Online Travel Booking and Bidding Agencies - Priceline and FF Points

There appears to be tremendous inconsistency in the earning of frequent flyer/guest points for Priceline travel. My general experience has been:

AIR TRAVEL: You can almost always get your frequent flyer miles on Priceline air tickets, by calling the airline after your successful bid, and asking them to add your frequent flyer number to the reservation.

CAR RENTAL: You can almost never earn any kind of points on a Priceline car rental.

HOTEL: Very inconsistent among hotels. I always give my hotel guest program membership number at check-in. At some hotels, I get full credit for all dollars and nights spent. At others, I get absolutely no credit, even for incidentals purchased after I've checked in.

Is this everyone else's experience? Because I'm rapidly becoming a Priceline devotee, I'd be really interested in any tricks that anyone has picked up. Thanks.

This is exactly what it's going to do, vary widely. The Priceline terms quite clearly state you don't get the frequent flyer/stay/renter points or benefits. But if the individual airlines or even individual agents are given that discretion, you might as well have them. It amounts to asking, expecting the answer to be no, and being pleasantly surprised when it isn't. I've only taken a couple of Priceline flights, and they were on TW a couple years ago. They gave me miles. Because I didn't normally stay much in hotels with stay programs, I totally forgot to try to get HHonors points when staying at Hilton-brand hotels (once last year, once this year). From others I've heard that particularly hotels can vary not just by hotel brand but by property within the chains. Airlines are usually consistent across the airline. If you have higher level status in the program, you may or may not get some of the benefits of that (better seat, though not F upgrades, better room) even if you don't get points. Certainly flash the card and ask anytime you check in for any of these things. But I wouldn't ever *count on* getting anything.

CrazyOne pretty much summed up my expereince also. I have never tried to get frequent flier credit with a Priceline air ticket because I travel so infrequently even if I was given credit it would expire before I could ever use it. Also I do not have status so undgrades are out of the question.

With hotels I am a little more optimistic, since those credits do not expire. This year I have stayed in hotels through Priceline twice. At the Courtyard, when I arrived I showed them my Marriott Rewards card and the frontline person didn't know how to add it to a Priceline rezzie. She had the boss show her. I get a quarterly statement from Marriott Rewards.

At the Sheriton when I checked in, the frontline person asked me if I wanted to join their program so I said sure. I have never received a plastic card or statement from the Sheriton, so the membership may have been kicked-out when the central office saw that it was on a priceline stay.

I am not sure if I did actually get credit for either stay because it will be years before I will have accumulated enough points on either program to reap any benefits.

-S

<font face="Verdana, Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif" size="2">Originally posted by ASUGymn:

I am not sure if I did actually get credit for either stay because it will be years before I will have accumulated enough points on either program to reap any benefits.
-S</font>
This seems to be a misconception that many people have, that you have to actually stay in hotels to earn hotel points!

But you can also earn the points by using certain credit cards -- for example, the Starwood Amex or the HHonors Amex.

On the original topic (Priceline and points), I agree that it's best to assume that you'll get no points and then be pleasantly surprised when you do. Even if you are NOT chasing points, however, I think there are a few good reasons to enroll in all the hotel programs and present the hotel frequent stay card when you check in:

1. If you happen to have status with the program (remember, there are some "instant" or rapid status promos), even if you earn NO points for the stay, you are often eligible for some perks such as upgrade, lounge access (free cont. breakfast), etc. Even on a Priceline stay!

2. Being a member of the frequent guest program can get you faster checkin at a dedicated checkin line.

3. Being a member of the frequent guest program may earn you slightly better treatment than a non-member. (Unless you are arrogant and demanding and p*** off the desk clerk, of course!)

Kathy

[This message has been edited by KathyWdrf (edited 08-10-2002).]

I tried a few times with priceline hotel stays and had no luck. This includes at Hilton, Hyatt and Doubletree. I finally just stopped trying.

<font face="Verdana, Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif" size="2">Originally posted by nindobe:
I tried a few times with priceline hotel stays and had no luck. This includes at Hilton, Hyatt and Doubletree. I finally just stopped trying. </font>

What was it that you "stopped trying?" http://www.flyertalk.com/travel/fttravel_forum/wink.gif

Kathy

Sorry for being unclear. I stopped asking for FF credits on my priceline stays.

I've had mixed experiences with finding hotels online. I had a bad experience with expedia and a good one when I found orbitz. I haven't tried the other, but think I'll probably stick with orbitz.

I think that we can expect no more AA FF miles on cheapest tickets. Times are too tough right now.

From checking www.betterbidding.com it would seem that most hotel chains no longer give stay credit for reservations booked on Priceline and Hotwire.

Perhaps one can still get points for charging a meal, as at Starwood, however.

From checking www.betterbidding.com it would seem that most hotel chains no longer give stay credit for reservations booked on Priceline and Hotwire.

Perhaps one can still get points for charging a meal, as at Starwood, however.

Hyatt gives stay credit as long as you have an incidental charge. That benefit alone has won Hyatt my normal business travel too.

As GUWonder stated, make sure you charge an incidental to your room account when staying at any Hyatt. You'll get GoldPassport recognition if you do. You accrue very little points w/Hyatt on Priceline stays, but it's the frequency of stays that allows you to climb the ladder from Gold to Platinum to Diamond. I maintain Platinum status w/Hyatt despite nearly 100% of my stays with them being via Priceline.

I have gotten all of my stay credits when staying at the Hyatt's Westin's and Hilton's. I will not book a hotel less than 4* on hotwire.

I ALLWAYS make sure I have an incidental of some sort on the bill.

I am staying at a hilton and a Westin this week and will let you know as it has been a few months since I stayed at the Hilton.

Jason