MilesBuzz! - Earning points/miles when you're not staying at the hotel

So here's a question -

I've got a friend staying at a Best Western tonight - plans fell through for a trip & now he's partially stranded in the town that he's in until tomorrow when I can drive down to pick him up. The going rate for a hotel in the town he's in is about 99.00 & it's a college town so I asked if the local college had a negotiated rate & they offered me the local corporate rate - 55.00 - a hell of a deal (hot breakfast buffet included) - Priceline hotels were only 1 stars for this town - didn't feel like doing the priceline option). Since I booked the room, I have my name on it (being held with my CC) & I have him on it as a share - meaning he can check-in on the room & it doesn't really matter what credit card is used to pay for it - they always aske you at the desk to swipe a card anyways. I won't be down til tomorrow night after work so I won't even be staying there - but the stay will be completed & both of our names on a reservation - does this mean that I can earn the miles for it? I don't see how they could determine whether or not I stayed there - as long as I have my name on the reservation & my address, it doesn't matter who checks in & who pays - I just came accross this realization and the earning potential (friends & family members who could care less whether they earn the points/miles!)

What are you thoughts on this?? Legit? (obviously not ethical, but to all the people who have credit cards in their dogs & plants names, this isn't nearly as bad!)

<font face="Verdana, Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif" size="2">Originally posted by bhatnasx:
So here's a question -

I've got a friend staying at a Best Western tonight - plans fell through for a trip & now he's partially stranded in the town that he's in until tomorrow when I can drive down to pick him up. The going rate for a hotel in the town he's in is about 99.00 & it's a college town so I asked if the local college had a negotiated rate & they offered me the local corporate rate - 55.00 - a hell of a deal (hot breakfast buffet included) - Priceline hotels were only 1 stars for this town - didn't feel like doing the priceline option). Since I booked the room, I have my name on it (being held with my CC) & I have him on it as a share - meaning he can check-in on the room & it doesn't really matter what credit card is used to pay for it - they always aske you at the desk to swipe a card anyways. I won't be down til tomorrow night after work so I won't even be staying there - but the stay will be completed & both of our names on a reservation - does this mean that I can earn the miles for it? I don't see how they could determine whether or not I stayed there - as long as I have my name on the reservation & my address, it doesn't matter who checks in & who pays - I just came accross this realization and the earning potential (friends & family members who could care less whether they earn the points/miles!)

What are you thoughts on this?? Legit? (obviously not ethical, but to all the people who have credit cards in their dogs & plants names, this isn't nearly as bad!)</font>

It's not the name or CC# on the reservation that counts, it's the name and CC# that pays. He had to give them a credit card to swipe, so that's the CC that will be used to settle the bill, unless you get there before he checks-out and offer to put it on your CC.
So, yes you could earn points, but ONLY if you charge the bill to your CC and work out a deal with the stayee to give you the money. Unfortunately, the problem is that you have to be present to use your card. So if you have friends/family stay in your town, it's a great idea. You charge it, they give you money, and you get points. But if they are in Hawaii and you are in New York, that option would be somewhat difficult.



[This message has been edited by andrzej (edited 08-07-2003).]

As long as your name is on the reservation and your frequent guest # is on the res., you should be able to get the points.

I agree it might be unethical to try and do this for multiple family members/ friends on reservations where you are not even staying. Could it be done? Probably. I usually try and encourage friends and family to sign up for programs if they are not members. Most points don't expire these days (with minimal effort to keep them alive). They might actually be able to use the points one day.

Are you sure that the great rate will actually earn points though? I am not a member of this program so I am not familiar with its rules. Some really reduced rates at other hotels don't earn points. As for is it OK ethically, it would be for me but you must be the judge of that.

[This message has been edited by CMW (edited 08-07-2003).]

Andrzej - it doesn't matter whose card pays for the stay - I know that because I've encountered that before (i.e. going on vacation with friends, reservations in my name, my account number, friend pays for it on their card, I earn the points). So I think it will work.

CMW - I'm not staying at the hotel, I just made him the res. & he's staying there & paying for it - I currently have my name on it b/c I have til 4 to cxl (and I will if I can find a cheaper rate by then). In terms of ethics, I doesn't bother me at all - the way I see it is it's being paid for & it someone should get credit for bringing them business - otherwise I'd put him up at the Super 8 at 50/night! After I pick him up, we'll find a place to camp & spend the night for free...

I have encouraged him to get accounts in his name - this is the same friend I took to AMS with me & the flight was bad on NW, so they credited double miles (i.e. 1 flight IAD-AMS was worth about 15,500 miles on a 250 fare!) - he never had an FF account before that & I encouraged him to sign up for the no annual fee WP Visa with 10K upfront = 25K for a trip to AMS & much to my shock (and disbelief & anger!) he cancelled the account with NW because he didn't feel like getting e-mails from them once a week. He could have just cancelled the e-mails!!! He told me he didn't think it was worth the effort!!!

I'm pretty sure this is a "trick" that will work - I was wondering if anyone else out there had tried it?

Yes, I've done it before for Best Western(similar circumstances) and it posted to my account fine.

[This message has been edited by Braindrain (edited 08-07-2003).]

I have had the desk check my ID more and more frequently over the last few months. Don't know what would happen if I wasn't the person making the reservation.

well, i just called BW & had them add me as a share & put my account number into the reservations, so we'll see how it goes...