Choice Privileges - Choice's cancellation policies on award nights

My head is spinning from finding out that if you no-show a Starwood award night you can be out a large amount of money. The concept would never have occurred to me.

http://www.flyertalk.com/forum/starwood-preferred-guest/979672-update-wsj-says-policy-will-change-excessive-penalty-no-show.html

Apparently Choice has the most customer-friendly policy: you lose your points, but don't have your wallet pick-pocketed:

If you are unable to use your room and fail to cancel your reservation, or if you do not claim the room by the specified time, Choice will not credit your account with the points that you redeemed for that room.

Choice is the only program where I have actually ever used points. My Marriott points went towards airline tickets, and I have never used Hilton points. Hilton has a similar penalty:

All Reward Stay reservations must be guaranteed with a credit card. Some hotels may require a deposit in lieu of a credit card guarantee. Deposits cannot be waived for Reward Stay reservations. No-shows or cancellations of Reward Stay reservations outside of the timeframe set by the hotel's individual cancellation policy will be charged one night's room and tax at the hotel's Best Available Rate for that date. If you wish to cancel, please do so 24 hours prior to arrival to avoid cancellation penalties. Cancellation policies are established by each individual hotel and may differ from the general cancellation policy.

At this point, I'm sure the airlines are looking this over and drooling at a new source of revenue! :td::td:

David

What do you complain about?! And what does that to do with airlines?

Choice does not require you to put up a CC to guarantee your reward reservation, while all other hotels require you to guarantee it with a CC, free stay notwithstanding!

If you cancel the reward stay within the cancellation window, the Choice points go right back to your account, if I remember it correctly, instantly.

If you miss the cancellation window, all you are out would be your points - other hotel programs you not only out your points, but also out at least first night's charge, in many cases, at the hotel's rack rate - charged to your CC.

All airlines that with mileage programs, CHARGE redeposit fee to return your miles to your account, should you decide to cancel a reward booking - that is nothing new, been like this for who knows how many years... This is not a new revenue source to the airlines.