Hilton HHonors - Getting GOLD the real way...and more thoughts....

The rambling thoughts of ClipperClub

Well gang....I slogged it out and finally acheived GOLD status.....the REAL way!!
:D :D :D

I only joined HHonors in April 2005....so feeling pretty fine.....

I discovered that there was a discrepancy between my Travel Planner and the actual credited stays. I was told by the HHonors agent that I had an invalid stay due to the fact that I booked directly with the hotel!! Now THAT is CRAZY. I did the old Flyertalk "call back" game and got a great agent who had not problem with crediting my stay.......thus putting my at the GOLD mark.

I had been pretty put off in the last few months by Hilton claiming some past stays as "ineligible" due to rate, etc. I always book through website or hotel...etc... as I am a crewmember staying on my own time (and dime) to commute to my base.

Some properties offer us a decent rate, but HHonors confuses the crediting of my PAID and RESERVED STAY and a LAYOVER STAY..... there is a disclaimer stating that crewmembers are not entitled to stays while on duty (airline paying, etc.etc., yadda yadda) ....... thus I have racked up about 24 stays (me paying) since April 2005 in order to get this GOLD status....as there were a number of stays at a special rate.

Don't mean to dis those "comped" but Im somewhat dismayed to be loyal and know that my big achievment is only par with someone given the easy route through "comped" status. :cool:

I wonder if Hilton is aware of the way this looks? I have managed to squeeze in 13 stays at ICH properties since April as well......(Platinum here I come!)

Thanks to Flyertalk and all those givers of advice out there.....God knows how many points I have lost in the last 15 years on not being a member of various Guest reward programs......

:rolleyes:

Congrats on making HHonors Gold VIP. I just got there too, based on stays. Should be diamond around January 1.

Well done ClipperClub, at the rate of stay you indicated you should be Diamond early next year.

I may have been comped, but for me it took more than simply quoting CTCH or something over the telephone. I have actually stayed at Hiltons quite a few times this year; several of these did not qualify as 'stays'. With my current bookings, I would have reached Gold VIP status 'the hard way' by Mid February anyway.

Being 'comped' has simply made it more comfortable and thus ensured my loyalty.

Well gang....I slogged it out and finally acheived GOLD status.....the REAL way!!
:D :D :D



The REAL way?--mean like most of us who have no choice but to go on all these trips because our company overpays us and prices us out of the market, so we put up with it to stay on their good side when the 20% reduction rumors start? ;) ;) ;) ;) ;)

Jus' axin'

The REAL way?--mean like most of us who have no choice but to go on all these trips because our company overpays us and prices us out of the market, so we put up with it to stay on their good side when the 20% reduction rumors start? ;) ;) ;) ;) ;)

Jus' axin'


:D

The rambling thoughts of ClipperClub

Well gang....I slogged it out and finally acheived GOLD status.....the REAL way!!


I thought that the real way had become using the CTCH code or by getting it for free through another loyalty program. Why go through all the hard work of actually staying at a Hilton property when you can get Gold by staying at Motel 6? ;) I keeeed, I keeeed

Congrats on getting Gold and not having to worry about it being taken away. I obtained Gold the easy way back in July. However, I have 20 qualifying stays since then and have my Gold the hard (real) way too. I should hit Diamond sometime in December if all goes well.

Congrats to all the new Golds - and soon to be - Diamonds. :-:

I used the code to get gold status the easy way, but will qual the real way by the end of December. I had 1 stay in December of 2004, and then didn't have another stay until July of 2005, so I'm going to stay once in January to requal for the following year, if I read the rolling-tier correctly (which is a huge assumption.) I am excited to actually earn the status, and am looking forward to, at some point, probably when DH is done with school in a year or two, picking up Diamond.

So what is it with these Hilton Gold Cards? I've been using my wife's HHonours Silver card/number, and managed to rack up some good points in the last year, but then all of a sudden I got an HHonours Gold card in my own name. Any idea why they sent that? Sorry to those who had to earn it, but I am curious.

The question is now, do we keep using my wife's card (she normally travels more and we try to keep our points on one account where we can) or should we use my Gold card, which has no points on it, but presumably better upgrades, etc.?

I have no idea what these plans think about card sharing, but we haven't been slapped down yet, so we'll keep doing it till we're stopped.

So what is it with these Hilton Gold Cards? I've been using my wife's HHonours Silver card/number, and managed to rack up some good points in the last year, but then all of a sudden I got an HHonours Gold card in my own name. Any idea why they sent that? Sorry to those who had to earn it, but I am curious.

The question is now, do we keep using my wife's card (she normally travels more and we try to keep our points on one account where we can) or should we use my Gold card, which has no points on it, but presumably better upgrades, etc.?

I have no idea what these plans think about card sharing, but we haven't been slapped down yet, so we'll keep doing it till we're stopped.

You probably received it from an airline, as a targetted promo. You can always use your gold card until it expires (Apr. 07, I'm guessing) and then merge the two accounts.

Do they comp to Diamond as easily as Gold?

Do they comp to Diamond as easily as Gold?

No they do not comp to Diamond as easily as gold due to the fact that they want to keep their highest tier from being diluted like the gold status. When a frequent guest program gives away their status it really hurts the program in the sense of devaluing the elite status, thus upsetting the loyal clients who actually earned the Gold or Diamond status.

I thought I was ready to make Gold the old fashioned way

http://www.flyertalk.com/forum/showthread.php?t=487441

Guess not :(

When a frequent guest program gives away their status it really hurts the program in the sense of devaluing the elite status, thus upsetting the loyal clients who actually earned the Gold or Diamond status.


Amen

Amen

As a person who was unexpectedly upgraded to gold after staying just 4 nights in a Hilton hotel this year (I believe I got the upgrade because I hold a Hilton HHonors cc), you should know that I will definitely look at Hilton first the next time I travel. That is why they award "gold" to people like me. It's a cheap way to foster goodwill and loyalty among non-business travelers.

I see what you're saying about earning gold "the hard way." But keep in mind that, because I spend the night in my own home 355 days of the year, I am doing little to "dilute" your gold status. I am not taking your upgraded room; I'm not eating all the peanuts in the concierge lounge; I'm not hogging the treadmill in the exercise room.

In other words, it's just a piece of paper to me. "Real" gold members still come out ahead because you actually use the perqs. As it should be.

Good points Recreation - and welcome to FT. Cheers.

Sharon