Club Carlson Hotel Category Changes Effective June 01, 2015
#16
Join Date: Apr 2012
Programs: AA, UA, Hilton, Choice, Wyndham
Posts: 415
The saddest thing is that while some properties are going to cost less, the changes will be made on 6/1. And the BOGO benefit is going away on 5/31. Can't book BOGO on new rates on any of the few properties that are going to cost less.
#17
Join Date: Jul 2012
Posts: 80
I made a sortable table that can help see where the changes are, and will make a map as well later today
http://www.pointswithacrew.com/over-...ortable-table/
#18
FlyerTalk Evangelist
Join Date: Mar 2000
Posts: 17,404
Under the new rules, you get a free domestic night for spending $10K on the card, right? So if you think about opportunity cost, $10K could net you $220 on the Arrival card. $10K on Club Carlson would net you a free domestic night (I'll value that at $100) and 50K points (10000 x 5) which I'd value at $150. Obviously, these valuations are subjective, but I think they're ballpark. So spending $10K on the card is marginally worthwhile if you can use the free night cert. I might wait for one of the periodic spending bonuses before doing it -- like they offered me 6x a couple times last year. You'd figure that will spending on the card likely to plummet, they might sweeten the pot further this year.
#19
Join Date: Aug 2014
Posts: 3,713
Yeah, if you already have the card, and are a frequent traveler, the 40,000 points is probably worth $75. I like having a few points in all the programs because every destination is different, and it's good to have as many hotel brand choices as possible.
Under the new rules, you get a free domestic night for spending $10K on the card, right? So if you think about opportunity cost, $10K could net you $220 on the Arrival card. $10K on Club Carlson would net you a free domestic night (I'll value that at $100) and 50K points (10000 x 5) which I'd value at $150. Obviously, these valuations are subjective, but I think they're ballpark. So spending $10K on the card is marginally worthwhile if you can use the free night cert. I might wait for one of the periodic spending bonuses before doing it -- like they offered me 6x a couple times last year. You'd figure that will spending on the card likely to plummet, they might sweeten the pot further this year.
Under the new rules, you get a free domestic night for spending $10K on the card, right? So if you think about opportunity cost, $10K could net you $220 on the Arrival card. $10K on Club Carlson would net you a free domestic night (I'll value that at $100) and 50K points (10000 x 5) which I'd value at $150. Obviously, these valuations are subjective, but I think they're ballpark. So spending $10K on the card is marginally worthwhile if you can use the free night cert. I might wait for one of the periodic spending bonuses before doing it -- like they offered me 6x a couple times last year. You'd figure that will spending on the card likely to plummet, they might sweeten the pot further this year.
The changes are definitely good for people who want to travel to India.
#20
Join Date: Nov 2007
Location: PHX
Posts: 4,786
I was really hoping to use my points for a summer vacation to Europe in 2016. This just smashes that plan, unless I can figure out in the next month where to book, and the hotels are the ones that are open more than 11 months in advance. Trying to use miles to get a family over the Atlantic in the summer is a bit iffy, and I would have liked the flexibility of being able to try to book flights first before booking my hotels, but I guess I just don't have that luxury anymore.
I haven't been into the points and miles game as long as others, but Club Carlson is pretty much unprecedented in what I've seen, in terms of a program just coming out of obscurity to prominence in such a rapid time. And now, just as quickly, it will fade back into oblivion.
I haven't been into the points and miles game as long as others, but Club Carlson is pretty much unprecedented in what I've seen, in terms of a program just coming out of obscurity to prominence in such a rapid time. And now, just as quickly, it will fade back into oblivion.
#21
Join Date: Jul 2006
Location: DCA
Programs: AA Gold, HH Diamond, UA Silver
Posts: 1,366
I have to say that I'm perplexed by Carlson's strategy relative to US members. Taking away the bonus night was a significant blow-- although in many ways that benefit was too good to be true when used at properties outside of the US, it sort of made up for the fact for the general low quality of US properties. While the end of the bonus night decreased the benefits for me (by half!), the general ease of earning CC points meant that I was still planning to stay and earn, in the hopes of using my points when travelling to Europe. Given the new rates, however, it will take a lot of stays at lousy Country Inns and sub-par US Radissons to earn one free night at a decent property in Europe. I think this is the definitive message from Club Carlson that I should just stick with Hilton.
#22
Join Date: Dec 2012
Location: Chicago, IL
Posts: 349
I figured the 2-for-1 gravy train would end, and I'm glad I took advantage over the last few years. Even afterwards, I was still considering the CC Visa one of the best places to put non-bonused spending. But with this new devaluation, it turns into a sock drawer card. I think it's still worth the $75 for 40k points annually (for the occasional CI&S stay or whatever), but that's it. If I now need to spend $14k on the card for a single night in a top-tier property (formerly $10k in spend for a 2-night stay), it's no longer worth it.
#23
FlyerTalk Evangelist
Join Date: Mar 2000
Posts: 17,404
I didn't really mind because this enabled me to use a combination of chain and non-chain hotels. I do think you miss something in a country like India staying at just Club Carlson-like hotels.
That said, cheap chain hotels are hard to resist. But with the low value of the rupee, cheaper Club Carlson hotels are probably a solution to a problem that isn't much of a problem. In contrast to Western Europe where, even with a reduced Euro, I'm always hunting for affordable accommodations. The end of cheap BOGO Club Carlson hotels makes European cities more expensive for me to stay in.
#25
Join Date: Dec 2009
Posts: 74
This is now the only value in the program. Spending $1800 on the card gets a free Cat 1 night. For people who just want a clean bed, this can still be worthwhile.
#26
Join Date: Nov 2007
Location: PHX
Posts: 4,786
The reality is the program was unsustainable. With the 2 for 1 and the redemption levels, you had hotels that charge upwards of $400 a night being bookable for 25,000 points a night. That made the credit card bonus basically 3 and a half free nights nearly worldwide, and at 5x on the card for regular spend, you could basically manufacture nights in Europe with a few Amex gift cards, or whatever your choice of manufactured spend is. And this doesn't even take into account the crazy good earnings structure for paid stays.
My guess is that CC was somewhat blindsided by this, not having had a very sophisticated loyalty program before all this. It's too bad, really -- because they shot themselves in the foot. They could have come out of the box with a good but sustainable program -- maybe put a cap on the free second nights or make it weekend only, plus more dynamic points redemptions or something. They instead essentially allowed an orgy for two years that left them with little choice but to gut the program. Sometimes that's what happens in the miles/points game -- you strike while the iron is hot and then move on, while CC licks its wounds and figures out what's next. Truth is, they probably did ok in the short term. I'm sure the money coming from USBank was good while it lasted, and now that the house is caving in, they simply devalue to protect themselves. Whether having a crappy loyalty program going forward causes problems -- only time will tell.
My guess is that CC was somewhat blindsided by this, not having had a very sophisticated loyalty program before all this. It's too bad, really -- because they shot themselves in the foot. They could have come out of the box with a good but sustainable program -- maybe put a cap on the free second nights or make it weekend only, plus more dynamic points redemptions or something. They instead essentially allowed an orgy for two years that left them with little choice but to gut the program. Sometimes that's what happens in the miles/points game -- you strike while the iron is hot and then move on, while CC licks its wounds and figures out what's next. Truth is, they probably did ok in the short term. I'm sure the money coming from USBank was good while it lasted, and now that the house is caving in, they simply devalue to protect themselves. Whether having a crappy loyalty program going forward causes problems -- only time will tell.
#28
FlyerTalk Evangelist
Join Date: Sep 1999
Location: New York, NY, USA
Posts: 12,474
There is a cap of 50 free second nights per year.@:-)
I actually think it could be a marketing strategy. Come up with a too-good-to-last program to attract new members; revamp program and try to contain membership loss. You may still end up with larger member based than starting out with a mediocre program. US Bank may have paid for a significant portion of the free second night program.
I actually think it could be a marketing strategy. Come up with a too-good-to-last program to attract new members; revamp program and try to contain membership loss. You may still end up with larger member based than starting out with a mediocre program. US Bank may have paid for a significant portion of the free second night program.
#29
Join Date: Jul 2006
Location: DCA
Programs: AA Gold, HH Diamond, UA Silver
Posts: 1,366
There is a cap of 50 free second nights per year.@:-)
I actually think it could be a marketing strategy. Come up with a too-good-to-last program to attract new members; revamp program and try to contain membership loss. You may still end up with larger member based than starting out with a mediocre program. US Bank may have paid for a significant portion of the free second night program.
I actually think it could be a marketing strategy. Come up with a too-good-to-last program to attract new members; revamp program and try to contain membership loss. You may still end up with larger member based than starting out with a mediocre program. US Bank may have paid for a significant portion of the free second night program.