictable and the stay period limited to the winter season.

Of the rooms I've redeemed so far, I've paid between 8000 and 25000 points per night, with the average being about 15,000. With taxes, that "average" room would probably have cost me about $120 (although I've redeemed $200+ rooms in Europe for 9,000 points). I find this Choice Privileges award option to be a useful tool in my perennial search for affordable lodging options.

Thanks. Would have missed this otherwise. Lets hope I can be quick enough

They comped me to platinum last year (I asked after I bought 500K points, I showed them status in some other hotel program) and I've really had no problem with the booking window.
I've had only minor problems with the booking window when one hotel didn't have rooms for all of the nights that I wanted. But I've had problems with forecasting and judging the number of points that would be needed in the future. One property that interested me was 12K in the summer but turned into 20K in the winter. If I'd bought only a 36K package with the expectation to get 3 nights, I'd have been able to book just 1 free night there and then had 16K extra points that would need another purpose or go unused.

Less than 20% of the approximately 5,000 Choice properties are of any interest to me. The majority of their properties don't meet my minimum standards. I've figured out some that do, and I've gotten some good values out of my points. But some serious research time and effort went into selecting properties that satisfied me for vacation.

I bought a lot last year and still have about half of them remaining. I have not yet decided whether I will buy more this year.

Less than 20% of the approximately 5,000 Choice properties are of any interest to me. The majority of their properties don't meet my minimum standards. I've figured out some that do, and I've gotten some good values out of my points. But some serious research time and effort went into selecting properties that satisfied me for vacation.

Yeah, I'm probably willing to stay in 1/3rd of them. Thank God for tripadvisor and the other web-based review sites. Otherwise, it would be extremely difficult to have an idea of what you were getting yourself into at most of their hotels. The "brands" don't mean that much from a quality standpoint, although I do generally completely avoid their cheaper brands.

Starwood Lurker posted in the Starwood forum (http://www.flyertalk.com/forum/16160101-post194.html) that he has been told Starwood will not participate this year.

I'm keeping my fingers crossed this is just a tardy April Fools post.

I just saw this post and I guess I missed out on the Hyatt points...that being said I see on the 15th they will be offering some packages for Hyatt. I wouldn't mind saving some money on an upcoming stay I have in June and was wondering if anyone had ever purchased these packages before? I had never heard of Discover America till I saw this post a few minutes ago and I am trying to "educate" myself on what it is...

What they are not clear on is the "categories" of hotels... I am staying at the Hyatt in Maui so not sure what that hotel is considered as it relates to this offer.

Also can anyone explain when I can actually buy these? I thought I read 12pm eastern? Do they mean at midnight? I am central time so that would be 11pm on April 14th for me. I don't really mind staying up to grab this deal if it means saving on our upcoming trip... any advice would be appreciated!

I just saw this post and I guess I missed out on the Hyatt points...that being said I see on the 15th they will be offering some packages for Hyatt. !

Ok.. I just answered most of my own questions..found the page with addl info. Looks like it is points you are given... the hotel I want to stay at is a Cat 6...and they don't have an offer for that hotel. I don't have any points yet with Hyatt so I have to think about maybe buying some to have to use for future stays...

Does anyone think the Caesars VIP deal is a good deal and worth getting?
https://dailygetaways.discoveramerica.com/OfferDetails.aspx?pid=172dCbf9-b7f1-4dfe-b8c5-47f9bd50df3d

There'd be three of us going, so two of us could use the show tickets (I've seen every show in Vegas so I don't care if I go or not) and then two of us would use the Qua spa passes. Then you get limo transfers to/fro the airport, and $250 in dining credit. So basically you're getting a three night suite for about $500 total when you take off all of the other included amenities. I looked for the dates we want to go, and for their cheapest suite, it's about $579 a night.

I think I have talked myself into buying this, but wanted Flyertalker's feedback first!

Does anyone think the Caesars VIP deal is a good deal and worth getting?
https://dailygetaways.discoveramerica.com/OfferDetails.aspx?pid=172dCbf9-b7f1-4dfe-b8c5-47f9bd50df3d

There'd be three of us going, so two of us could use the show tickets (I've seen every show in Vegas so I don't care if I go or not) and then two of us would use the Qua spa passes. Then you get limo transfers to/fro the airport, and $250 in dining credit. So basically you're getting a three night suite for about $500 total when you take off all of the other included amenities. I looked for the dates we want to go, and for their cheapest suite, it's about $579 a night.

I think I have talked myself into buying this, but wanted Flyertalker's feedback first!

i kinda talked myself into getting the package as well (not sure yet)

My calc for $1,000 (what i value the items to be comparatively):

$250 for dining credits
$200 for tix (based off of the cheapest Celine tixs i see for the date i wanted)
$ 50 for roundtrip limo airport service
$ 50 for Qua
$ 25 for whatever
$425 leftover for rooms (my dates the cheapest suite is $459/$459/$259 fri/sat/sun)

i see it as spending a grand at Caesars and get 2 night suites comped....:D

A couple of questions:

1. The Marriott cards T&C on the DailyGetaway site don't specify whether you can earn points when paying for nights with the cards. The Gift Card I bought from Marriott last December did not allow points award when I paid the hotel bill. Nights still count, but no points. Do TravelCards(R) have the same restriction?

2. Is there any chance I can buy the Radisson stays for $89 and use them at the New York Lexington hotel (shown in one of the pictures)? They don't provide a list of participating locations or blackout dates.

Thanks.

A couple of questions:

1. The Marriott cards T&C on the DailyGetaway site don't specify whether you can earn points when paying for nights with the cards. The Gift Card I bought from Marriott last December did not allow points award when I paid the hotel bill. Nights still count, but no points. Do TravelCards(R) have the same restriction?



Okay, I found one answer myself. The Marriott site (http://www.marriott.com/incentives/termsAndConditions.mi?marrTermsID=11695) has an addition condition.

#8. Marriott Rewards points cannot be earned with the use of this card.

I wonder why DailyGiveaway dropped it from the list.

Also, just in case anybody wants to get the best deal on these cards, I figured the discount on each, assuming you buy them with an Amex card.

$50 - 20.80%
$100 - 19.90%
$250 - 20.08%
$500 - 19.90%
$1000 - 19.90%

$200 for tix (based off of the cheapest Celine tixs i see for the date i wanted)

I had to pay to see Celine's show once. You'd have to pay me to see it again. So the value of the tickets depends on whether they have another show on that actually appeals to me.

What is the cheapest suite for your dates at another nice hotel on the Strip? Is $459/nt really the best deal to begin with?

Yes, it's a good deal, but how good depends on your actual alternative plans and dates.

They just posted what the week 3 deals are in the calendar!

Sad to say not many bargains so far...discover america seems to be discover vegas and pricey name brand hotels. The Omni special for ATL is the same price I can get for an advance reservation, maybe $20 cheaper considering it includes tax. Hyatt, Lowes, and even marriott dont seem to be real bargains either, maybe 10 to 20% off and around the same rates as other specials offered throughout the year....It's basically about buying points for whatever you consider their best use. If you have status and think an extra 40k points are worth the price, then go for it.....otherwise I don't see anything near the deals they had last year.

As far as the casino stuff goes, It's all overpriced. Vegas is hurting for $$$ they built new hotels and have tons of empty rooms. You can get $25 a night rooms on the strip (stratosphere, Planet Hollywood, Hooters) and if you have any past gambling clout you should be getting free rooms somewhere anyway...Palazzo spoiled me with 4 free nights last trip and harrahs gave me 5 the same trip. Show tickets can be gotten half price at a few places, including online, there is even an auction site that I got tickets for a few bucks...limo service is fairly cheap, rental cars were cheap too, and everyone has free valet parking there. there is even an italian resteraunt, Casa Amore's i think, that will send their big red limo to any hotel on the strip and transport you for free if you eat there. LVA (las vegas advisor) and ACG (american casino guide) offer coupon books with BOGO show tickets, buffets, free drinks, free play, match play, room specials, ect. ect. well worth getting.
Can you get the exact items listed in the package cheaper?, maybe not, but you can definately do better by putting together your own package, maybe at the hotel across the street.

To clarify: the Marriott cards, because they are bought from Discovery America, do not earn 5 pts/$ when you use the MR Visa. Might as well use SPG Amex, especially if part of the discount requires Amex usage.

Once you have a card in hand, it spends like cash at the hotels. I've used these many times in the past with corporate rates, EEO's, Bonus Bucks, AAA rates, meals/incidentals, and regular Marriott.com bookings. The use of the card doesn't impact MR earnings on those stays.

There is the occasional thread on the Marriott board about people having difficulty using the cards - usually related to a training issue - but I've never experienced any problems. Occasionally I'll need to say "It works like a Visa card - you might need to put a '4' in front of the card number." We occasionally debate whether Marriott could legally charge customers rack rate in order to use gift cards; general consensus is that if a front desk clerk tries to do this, it's a one-off error and not a Marriott-wide policy. (I imagine many attorneys general would have an opinion on that.)

IMHO, the Marriott GC's are the best Discover America deal because they are liquid and easily consumed in my normal Marriott stays before I actually have to pay Amex for them. Straight cash into my pocket, no hassle.

The Starpoints deal from last year was excellent too.

i kinda talked myself into getting the package as well (not sure yet)

My calc for $1,000 (what i value the items to be comparatively):

$250 for dining credits
$200 for tix (based off of the cheapest Celine tixs i see for the date i wanted)
$ 50 for roundtrip limo airport service
$ 50 for Qua
$ 25 for whatever
$425 leftover for rooms (my dates the cheapest suite is $459/$459/$259 fri/sat/sun)

i see it as spending a grand at Caesars and get 2 night suites comped....:D

Remember that if you use an Amex card to book it, you get an extra 10% off!

Below are the terms of using the Marriott Travel Card (copied and pasted from their site). Note that rooms reserved by third party sites will not be payable by use of these cards! Stated is travel agents, but perhaps that also means Hotels.com, etc...so buyer beware. It also says that points cannot be earned with the use of these cards!

It seem that these terms conflict with some of what is posted so far. Have I missed, or is this helpful?


Marriott TravelCards may be used at all JW Marriott®, Autograph Collection SM, Renaissance® Hotels, Marriott® Hotels & Resorts, Courtyard®, Fairfield Inn®, SpringHill Suites®, Residence Inn®, TownePlace Suites®, Marriott Vacation Club® and participating hotel retail, spa, golf or food and beverage outlets.

Card is a prepaid card, not a credit card, and is property of and issued by MI Fulfillment Services, LLC.
Protect card like cash. Card cannot be applied to group, special corporate/negotiated, catering, associate or other discounted/non-commissionable rates.

Card cannot be used when reservation is booked by a travel agent or other third party.

Card cannot be used to secure a reservation.
Card is not redeemable for cash and change will not be returned except as required by law.
Change is not provided by hotels, see gifts.marriott.com for process.

Marriott Rewards points cannot be earned with the use of this card.

Card is not replaceable if lost, stolen or destroyed. Marriott TravelCard and Marriott GiftCard terms vary.
Card becomes inactive at the earlier of (a) the use of all value or (b) posted renewal date.
Upon request, Marriott will replace card with a new card having an equivalent remaining value anytime after the posted renewal date. Each transaction will be debited against card balance; if transaction exceeds balance, user must pay the difference.
To check card balance - visit gifts.marriott.com or call 800-442-6132.
For balance information outside the US and Canada, use the AT&T Direct® access # for the country you are calling from with 800-442-6132.
Use of card confirms acceptance of terms above.

Revised 8/24/10

So the terms say the Marriott Travel Card is valid worldwide, so would they price the hotels in US dollars when you want to redeem and pay at checkout in Europe?

https://dailygetaways.discoveramerica.com/

Marriott TravelCard®:
$100 for just $89
Price: $89
Save between 10% and 20%! Marriott TravelCards can be used like cash at over 3,500 hotels. Use the Marriott TravelCard with one of the many current Marriott deals.

Available Today at Noon ET!


Use any American Express Card to get an extra 10% off.

Bought the $1000 Marriott TravelCard without any problems. $801 with Amex.

2 $100's is all I needed

For those that bought the Marriott GC's with your AMEX, did your confirmation email look like this?

NAME: Michael Cohen
CONFIRMATION NUMBER: XXXXXX
GETAWAY: Marriott TravelCard®: $250 for just $222
QUANTITY: 2
AMERICAN EXPRESS(R) CARD 10% SAVINGS: 44.40
COST: 444.00

The wesbite had to correct that it should be $399.60, but here it is not applying additional 10% savings to "cost"

For those that bought the Marriott GC's with your AMEX, did your confirmation email look like this?

NAME: Michael Cohen
CONFIRMATION NUMBER: XXXXXX
GETAWAY: Marriott TravelCard®: $250 for just $222
QUANTITY: 2
AMERICAN EXPRESS(R) CARD 10% SAVINGS: 44.40
COST: 444.00

The wesbite had to correct that it should be $399.60, but here it is not applying additional 10% savings to "cost"

Mine look the same. I have a PDF screenshot as well which shows the correct price. I guess it's $444 and then an extra 10% savings. I am sure they are going to bill it correctlly.

Ordered twice. 2 x $250 and 2 x $500. Total cost $1200 for $1500 in cards. Yes, the e-mail doesn't have the Amex discount. I just checked my CC transactions and see the correct amounts pending.

For those that bought the Marriott GC's with your AMEX, did your confirmation email look like this?

NAME: Michael Cohen
CONFIRMATION NUMBER: XXXXXX
GETAWAY: Marriott TravelCard®: $250 for just $222
QUANTITY: 2
AMERICAN EXPRESS(R) CARD 10% SAVINGS: 44.40
COST: 444.00

The wesbite had to correct that it should be $399.60, but here it is not applying additional 10% savings to "cost"

checked my Amex pending purchases and it is billed correctly.

thanks...was hoping it wouldn't require phone calls, complaints, etc

Bought the $1000 Marriott TravelCard without any problems. $801 with Amex.

It looks like they and the 50$ card were sold out in 30 minutes.

bought me a nice $3000 worth of gift cards. This is excellent value in my opinion. Now that I am gold with Marriott not only do I get free brekkie, but also 20% off the best deal that I can get which is real savings... This is what I call a deal.... : )

btw even if you dont need these cards this could have been a real nice opportunity to make money even. Those cards sell like a hot bread on ebay and even with fees added you will come out ahead. So some free miles here... : )

I'm Canadian, can I use American Express credit card with Canadian billing address?

sorry for the late warning, but the reason I passed on this was the T&C

-Card cannot be applied to group, special corporate/negotiated, catering, associate, or other discounted/non-commissionable rates.

-Card cannot be used when reservation is booked by a travel agent or other third party

-Marriott TravelCard and Marriott GiftCard terms vary.

as I often end up with "special" rates, that first condition killed it for me

To be clear, I believe that the "special" rates mentioned in the T&C refer to a specific rate that a corporation, such as IBM or Microsoft, might negotiate with Marriott. I do not think the "special" rates excluded are those offered to the general public.

sorry for the late warning, but the reason I passed on this was the T&C

-Card cannot be applied to group, special corporate/negotiated, catering, associate, or other discounted/non-commissionable rates.

-Card cannot be used when reservation is booked by a travel agent or other third party

-Marriott TravelCard and Marriott GiftCard terms vary.

as I often end up with "special" rates, that first condition killed it for me





Nothing to worry, Marriott hotels take those gift cards on almost every rate except their associate rate

Nothing to worry, Marriott hotels take those gift cards on almost every rate except their associate rate

But will you earn marriott points if you use these cards?

according this all the deals have been known, nothing worth to buy this year, maybe hilton points or wyndham points?

http://www.dansdeals.com/archives/13696




May 2: 100K Hilton HHonors Points for $550, 150K Hilton HHonors Points for $825, 250K Hilton HHonors Points for $1,375
May 3: Various Harrah’s hotel packages from $413
May 4: 1 Night at a Super 8 for $50, 2 Nights at a Days Inn for $69, 2 Nights at a Ramada for Only $100, 2 Nights at a Wyndham Hotels & Resorts for $130, 3 Nights at a Days Inn for $150
May 5: Save $25 on Your Next Alamo Car Rental
May 6: 2 Nights for $255 at Gaylord Hotels
May 9: The Venetian Las Vegas, TBA.
May 10: Stay and Play at Circus Circus for $140, 2-Night Getaway to New York-New York, Las Vegas for $280, Escape to SKYLOFTS at MGM Grand for $1,110, Stay, Play and Relax at ARIA for $1,110, The Ultimate Getaway: The Mirage for $1,110
May 11: Weekend at The Plaza NYC for $834, 6 Night Hawaii Vacation at the Fairmont Kea Lani Maui or The Fairmont Orchid Hawaii for $1570
May 12: Fly anywhere in the USA on United for $280
May 13: 5 Nights Stay at a Diamond Property Worldwide for $665

You do not earn points but apparently nights paid for by this card qualify towards elite status. From the T&C for the TravelCard on the Marriott web site:

Terms and Conditions:

1. Marriott TravelCards may be used at all JW Marriott®, Autograph Collection SM, Renaissance® Hotels, Marriott® Hotels & Resorts, Courtyard®, Fairfield Inn®, SpringHill Suites®, Residence Inn®, TownePlace Suites®, Marriott Vacation Club® and participating hotel retail, spa, golf or food and beverage outlets.
2. Card is a prepaid card, not a credit card, and is property of and issued by MI Fulfillment Services, LLC.
3. Protect card like cash. Card cannot be applied to group, special corporate/negotiated, catering, associate or other discounted/non-commissionable rates.
4. Card cannot be used when reservation is booked by a travel agent or other third party.
5. Card cannot be used to secure a reservation.
6. Card is not redeemable for cash and change will not be returned except as required by law.
7. Change is not provided by hotels, see gifts.marriott.com for process.
8. Marriott Rewards points cannot (emphasis added) be earned with the use of this card.
9. Card is not replaceable if lost, stolen or destroyed. Marriott TravelCard and Marriott GiftCard terms vary.
10. Card becomes inactive at the earlier of (a) the use of all value or (b) posted renewal date.
11. Upon request, Marriott will replace card with a new card having an equivalent remaining value anytime after the posted renewal date. Each transaction will be debited against card balance; if transaction exceeds balance, user must pay the difference.
12. To check card balance - visit gifts.marriott.com or call 800-442-6132.
13. For balance information outside the US and Canada, use the AT&T Direct® access # for the country you are calling from with 800-442-6132.

Use of card confirms acceptance of terms above.

Revised 8/24/10

Note that although paragraph 8 specifically excludes points, it does not mention that nights are excluded. It is somewhat of a surprising exclusion because Marriott sells the cards on their web site with no discount, but I suspect that's a formality and that most of these cards are sold through third parties with some discount, such as the Daily Getaway promotion. There are some anecdotal reports of guests getting front desk staff at the hotel to enter qualification for points manually, but that's got to be a YMMV situation.

Any experience with Radisson certs? It says participation may vary, and there are blackout days, but nothing specific. Is the participation/blackout generally for big weekends, i.e. you wouldn't have been able to use them during the Superbowl in Dallas, or are the restrictions more broad, where I eventually give up and use them at the Radisson Pittsburgh airport?

according this all the deals have been known, nothing worth to buy this year, maybe hilton points or wyndham points?

http://www.dansdeals.com/archives/13696


I've never heard of this blog? I can't believe they got a 'sneak peek' and FT didn't? The DA calendar hasn't been updated, so I hope Dan's Deals are legit.

I've never heard of this blog? I can't believe they got a 'sneak peek' and FT didn't? The DA calendar hasn't been updated, so I hope Dan's Deals are legit.

Dan's Deals is pretty legit, you can trust them.

Disappointing that there are no SPG points this year.

But will you earn marriott points if you use these cards?

Yes,
Marriott travel card, gift card, $ gift certificate, even some bonus bucks coupons, all earn pts

From the long list, I only see the good deal from Wyndham





according this all the deals have been known, nothing worth to buy this year, maybe hilton points or wyndham points?

http://www.dansdeals.com/archives/13696




May 2: 100K Hilton HHonors Points for $550, 150K Hilton HHonors Points for $825, 250K Hilton HHonors Points for $1,375
May 3: Various Harrah’s hotel packages from $413
May 4: 1 Night at a Super 8 for $50, 2 Nights at a Days Inn for $69, 2 Nights at a Ramada for Only $100, 2 Nights at a Wyndham Hotels & Resorts for $130, 3 Nights at a Days Inn for $150
May 5: Save $25 on Your Next Alamo Car Rental
May 6: 2 Nights for $255 at Gaylord Hotels
May 9: The Venetian Las Vegas, TBA.
May 10: Stay and Play at Circus Circus for $140, 2-Night Getaway to New York-New York, Las Vegas for $280, Escape to SKYLOFTS at MGM Grand for $1,110, Stay, Play and Relax at ARIA for $1,110, The Ultimate Getaway: The Mirage for $1,110
May 11: Weekend at The Plaza NYC for $834, 6 Night Hawaii Vacation at the Fairmont Kea Lani Maui or The Fairmont Orchid Hawaii for $1570
May 12: Fly anywhere in the USA on United for $280
May 13: 5 Nights Stay at a Diamond Property Worldwide for $665

I've never heard of this blog? I can't believe they got a 'sneak peek' and FT didn't? The DA calendar hasn't been updated, so I hope Dan's Deals are legit.
It's legit, got it straight from their PR rep.

Avis, Hyatt, Hilton, and United deals all seem pretty good, especially with 10% off instantly with an AMEX.

From the long list, I only see the good deal from Wyndham

Does anybody know what the "Diamond Property Worldwide" is?

I came across a Diamond hotel in NJ while posting daily deals. Maybe http://www.diamondresorts.com/index.aspx?

Does anybody know what the "Diamond Property Worldwide" is?
I guess this takes the place of last year's offer for a 2BR villa at a Marriott Vacation Club for $600. After the 10% Amex discount, the price is the same.

I'm Canadian, can I use American Express credit card with Canadian billing address?

Has any Canadian FT member used their AMEX card with Canadian billing address for this promo? I have such an AMEX card too and would like to use it to save an extra 10%. Thanks:)

It's legit, got it straight from their PR rep.

Avis, Hyatt, Hilton, and United deals all seem pretty good, especially with 10% off instantly with an AMEX.
If there are no restrictions on the United $280 ($252 w/AmEx) and that is the all-in price, then it would be a good thing to have when you need to fly.

The Hilton 100K comes out to $137.50/nt. for 25K hotels, but I think that most of the hotels I'd want are 30K or more. The Palmer House in Chicago is 50K points, so it's $275/nt, but only $179+ on Expedia for the days I would want. Not appealing.

one of the few bargains (over 50% off with amex purchase) was the dolphin swim at discovery cove offered today. I think it is just like the Amex daily deals where they only offer 50 or 100 of them, because they were "in somebodys cart" from the moment they went on sale. I clicked right at 12 noon and they were gone...also they stayed in somebodys cart for the next 25 minutes while i kept trying to get one....if it takes someone 25 minutes to think about paying for it, it should be put back up for sale...they should be "sold out" not in somebodys cart for 25+ minutes...after 30 minutes the msg changed to sold out...It would be nice to know how many are available, so if it is only 100 or so you dont waste your time, and can go play the lottery instead, with a better chance of success.

With the mediocre offerings this year, the few good deals will sell out immediately.....be aware and good luck

Ok excuse the noob question.

But the Hilton offer which is not shown yet > 250K points for $1375
That's not going to be counted for tier status right?

one of the few bargains (over 50% off with amex purchase) was the dolphin swim at discovery cove offered today. I think it is just like the Amex daily deals where they only offer 50 or 100 of them, because they were "in somebodys cart" from the moment they went on sale. I clicked right at 12 noon and they were gone...also they stayed in somebodys cart for the next 25 minutes while i kept trying to get one....if it takes someone 25 minutes to think about paying for it, it should be put back up for sale...they should be "sold out" not in somebodys cart for 25+ minutes...after 30 minutes the msg changed to sold out...It would be nice to know how many are available, so if it is only 100 or so you dont waste your time, and can go play the lottery instead, with a better chance of success.

With the mediocre offerings this year, the few good deals will sell out immediately.....be aware and good luck

I bought 2 Seaworld tickets and the countdown was from 5 minutes for me to fill out my purchase info or they got released. Sorry that you didn't get what you wanted, Discovery Cove did look fun.

I came across a Diamond hotel in NJ while posting daily deals. Maybe http://www.diamondresorts.com/index.aspx?

I think that's right. Thanks. This might be a plausible deal -- I'll have to look at it some more.

one of the few bargains (over 50% off with amex purchase) was the dolphin swim at discovery cove offered today. I think it is just like the Amex daily deals where they only offer 50 or 100 of them, because they were "in somebodys cart" from the moment they went on sale. I clicked right at 12 noon and they were gone...also they stayed in somebodys cart for the next 25 minutes while i kept trying to get one....if it takes someone 25 minutes to think about paying for it, it should be put back up for sale...they should be "sold out" not in somebodys cart for 25+ minutes...after 30 minutes the msg changed to sold out...It would be nice to know how many are available, so if it is only 100 or so you dont waste your time, and can go play the lottery instead, with a better chance of success.

With the mediocre offerings this year, the few good deals will sell out immediately.....be aware and good luck

Didn't they tell you how many offers they had available last year -- and isn't that information missing this year?

The popularity of the Sea World offerings is a bit concerning to me. Last year, it was EASY to get these tickets.

Of course, a lot of the offerings are more obscure and may not have obvious value except to us Flyertalk geeks (of course, some of the offers may be TOO popular on Flyertalk to easily buy!).

BTW, I noticed in the Choice rules that they seem to be limiting how many you can buy -- two sets each. That's interesting, because I bought many last time, and the offer wasn't that popular (didn't it take a few days to sell out?). I guess they didn't like people buying 500K balances.

I bought 2 Seaworld tickets and the countdown was from 5 minutes for me to fill out my purchase info or they got released. Sorry that you didn't get what you wanted, Discovery Cove did look fun.

I purchased 6 of the Seaworld tix too. Will make a good present for all the nieces and nephews.

If there are no restrictions on the United $280 ($252 w/AmEx) and that is the all-in price, then it would be a good thing to have when you need to fly.


Does one one have to snag these offers the minute they come out, in particular for the UA deal? Do they start at 12:00AM EST? Is the UA deal good for any date and any itinerary in the US, including HI?

Has any Canadian FT member used their AMEX card with Canadian billing address for this promo? I have such an AMEX card too and would like to use it to save an extra 10%. Thanks:)

I sent an email request for info re: the Canada AmEx question. Would have called, but no phone number listed. I'll report back when I get an answer.

Didn't they tell you how many offers they had available last year -- and isn't that information missing this year?
That's correct. I saved some of the quantities in a spreadsheet last year. Since many of the prices are the same (after 10% Amex "discount"), I would not be surprised if many of the quantities are also the same this year.

Last year for Marriott, my notes say that there were...
17 $1,000
201 $500
350 $250
400 $100
100 $50

This looks like it might be similar for this year. Yesterday, the $1K sold out first. Then the $50, IIRC. Total MSRP of $250,000 in Marriott GCs were sold last year for a total selling price of $200,000.

The popularity of the Sea World offerings is a bit concerning to me. Last year, it was EASY to get these tickets.
I would guess that the news hit other discount/travel IBBs more this year, and news may also have spread faster due to FB and Twitter. These were a good, affordable deal that is also attractive to many people outside of the frequent traveler community. It doesn't necessarily mean that there will be much more interest in certain other deals (like Loews Hotels). But if you want Universal tix when they come up, act fast and hope for the best.

BTW, I noticed in the Choice rules that they seem to be limiting how many you can buy -- two sets each. That's interesting, because I bought many last time, and the offer wasn't that popular (didn't it take a few days to sell out?). I guess they didn't like people buying 500K balances.
I noticed that limit, too. It took at least 7 days for them to sell out last year.

It looks like tomorrow's offering includes Avis one-day rental certificates for $33 a piece, a $3 hike over last year's price. Be forewarned: the blackout dates, unspecified up front, will likely be extensive and maddening (http://www.flyertalk.com/forum/avis/1080987-avis-discover-america-offer-4.html#post15536980). Caveat emptor.

I think that's right. Thanks. This might be a plausible deal -- I'll have to look at it some more.



Didn't they tell you how many offers they had available last year -- and isn't that information missing this year?

The popularity of the Sea World offerings is a bit concerning to me. Last year, it was EASY to get these tickets.

Of course, a lot of the offerings are more obscure and may not have obvious value except to us Flyertalk geeks (of course, some of the offers may be TOO popular on Flyertalk to easily buy!).

BTW, I noticed in the Choice rules that they seem to be limiting how many you can buy -- two sets each. That's interesting, because I bought many last time, and the offer wasn't that popular (didn't it take a few days to sell out?). I guess they didn't like people buying 500K balances.The Sea World tickets were posted on a number of deal, coupon and travel sites such as MouseSavers.net, Slickdeals.net, HotCouponWorld.com and Fatwallet.com and many others. This will be the most popular item offered for all those sites.

I sent an email request for info re: the Canada AmEx question. Would have called, but no phone number listed. I'll report back when I get an answer.

Thanks:)

Thanks:)

Don't thank me for relaying this pathetic response...

"Dear Customer,

Thank you for your inquiry.

Any resident of the U.S. who is 18 years or older may purchase a fixed-price offer or bid on a weekly auction with any valid credit card.

Discover America Daily Getaways Customer Service"

Copied and pasted right from the FAQ. :rolleyes:

It looks like tomorrow's offering includes Avis one-day rental certificates for $33 a piece, a $3 hike over last year's price. Be forewarned: the blackout dates, unspecified up front, will likely be extensive and maddening (http://www.flyertalk.com/forum/avis/1080987-avis-discover-america-offer-4.html#post15536980). Caveat emptor.

Thanks for the link! I didn't buy into these last year because I didn't trust the T&Cs in regards to blackout dates. Like many of the offers, the price is the same as last year if you subtract the 10% Amex "discount."

The Avis Chairman's Club membership price has actually dropped from $1200 last year to around $1000 this year (after Amex "discount"). There were only 4 offered last year, and if they ever sold out, it took a long while.

It looks like tomorrow's offering includes Avis one-day rental certificates for $33 a piece, a $3 hike over last year's price. Be forewarned: the blackout dates, unspecified up front, will likely be extensive and maddening (http://www.flyertalk.com/forum/avis/1080987-avis-discover-america-offer-4.html#post15536980). Caveat emptor.

I agree. I would recommend most folks NOT buy the Avis one-day certificates. I guess if you make a lot of weekday rentals on your own dime you'd find a use for them, but otherwise "pay as you go" is better, since the Avis deal isn't that great and the blackouts are annoying and unpredictable.

Ok excuse the noob question.

But the Hilton offer which is not shown yet > 250K points for $1375
That's not going to be counted for tier status right?

The points will not count for tier status since HHonors requires 60,000 base points for Gold Elite and 100,000 base points for Diamond elite. You only earn base points for hotel spend.

The good news is HHonors counts reward stays for elite qualification. 250,000points could be used for 10 one-night stays at category 3 hotels or even more stays using Point Stretchers, but the best redemption value tends to be using points for VIP extended stay rewards.

Does one one have to snag these offers the minute they come out, in particular for the UA deal? Do they start at 12:00AM EST? Is the UA deal good for any date and any itinerary in the US, including HI?

All deals start @ 12 Noon Eastern Time. The T@C has not been announced in regards to the UA deal yet. You can bet though once this gets on SD/FW, it will be crazy trying to get this once it goes up for sale.

If there are no restrictions on the United $280 ($252 w/AmEx) and that is the all-in price, then it would be a good thing to have when you need to fly.

I think it's a safe bet that the ticket will need to be booked into Economy Saver class, for which availability can be hit or miss. Still not such a bad deal given that, if true, it would value 25,000 miles at $252. Even better would be if UA allowed you to earn miles, but my guess is they won't.

BTW, I noticed in the Choice rules that they seem to be limiting how many you can buy -- two sets each. That's interesting, because I bought many last time, and the offer wasn't that popular (didn't it take a few days to sell out?). I guess they didn't like people buying 500K balances.

I'll again try to buy a few hundred thousand Choice points, even as this time I will have to spread it out over different accounts and have some help with getting the purchases done much, much quicker than last time. [I have had no problem using my points for other people by putting their names in as additional guests with the hotel directly, so I am willing to think it would most probably work out the same way for me being listed as the additional guest.]

The major problem with Choice points are: that there is no guarantee of advance notice being given with award price changes; and that the points expire without any consistent possibility to extend validity of the points in an account beyond the mentioned time frame.

Don't thank me for relaying this pathetic response...

"Dear Customer,

Thank you for your inquiry.

Any resident of the U.S. who is 18 years or older may purchase a fixed-price offer or bid on a weekly auction with any valid credit card.

Discover America Daily Getaways Customer Service"

Copied and pasted right from the FAQ. :rolleyes:

Argh! That's too bad. Thanks, boxo, for sending the enquiry email and for posting the reply.

The points will not count for tier status since HHonors requires 60,000 base points for Gold Elite and 100,000 base points for Diamond elite. You only earn base points for hotel spend.

The good news is HHonors counts reward stays for elite qualification. 250,000points could be used for 10 one-night stays at category 3 hotels or even more stays using Point Stretchers, but the best redemption value tends to be using points for VIP extended stay rewards.


thanks Satori, this is interesting.
So if I do an elite challenge I can use Points to qualify as well?
Sadly I dont have many Cat 3 hotels around my area.

the VIP extended stays are rather enticing though.

I think it's a safe bet that the ticket will need to be booked into Economy Saver class, for which availability can be hit or miss. Still not such a bad deal given that, if true, it would value 25,000 miles at $252. Even better would be if UA allowed you to earn miles, but my guess is they won't.

Well if it is similiar to a VDBC voucher all you need is M class available to book.

That's correct. I saved some of the quantities in a spreadsheet last year. Since many of the prices are the same (after 10% Amex "discount"), I would not be surprised if many of the quantities are also the same this year.

Last year for Marriott, my notes say that there were...
17 $1,000
201 $500
350 $250
400 $100
100 $50

This looks like it might be similar for this year. Yesterday, the $1K sold out first. Then the $50, IIRC. Total MSRP of $250,000 in Marriott GCs were sold last year for a total selling price of $200,000.

Hey, I was just looking at some of the future listings and they've started to tell you how many offers are for sale. I guess they initially just forgot to include it this year (or maybe they're were a lot of complaints by disappointed SeaWorld bidders).

Hey, I was just looking at some of the future listings and they've started to tell you how many offers are for sale. I guess they initially just forgot to include it this year (or maybe they're were a lot of complaints by disappointed SeaWorld bidders).
Indeed! For today before Amex 10% discount (EV = "Estimated Value" + grain of salt):
12 Avis Chairman's Club for $1,115 (EV $2000)
520 1-Day Car Rental for $33 (EV $50)

The quantities for Hyatt points packages are exactly the same as last year. Their prices after Amex 10% discount is the exact same as last years' prices.

one of the few bargains (over 50% off with amex purchase) was the dolphin swim at discovery cove offered today. I think it is just like the Amex daily deals where they only offer 50 or 100 of them, because they were "in somebodys cart" from the moment they went on sale. I clicked right at 12 noon and they were gone...also they stayed in somebodys cart for the next 25 minutes while i kept trying to get one....if it takes someone 25 minutes to think about paying for it, it should be put back up for sale...they should be "sold out" not in somebodys cart for 25+ minutes...after 30 minutes the msg changed to sold out...It would be nice to know how many are available, so if it is only 100 or so you dont waste your time, and can go play the lottery instead, with a better chance of success.

With the mediocre offerings this year, the few good deals will sell out immediately.....be aware and good luckI don't know if you looked at the Discovery Cove availability and rate calendar, but you could get it with the Dolphin swim for about the same price or even a bit less directly from them.

It is a good price if you're looking to go on very short notice or during peak times, but this wasn't the best of deals IMHO.

If there are no restrictions on the United $280 ($252 w/AmEx) and that is the all-in price, then it would be a good thing to have when you need to fly.

The Hilton 100K comes out to $137.50/nt. for 25K hotels, but I think that most of the hotels I'd want are 30K or more. The Palmer House in Chicago is 50K points, so it's $275/nt, but only $179+ on Expedia for the days I would want. Not appealing.

I would like to see the T&C of the UA offer. Is it CONUS only, or could it be used for Hawaii, Puerto Rico, etc.?

The Hilton 100K comes out to $137.50/nt. for 25K hotels, but I think that most of the hotels I'd want are 30K or more. The Palmer House in Chicago is 50K points, so it's $275/nt, but only $179+ on Expedia for the days I would want. Not appealing.

That's probably not the best use of HH points no matter how you got them. I look at it a different way:

250K HH points for $1375. That's enough for 6 nights at a Cat 7 hotel if you are elite. 6 nights at Bora Bora would run you $3500+

Or, if you already have 40K HH in your account (or buy them for $400) you could redeem for 2 4-night AXON awards at a Cat 7 Hotel. The value of that could be in excess of $5K.

I think that's a really great deal! :D

...but this wasn't the best of deals IMHO.

I think I could copy & paste this sentiment for many of the posted DA deals. Unfortunately, now that the 'casual traveler' is hooked into the DA site I don't imagine we'll see any 2010-like deals. They've clearly stepped up their marketing efforts, which is paying off for them and now that they are successfully 'selling out' deals I don't imagine 2012 will be any better. I think I'm going to try for 3 of the posted deals which is down from the 10 I acquired last year.

That's probably not the best use of HH points no matter how you got them. I look at it a different way:

250K HH points for $1375. That's enough for 6 nights at a Cat 7 hotel if you are elite. 6 nights at Bora Bora would run you $3500+

Or, if you already have 40K HH in your account (or buy them for $400) you could redeem for 2 4-night AXON awards at a Cat 7 Hotel. The value of that could be in excess of $5K.

I think that's a really great deal! :D
A Cat 7 hotel would be wasted on me. I like comfort, but I go places to do things (like the Blues Festival in Chicago), so I often don't spend a lot of time in the hotel, and I don't like lying around a pool or being pampered at a spa. I like a nice, large room with a good bed, good shower, free internet and maybe complimentary fruit basket and bottled water. Location is important, too.

Argh! That's too bad. Thanks, boxo, for sending the enquiry email and for posting the reply.

Here's another reply re: cards with non-US billing addresses:

"... consumers have to have a valid US credit card with a valid US Billing address to participate in the Daily Getaways deal."

But I'd be curious to know if the website would actually reject the sale going through.

If there are no restrictions on the United $280 ($252 w/AmEx) and that is the all-in price, then it would be a good thing to have when you need to fly.

Just as the 2 or 3 nights at a Hyatt offer is actually Goldpassport points, I would expect the United offer to be sufficient mileage for a domestic RT, so it would be subject to award availabililty. We will see when the official terms get posted.

Just as the 2 or 3 nights at a Hyatt offer is actually Goldpassport points, I would expect the United offer to be sufficient mileage for a domestic RT, so it would be subject to award availabililty. We will see when the official terms get posted.



I bet it is a 25K miles

I came across a Diamond hotel in NJ while posting daily deals. Maybe http://www.diamondresorts.com/index.aspx?

Diamond Resorts had a package deal at Sams Clubs a couple of years ago, so that could be it. It was around $150 for 3 nights (in a studio) and 4 Disney tickets at their Grand Beach property in Orlando.

A Cat 7 hotel would be wasted on me. I like comfort, but I go places to do things (like the Blues Festival in Chicago), so I often don't spend a lot of time in the hotel, and I don't like lying around a pool or being pampered at a spa. I like a nice, large room with a good bed, good shower, free internet and maybe complimentary fruit basket and bottled water. Location is important, too.

Embassy Suites Seaside, near the Monterey city line is a category 7 Hilton HHonors reward night for a 3-diamond hotel. The location is not anything too striking and I don't think many people want to hang out at the pool and get pampered there either.

Embassy Suites Seaside, near the Monterey city line is a category 7 Hilton HHonors reward night for a 3-diamond hotel. The location is not anything too striking and I don't think many people want to hang out at the pool and get pampered there either.

Yes, it does seem that way with every chain's point hyperinflation - Cat 3's are now Cat 5's and Cat 5's are cat. 7's. It's the main reason why buying points without a specific plan for burning them quickly is a bad idea.

I don't know if you looked at the Discovery Cove availability and rate calendar, but you could get it with the Dolphin swim for about the same price or even a bit less directly from them.

It is a good price if you're looking to go on very short notice or during peak times, but this wasn't the best of deals IMHO.

you got me excited for a moment as I havent checked the prices there since they first opened, and I took the retail price quoted of $339 as about right.
(silly me, quoted retail value is seldomly correct) but they werent too far off though, as most days are $289 + tax for the package they offered, with a few $259 sprinkled in. The only real bargain prices for discovery cove dolphin swim package are in sept when most days are $199 or about $212 with tax...finding a promotional code or amex discount might be possible on top of that, but still Sept. weather in Fla is iffy at best. I noticed it drops to $199 for some days in Dec and Jan as well, hurricane season is over but it is fairly cold in orlando those months so I can see why they give discounts. After looking at the site I notice, besides drinks and snacks they offer free alcahol as well....go swim with the dolphins kids, mommy and daddy will stay here and get tanked...lol...... Bottom line is, for $300 a head, my wife and I can stay many days at a beach where you can swim with wild dolphins, and have change left over!!

I'll again try to buy a few hundred thousand Choice points, even as this time I will have to spread it out over different accounts and have some help with getting the purchases done much, much quicker than last time. [I have had no problem using my points for other people by putting their names in as additional guests with the hotel directly, so I am willing to think it would most probably work out the same way for me being listed as the additional guest.]

The major problem with Choice points are: that there is no guarantee of advance notice being given with award price changes; and that the points expire without any consistent possibility to extend validity of the points in an account beyond the mentioned time frame.

I bought 140k of them last year and added another 40k by getting the barclay card and staying a couple of times...my main goal was to use them for Barcello AI resorts at 20k per night. Then I read the tripadvisor reviews of all the participating barcelo's and only 2 look worth staying at. getting a FF ticket requires booking it well beyond the 60 days allowed for booking Barcello....so I will have to hope they have availability when i try. I also don't like the expiration with no chance of extension...it says points expire dec 31 two years after the year you buy them....so if I got them last may does that mean dec 2011 or 2012?
I recently got an e-mail that told me choice points were good for ascend hotel properties which include some outriggers in Hawaii at 25k a night and some other possible uses...still I'm not sure whether to load up on them this year, or just use what I have and be happy with the deal I got last year, when points cost me about $35 per 10,000.

Iso if I got them last may does that mean dec 2011 or 2012?

Mine shows they expire Dec 2012 when I got them last year, so I will be getting more this year

Is there anything interesting in tomorrow's (Friday's) Hyatt point deal?

Hyatt is the one major upscale hotel chain in the US that I tend to ignore. The prices to buy the hotels don't look terribly compelling to me, but is there any way to get more value out of the points? Like something similar to SPG "cash & points"?

i think buying points ahead of use is only good if you know where you want to stay within the next yr. This is how you know your getting value. I first said I wanted to try and buy as much as I can now not so much..

i think buying points ahead of use is only good if you know where you want to stay within the next yr. This is how you know your getting value. I first said I wanted to try and buy as much as I can now not so much..

Yeah, but who really knows where they're going to go a year in advance?

I rarely do. And a lot of my vacation travel is "opportunistic." Like if there's a crazy fare to Europe, I buy it.

As long as the expiration date is long and there are many places to use the points, it makes sense to buy them if you're going to be travelling around.

Yeah, but who really knows where they're going to go a year in advance?
The folks who think that the only way to score a FF seat is to book it at 331 days prior to departure. ;)

I have no problem with buying points for 2 years out if I understand the program and have reasonable confidence that it'll still be worth the investment that far out.

Is there anything interesting in tomorrow's (Friday's) Hyatt point deal?

Hyatt is the one major upscale hotel chain in the US that I tend to ignore. The prices to buy the hotels don't look terribly compelling to me, but is there any way to get more value out of the points? Like something similar to SPG "cash & points"?
Hyatt has nothing like SPG "cash and points" or other things to ramp up the value of a point redeemed beyond what is on the hotel award charts with points-only prices.

The Hyatt offer isn't compelling enough to me either, even as a Hyatt Diamond.

I may have considered buying the Hyatt points if both of the following conditions were met: (1) I had plans to redeem points at a rather short list of high priced properties and/or at peak times; and (2) I expected to be short of Hyatt points this year or next for such stays. As things stand, not an offer of interest to me.

Hyatt has nothing like SPG "cash and points" or other things to ramp up the value of a point redeemed beyond what is on the hotel award charts with points-only prices.

The Hyatt offer isn't compelling enough to me either, even as a Hyatt Diamond.

I may have considered buying the Hyatt points if both of the following conditions were met: (1) I had plans to redeem points at a rather short list of high priced properties and/or at peak times; and (2) I expected to be short of Hyatt points this year or next for such stays. As things stand, not an offer of interest to me.

Thanks. That's what I suspected -- I remember passing last year. Although I like having points in as many programs as possible, I'm not the kind of person who routinely spends $200/night for a hotel room. If I need a particular Hyatt, I can always do their credit card deal instead.

With the relatively small availability of the Hyatt deals, I'm gonna throw my bid in. If it goes, great. If not, oh well. Kind of how I feel about all of this year's DA promotions.

Shoot gone in seconds!!!!! :mad:

Hyatt deal was immediately gone (unable to grab any deal 2-3 seconds after 12:00 est)

Hyatt deal was immediately gone (unable to grab any deal 2-3 seconds after 12:00 est)

me 2.

managed to get 1x 30K :D

Hyatt deal was immediately gone (unable to grab any deal 2-3 seconds after 12:00 est)

Wow, an unexciting deal gone in seconds.

Limited availability must be the culprit. That said, things are definitely selling faster this year.

I tried to get in on the deal for multiple people by using multiple people right from the starting seconds, and it was strike out, strike out and strike out as so many others were extraordinarily quick to add them to their baskets. And that no-success outcome was the outcome despite not giving up until after all the offers had actually sold out (i.e. been paid for).

... if this is the scene for the Hyatt deal (not so exciting and not as large a footprint as some of the other suppliers), the upcoming better offers in the coming weeks are going to get eaten alive even faster than I had already expected and not be that great a deal given the wasted time that comes with a lot more futile efforts.

This isn't encouraging about the outcomes ahead in terms of getting in on the upcoming offers.

... if this is the scene for the Hyatt deal (not so exciting and not as large a footprint as some of the other suppliers), the upcoming better offers in the coming weeks are going to get eaten alive even faster than I had already expected and not be that great a deal given the wasted time that comes with a lot more futile efforts.

This isn't encouraging about the outcomes ahead in terms of getting in on the upcoming offers.

I agree completely. This is the same reason that I don't fool around with any of Amex's Daily Wish offers anymore. Too many people trying for too little quantity.

I agree completely. This is the same reason that I don't fool around with any of Amex's Daily Wish offers anymore. Too many people trying for too little quantity.

But where is the new publicity for all this? In general, it would seem like Flyertalkers are a little LESS excited about the offerings this year (because there aren't as many good ones). I did see some modest discussion on the slickdeals site for the SeaWorld deal, but I don't get the sense that the internet is particularly buzzing about Discover America.

Of course, if you're just selling a few dozen of anything, you don't need much buzz to sellout. And folks are pretty well trained now that they need to be at their computers at exactly noon or they'll likely get nothing.

This is only my speculation, but I think there's been more publicity about this offer in the general media this year. I wouldn't buy any of these offers without the 10% Amex discount, but I suspect that the faster sellout rate this year over last may very well reflect an increase in the number of non-Amex purchasers who are participating and who learned about the promotion through articles in their local papers.

Wirelessly posted (iPhone-ETOPS: Mozilla/5.0 (iPhone; U; CPU iPhone OS 4_3 like Mac OS X; en-us) AppleWebKit/533.17.9 (KHTML, like Gecko) Version/5.0.2 Mobile/8F190 Safari/6533.18.5)

Got in on the 30k offer using an Amex. 5:50 am alarm was like getting up for an early flight. Now off to make the points work for me (once they post that is).

Did anyone get there Marriott cards yet?
I was hoping to have them for use this weekend, and prey I have them by next wed for my vaca.

One more data point, I was able to get 24,000 point offer at about 12:12PM EST after two of the four offers were sold out and after about 100 or so attempts.

As I and others speculated on another thread some people likely encountered server issues rather than "sell outs." Several who did multiple (in one case 100) "Re-trys" eventually got through.

I cannot agree enough with the posts made... I suckered myself into getting the Avis ones last year... didn't know about the dang restrictions tell after the fact; and found out I couldn't use it for what I needed. I still have them sitting in the drawer.

On a side note, those Citypasses are a complete ripoff. By ripoff, I mean they are the exact same price as if you got them from the Citypass website. Not 1% less than what is being sold at the official site.


It looks like tomorrow's offering includes Avis one-day rental certificates for $33 a piece, a $3 hike over last year's price. Be forewarned: the blackout dates, unspecified up front, will likely be extensive and maddening (http://www.flyertalk.com/forum/avis/1080987-avis-discover-america-offer-4.html#post15536980). Caveat emptor.

I agree. I would recommend most folks NOT buy the Avis one-day certificates. I guess if you make a lot of weekday rentals on your own dime you'd find a use for them, but otherwise "pay as you go" is better, since the Avis deal isn't that great and the blackouts are annoying and unpredictable.

Thanks for the link! I didn't buy into these last year because I didn't trust the T&Cs in regards to blackout dates. Like many of the offers, the price is the same as last year if you subtract the 10% Amex "discount."

The Avis Chairman's Club membership price has actually dropped from $1200 last year to around $1000 this year (after Amex "discount"). There were only 4 offered last year, and if they ever sold out, it took a long while.

what real bull tried for fifteen mins straight and no luck... more like discover lottery than discover America.

Managed to get the 30k deal 1st try with my Amex at $333-10%=297and change. Will use 22k of those miles for 1 nite at a $300+ hotel next winter...a signif % off for my situation

what real bull tried for fifteen mins straight and no luck... more like discover lottery than discover America.

I think the fundamental problem is that they need more inventory. Unless they want to lose credibility (this is, after all, the official tourism website of the USA; personally, I'd defund it, but whatever) they have to offer real deals which normal people have a chance of booking. Like Hyatt wasn't exactly losing their shirt on today's deal. Heck, I think they'll make a decent profit selling points at that price. If they want to participate, they should be required to have more than a handful of sets available.

You would think the folks running the national tourism website (partnered with AMEX, no less) would know something about running a travel promo. No?

The smallest Hyatt offer (was it $250?) had a quantity of 100. The others only had 15 or 35. So it obviously was going to go FAST. I think if you added the total quantity available it was only around 200 or so.

The smallest Hyatt offer (was it $250?) had a quantity of 100. The others only had 15 or 35. So it obviously was going to go FAST. I think if you added the total quantity available it was only around 200 or so.

those numbers are barely better than the daily deals that nobody can ever get. it is truely like the lottery, lots of players, very few winners.
Amex made it worse by e-mailing cardmembers about the promotion this year, Slickdeals had a couple of threads about some of the sales, various travel reporters have mentioned it in newspapers, and the people who participated last year combined with FT newbees most definately put the strain on the more limited offers this year...I agree I dont even bother with Amex daily deals, mastercards OOS or the various auction offers from airlines and credit cards...its just a tease to see decent deals advertised that less than 1% of the people interested in them can actually get. It actually gives AMEX a negative image in my mind to broadly advertise such limited deals.

Agreed. I don't even bother with the Daily Deals promotions anymore. I was able to buy Marriott cards on the first day of the Discover America promotion, but it appears they had more inventory and fewer people were participating on Monday than as the week wore on.

Did anyone get there Marriott cards yet?
I was hoping to have them for use this weekend, and prey I have them by next wed for my vaca.

They usually ship from SLC and via regular mail (at least last year it took ~ 10 days to arrive at the East coast).

This is only my speculation, but I think there's been more publicity about this offer in the general media this year. I wouldn't buy any of these offers without the 10% Amex discount, but I suspect that the faster sellout rate this year over last may very well reflect an increase in the number of non-Amex purchasers who are participating and who learned about the promotion through articles in their local papers.

My PC newsletter from Hertz mentioned about their offerings next week so the offers are getting quite a bit of exposure.

what real bull tried for fifteen mins straight and no luck... more like discover lottery than discover America.

It took 22 min for all offers to be sold out. Unfortunately, I was not successful...

whats everyone take on choice points... last yr were they just deposited into your account?? I would love to use them for 25000 pt rates would this be possible?

I asked this over on the IHG board, but I thought someone over here might know also. Thanks in advance!

Does anyone who did this last year know how long the IHG points take to actually post to the PC account? I need to make a reservation ASAP, and I am 40K points short...so I could do points+cash but I am 8K from platinum...so bumping up would be nice.

I asked this over on the IHG board, but I thought someone over here might know also. Thanks in advance!

Does anyone who did this last year know how long the IHG points take to actually post to the PC account? I need to make a reservation ASAP, and I am 40K points short...so I could do points+cash but I am 8K from platinum...so bumping up would be nice.Mine took about 10 days to post.

Mine took about 10 days to post.

Thanks!!!

The Hertz No. 1 deal -- which is good but doesn't really look good if you're just casually looking at it -- sold out in seconds. Again, not many sets were available.

I was successful at buying the 15,000 point offer. I was on the specific offer and refreshed my screen at exactly noon. Does anyone know if I had to do that, or would it have happened automatically?

I also had my No. 1 Club number copied into my browser. Not sure if my offer was already reserved by that screen, though.

So after missing out on the Hyatt deal, I'm wondering if you all think is the IHG deal is worth it, especially for someone looking at European Intercontinental properties.

I'm looking to get decent deals on hotels in Europe for next summer. Cities will be Rome, Paris, possibly London. And it looks like Intercontinental has some decent properties.

But is it worth spending $240/night? I've never been to these cities but decent hotels look expensive. I have lots of Starwood points but would rather save them (especially at 20k rates) for a $240 stay at for example, the Intercontinental Paris Le Grand.

Or are there better deals out there for Europe hotels? We like to stay at Westin type places.

So after missing out on the Hyatt deal, I'm wondering if you all think is the IHG deal is worth it, especially for someone looking at European Intercontinental properties.

I'm looking to get decent deals on hotels in Europe for next summer. Cities will be Rome, Paris, possibly London. And it looks like Intercontinental has some decent properties.

But is it worth spending $240/night? I've never been to these cities but decent hotels look expensive. I have lots of Starwood points but would rather save them (especially at 20k rates) for a $240 stay at for example, the Intercontinental Paris Le Grand.

Or are there better deals out there for Europe hotels? We like to stay at Westin type places.

It would not be worth spending that kind of money on those hotels.

And I think there are tricks to buy priorityclub points for less than Discover America is selling them for.

Also, couldn't you trade for these points pretty easily in the Coupon Connection forum? After all the recent promos, I would imagine there are many flyertalkers with more priorityclub points than they really know what to do with.

Also, look at the Choice hotels in Europe and see if any of those would meet your needs. They're selling Choice points tomorrow, and they're generally a much better deal than PriorityClub points.

Did any of you who ordered the Sea World tickets on here receive the e-tickets yet?

The t&c said they would be mailed in 3 business days, but still no tickets for me. Anyone already receive theirs?

whats everyone take on choice points... last yr were they just deposited into your account?? I would love to use them for 25000 pt rates would this be possible?

Whatever amount you buy, just gets deposited into your account to use as you wish. I bought a pile last year to trade into Southwest to top off my Companion Pass.

I mostly use my leftover points to book free rooms for family members. I like to have some points, just in case.

Also, some people consider them a good value for European properties.

whats everyone take on choice points... last yr were they just deposited into your account?? I would love to use them for 25000 pt rates would this be possible?

I was able to use about $200 worth of choice points I acquired last year for a $500 room as Hotel Imperial in New Delhi through the Preferred Hotel's redemption option. Bonus, I registered for the IPrefer loyalty program and they gave me a free 2 category room upgrade and free internet. Some of the preferred hotel redemption options can be quite good and have allowed me to stay at places I would never dream of staying at simply due to cost. $200 is reasonable for me, $500 is not.

The Hertz No. 1 deal -- which is good but doesn't really look good if you're just casually looking at it -- sold out in seconds. Again, not many sets were available.

I was successful at buying the 15,000 point offer. I was on the specific offer and refreshed my screen at exactly noon. Does anyone know if I had to do that, or would it have happened automatically?

I also had my No. 1 Club number copied into my browser. Not sure if my offer was already reserved by that screen, though.

I think as soon as the screen for No. 1 Club number showed up, you're secured with the order. I had purchased 2 ea. 15,000 offer. But couldn't use the 2nd AE card for some reason, had to pay using a Visa card.

So after missing out on the Hyatt deal, I'm wondering if you all think is the IHG deal is worth it, especially for someone looking at European Intercontinental properties.

I'm looking to get decent deals on hotels in Europe for next summer. Cities will be Rome, Paris, possibly London. And it looks like Intercontinental has some decent properties.

But is it worth spending $240/night? I've never been to these cities but decent hotels look expensive. I have lots of Starwood points but would rather save them (especially at 20k rates) for a $240 stay at for example, the Intercontinental Paris Le Grand.

Or are there better deals out there for Europe hotels? We like to stay at Westin type places.


I must be missing it but i cant figure out where this deal is being offered, would you mind posting the link?

Thanks

I must be missing it but i cant figure out where this deal is being offered, would you mind posting the link?
It's accessed through the Calendar tab.

https://dailygetaways.discoveramerica.com/Calendar.aspx?week=2

Did any of you who ordered the Sea World tickets on here receive the e-tickets yet?

The t&c said they would be mailed in 3 business days, but still no tickets for me. Anyone already receive theirs?

There are a pile of people posting on Discover America's Facebook page (http://www.facebook.com/DiscoverAmerica) in the same boat with no apparent response from DA's representatives. :td:

It's accessed through the Calendar tab.

https://dailygetaways.discoveramerica.com/Calendar.aspx?week=2

Ah i just didn't look far enough in advance. Thanks!

Did any of you who ordered the Sea World tickets on here receive the e-tickets yet?

The t&c said they would be mailed in 3 business days, but still no tickets for me. Anyone already receive theirs?

I received mine Saturday, a pdf attached to an email from Johanna Hetrick, Sr. Marketing Coordinator at Orlando SeaWorld, titled 'Discover America Daily Getaways Choice of Any SeaWorld Park'. Hope you get yours soon.

The Hertz No. 1 deal -- which is good but doesn't really look good if you're just casually looking at it -- sold out in seconds. Again, not many sets were available.

I was successful at buying the 15,000 point offer. I was on the specific offer and refreshed my screen at exactly noon. Does anyone know if I had to do that, or would it have happened automatically?

I also had my No. 1 Club number copied into my browser. Not sure if my offer was already reserved by that screen, though.

The 15,000 point offer didn't sell out until around 1pm, however the other two were gone within 10-15 minutes. I had made 4 or 5 attempts to purchase the 15K and 9K offers but unfortunately the system wouldn't accept a Canadian credit card.

I thought I would try adding a US shipping address to my AMEX but that didn't seem to help. Unless it takes a day or so for it to be updated in their system.

Once the system prompted you for your Hertz #1 number you were in and had about 7 minutes to complete the auction before it put the inventory back in the system and canceled the order.

The 15,000 point offer didn't sell out until around 1pm, however the other two were gone within 10-15 minutes. I had made 4 or 5 attempts to purchase the 15K and 9K offers but unfortunately the system wouldn't accept a Canadian credit card.

I thought I would try adding a US shipping address to my AMEX but that didn't seem to help. Unless it takes a day or so for it to be updated in their system.

Once the system prompted you for your Hertz #1 number you were in and had about 7 minutes to complete the auction before it put the inventory back in the system and canceled the order.

I guess folks were "window shopping" (or ran into payment problems). After I booked my 15K (completed by 12:03), I tried a couple of times to buy all 3 offers -- mostly out of curiosity. The few times I clicked, it always responded that they were in other people's baskets. I guess if you were persistent, you could have tried to snag one that went back into inventory.

I was able to use about $200 worth of choice points I acquired last year for a $500 room as Hotel Imperial in New Delhi through the Preferred Hotel's redemption option.Am I missing something here?

I have had good value from my I Prefer membership, but I wasn't aware of any link with Choice Privileges. If there is such a link, it would certainly change my perception of Choice.

Am I missing something here?

I have had good value from my I Prefer membership, but I wasn't aware of any link with Choice Privileges. If there is such a link, it would certainly change my perception of Choice.

There is such a link on the redemption side. IIRC link in the same way with Summit Hotels & Resorts too. The issue with both is booking availability can be more frustrating than is usual with the large programs which I use as a staple. But still worth looking into.

I mostly use my leftover points to book free rooms for family members. I like to have some points, just in case.



I thought you could not do this unless you are staying with them.

I thought you could not do this unless you are staying with them.
From the Choice Privileges T&Cs:
"A member may redeem a reward night for an immediate family member (spouse, partner, children, parents, in-laws, brothers and sisters). Immediate family members (spouse, partner, children, parents, in-laws, brothers and sisters) can use the free night even if the member is not occupying the room."

Whatever amount you buy, just gets deposited into your account to use as you wish. I bought a pile last year to trade into Southwest to top off my Companion Pass.

I mostly use my leftover points to book free rooms for family members. I like to have some points, just in case.

Also, some people consider them a good value for European properties.

Thats good to know because there is a few places where there is value to use them....

I'm not a Comfort Inn/ Cambria kind of guy, but the Preferred Hotel redemptions have me interested. I can use Choice points to redeem at the nice NYC hotels like the Park Helmlsey (40,000 points), Trump Soho and Sherry-Netherland.

Theres also an option to redeem at Barcelo All-Inclusive resorts for as low as 18,000 points.

I wrote a post (http://thepointsguy.com/2011/04/cheap-choice-hotel-points-on-sale-at-noon-today-with-daily-getaways/)highlighting the opportunities if anyone is interested.

I'm not a Comfort Inn/ Cambria kind of guy, but the Preferred Hotel redemptions have me interested. I can use Choice points to redeem at the nice NYC hotels like the Park Helmlsey (40,000 points), Trump Soho and Sherry-Netherland.

Theres also an option to redeem at Barcelo All-Inclusive resorts for as low as 18,000 points.

I wrote a post (http://thepointsguy.com/2011/04/cheap-choice-hotel-points-on-sale-at-noon-today-with-daily-getaways/)highlighting the opportunities if anyone is interested.

I don't know. I still don't see any compelling reason to buy Choice points unless you're planning on staying in Choice Hotels. I think a good rule of thumb is to only prepay for points if what you can get for them is half what you would otherwise spend. Like is the possibility (no guarantee) of a $150/night hotel room in NYC worth prepaying for?

The certificates I still have in my drawer from last year are the marginal deals that seemed OK and worth having, but weren't spectacular. Like the Avis $30 car certs, and my $250 voucher (which I paid $200 for) with Marriott.

I'm not a Comfort Inn/ Cambria kind of guy, but the Preferred Hotel redemptions have me interested. I can use Choice points to redeem at the nice NYC hotels like the Park Helmlsey (40,000 points), Trump Soho and Sherry-Netherland.

Theres also an option to redeem at Barcelo All-Inclusive resorts for as low as 18,000 points.

I wrote a post (http://thepointsguy.com/2011/04/cheap-choice-hotel-points-on-sale-at-noon-today-with-daily-getaways/)highlighting the opportunities if anyone is interested.

I bought a huge six-figure number of points -- and that is speaking of purchases only for my account.

A large part of the idea of buying so many points was to use them for the kind of hotel redemptions you mention above, Preferred hotels and the like. But , it did not work out for me, and I ended up using the points exclusively at Choice's own hotels and am still sitting on a stash that exceeds 300k points as a result. Not a deal I regret -- as it worked out stellar for me anyway -- but it was certainly not what I had in mind when I got the points with the main idea of having many nights of relatively cheap stays at high-priced, high-end hotels.

I bought a huge six-figure number of points -- and that is speaking of purchases only for my account.

A large part of the idea of buying so many points was to use them for the kind of hotel redemptions you mention above, Preferred hotels and the like. But , it did not work out for me, and I ended up using the points exclusively at Choice's own hotels and am still sitting on a stash that exceeds 300k points as a result. Not a deal I regret -- as it worked out stellar for me anyway -- but it was certainly not what I had in mind when I got the points with the main idea of having many nights of relatively cheap stays at high-priced, high-end hotels.

Why didn't the high end Preferred hotels work out? Lack of availability?

I don't know. I still don't see any compelling reason to buy Choice points unless you're planning on staying in Choice Hotels. I think a good rule of thumb is to only prepay for points if what you can get for them is half what you would otherwise spend. Like is the possibility (no guarantee) of a $150/night hotel room in NYC worth prepaying for?

The certificates I still have in my drawer from last year are the marginal deals that seemed OK and worth having, but weren't spectacular. Like the Avis $30 car certs, and my $250 voucher (which I paid $200 for) with Marriott.

I agree that there is no compelling reason. I personally won't be buying points today (still kicking myself I wasn't more aggressive with the Hyatt packages).

I am happy I at least got to buy 15,000 Hertz points yesterday, which is a huge value for me as a NYC resident.

I'm not a Comfort Inn/ Cambria kind of guy, but the Preferred Hotel redemptions have me interested. I can use Choice points to redeem at the nice NYC hotels like the Park Helmlsey (40,000 points), Trump Soho and Sherry-Netherland.

Theres also an option to redeem at Barcelo All-Inclusive resorts for as low as 18,000 points.

I wrote a post (http://thepointsguy.com/2011/04/cheap-choice-hotel-points-on-sale-at-noon-today-with-daily-getaways/)highlighting the opportunities if anyone is interested.

For these hotels are you still restricted to wait till you are only 60 days out of travel dates also??

For these hotels are you still restricted to wait till you are only 60 days out of travel dates also??
For the most part, yes, and it could even be shorter for some cases. It depends on your level of elite status, where you live, and where you want to redeem. The Choice T&Cs present the rules clearly. See also the elite chart...
http://www.choicehotels.com/en/choice-privileges/gp/elitemembership

Can anyone advise how the link the points to your account?

I'm planning to purchase the PC points for 2 accounts. Do you input your PC number at checkout or they contact you later to process the points?

Can anyone advise how the link the points to your account?

I'm planning to purchase the PC points for 2 accounts. Do you input your PC number at checkout or they contact you later to process the points?

You provide your Privilege number when you purchase the package.

I agree that there is no compelling reason. I personally won't be buying points today (still kicking myself I wasn't more aggressive with the Hyatt packages).

I am happy I at least got to buy 15,000 Hertz points yesterday, which is a huge value for me as a NYC resident.

Yeah, this is the value of hindsight -- I can be a little "smarter" with my purchases this year because I know what worked for me and what didn't from last year's purchases.

I, too, upped my purchase of Hertz points this year. A couple times a year I need a one-way rental out of a NYC airport and they are invaluable for that purpose. In fact, I think one-way rentals are the best feature of the Hertz reward program. Like I plan to rent a car one way from San Francisco to PDX this summer, taking a week to get there. This would be very expensive without using Hertz points. And Hertz is very good with not charging you crazy taxes on reward rentals. Since they're vague with their program description, none of this was particularly obvious to me last year.

I had previous experience before last year with Choice, thanks to that excellent (and now discontinued) ability to launder OnePass miles into Choice points. My experience in the past year reconfirmed my suspicion that Choice points can be very good for staying in Choice properties, but not currently that useful for their other partners.

Cool, thanks for the info!

Anyone receive there Marriott cards yet?

Anyone receive there Marriott cards yet?

still waiting for mine.

Oops! you missed something...

Please enter a valid loyalty number.

bummer wasgoing to buy 200k points, but for some reason it would not recognize my newly created number....


anyone else ?

Oops! you missed something...

Please enter a valid loyalty number.

bummer wasgoing to buy 200k points, but for some reason it would not recognize my newly created number....


anyone else ?

Says mine is invalid too and I've had it since 2009...

Not accepting my Choicenumber either, and I'm Gold...Grrrr

Won't recognize my number either.

Same problem here. Joined about an hour ago and can log in to choice privileges. Oh well.

Same problem here. Joined about an hour ago and can log in to choice privileges. Oh well.

Unbelievable.

We're all hosed, I'll bet.

I tried creating a new number, won't take that either!

Same here!

What a poor promotion. It won't recognize my number either, despite the fact that I can log into Choice with it! I even tried opening a new Choice account, but it won't take the new number either.

Not impressed.

Unbelievable.

We're all hosed, I'll bet.

I tried creating a new number, won't take that either!

wow
this will be a big pr stunt
i hope they re-run this promo with a new hour

Please enter a valid loyalty number.
Please make sure the loyalty program member numbers you provided match.


:mad:

I tried add my country code CN in the begining but not help

+1 - what's up

I took the last digit off

I had the same problem lost out on 40000 but got other two offers taking the fifth digit off

I took the last digit off
OK - yep - thanks - got it to work by taking off fifth digit. I kept trying to put in the GP- prior to the number - that is not what they wanted either.

tried still no luck

do you put country code?

this year is crazy, last year Choice hotel points last for 2 weeks still no one buy it. :rolleyes:

I had the same problem lost out on 40000 but got other two offers taking the fifth digit off

taking off the last digit worked for me, but let's see whether this will require some follow-up to post correctly.

This didn't work for me...anyone have a fix?

It worked for me, but now I wonder how they are going to deposit the points!

My choice number is in the form ABC012340

I took the two zeroes out and added a dash where the first one was, so it looks like ABC-1234. I was able to purchase a package that way. Hopefully, choice will be able to reconcile it all eventually.

It didn't recognize my account number, which has 3 letters followed by six digits (the month and day of my birthday, followed by 15). It did recognize Mrs. Ispolkom's account number, which has three letters followed by her 4 digit birth day (month+day). So she gets 2 x 36 and 2 x 32. Strangely enough, my account number worked last year.

Now I have to hope that the Comfort Inn Bolivar in Rome is still 8k points a night in November.

I dropped the last digit and it went through also. Good luck!

It worked for me, but now I wonder how they are going to deposit the points!

Yes, good point - do we need to follow up somehow or wait 10 days? I just printed out my confirmation just in case.

tried still no luck

do you put country code?

this year is crazy, last year Choice hotel points last for 2 weeks still no one buy it. :rolleyes:

i bought all 3 but put in 2 digits less. I will have to call them later to tell them my true number.

Good luck y'all
those 200k will get me some nice properties in Europe for sure. : )

Last number removed worked here.
Thanks to whoever posted the tip.

No luck on the big package.

I just bought 2 medium packages and 2 large packages without any problems.

my account is TTTxxxxx where the last x is 0
it accepts TTT-xxxx

i think i have bought to the max.... 216000 points.

my number is: 81*********, all digits, maybe have CN- in the begining I'm not sure :rolleyes:


My choice number is in the form ABC012340

I took the two zeroes out and added a dash where the first one was, so it looks like ABC-1234. I was able to purchase a package that way. Hopefully, choice will be able to reconcile it all eventually.

I just bought 2 medium packages and 2 large packages without any problems.

You are lucky. I only got one small package

You are lucky. I only got one small package

dude
dont give up that easiliy. If enough people call them then they will rerun the promo as it was clearly a big FAIL. It should have taken the membership numbers but it did not. Enough complaints will warren a new giveaway.
I for one will call them in a few minutes to complain even though I bought all 3.

try all methods, still no luck :p

I knew that others on this site would be having the same problem. Thanks for the suggestion in dropping the last number. Hopefully, the two packages I bought will go through to the right account. Not a well run promo. We should all get bonuses for the aggravation, right?

there is still big packages left .... i was just able to get some but backed off I got 2 and 2 of the small packs... thats enough choice pts for me was close to pull trigger on 40000 but backed off use qty of only 1

I took the last digit off

I think your six words were the most useful flyertalk post I've ever read. :)

After several minutes of frustration, I did it and immediately bought 2 of the 2 low-point packages.

The Cambria package was in other people's baskets, but I then kept clicking and I eventually bought 1 (I didn't need 2 since I already have a point balance from last year and had made the other purchases).

What a mess. And completely disgraceful.

I assume the successful bidders will have their purchases honored and eventually get the points added to their actual accounts.

But if Discover America and Choice have any sense of decency, they will re-run this contest for those who struck out following the rules. Completely outrageous and embarrassing. Did nobody test the system in advance to make sure it would work?

I don't know how you all did it. I get nothing but "Try Again" on the 40k package (30 mins straight) and a big fat nothing with the other packages. It's a sure sign I don't need to stay at Clarion for Prague DO. :p

smaller deals still open try using qty 1... for those who can't get in ...

I don't know how you all did it. I get nothing but "Try Again" on the 40k package (30 mins straight) and a big fat nothing with the other packages. It's a sure sign I don't need to stay at Clarion for Prague DO. :p

Are you still trying?

Once things went FUBAR, I focused on the smaller packages because there were many more being offered (fortunately, nobody could buy it doing it "correctly"). I then went back to get the Cambria package and, after about 15 clicks, got it in my basket.

Agree that email/call ASAP about this promo if u dropped last digit of mmbrshp # in order to get the deal(I got 2 med,1 small) Definately forward the confirmation email w/correct # and note the website would not take # unless you went thru hoops in order to get this. Not well-run.:confused::(

Same here, and I've been a member for many years.

Who knows where the points are going? Unlike other posters who appear to have been successful dropping the last digit of their account number, I dropped the first digit after the first three letters in my account. This worked, but given how many folks took different approaches, I'll be interested to see if the points make it to my account.

I only opened an account this morning so that I'd have a place to put my points. I assumed until I read this thread that the glitch had something to do with the recent creation of my account. Now that I see that the problem was more widespread, I absolutely agree that this was a miserable way to run a promotion.

I don't know how you all did it. I get nothing but "Try Again" on the 40k package (30 mins straight) and a big fat nothing with the other packages. It's a sure sign I don't need to stay at Clarion for Prague DO. :p

Was able to get the 36k package around 12:20, decided against it, tried again at 12:30 and got it right away and purchased this time.

GRRRRR,
Finally got in on the cambria and forgot to disable the popup blocker and lost it.

I could make the purchase, but it did not accept my amex with a XX/19 expiration date.

The dropdown box was populated until "2018" That cost me ~$70 :mad:

Agree that email/call ASAP about this promo if u dropped last digit of mmbrshp # in order to get the deal(I got 2 med,1 small) Definately forward the confirmation email w/correct # and note the website would not take # unless you went thru hoops in order to get this. Not well-run.:confused::(

Yes, this may be a good idea. Who to contact, though? Choice or Discover America?