MD/DC Flyer

I like everyone else is disappointed with the major devaluation, but cannot say I was really surprised. As the foot print in the USA is so small and insignificant, it is really the European properties that were of interest to me and I used the program mostly in Scandinavia where they are both good quality and have a large foot print.

It is either complete naivete on the side CC when they introduce the credit card to the USA market when they thought that most will use the benefit once for a Country Inn somewhere in the middle of nowhere as opposed to the top level hotel in Europe. Which can be true.

Other thought that come to mind is the need to clear as much value of the points off the books as a first step in becoming more attractive for take overs. As the hotels industry seems to consolidate vastly over the couple of years, I would not be surprised if the chain will find its way into being bought.

ORD-TGU

I did see that, before it was 15K, and I had many, many redemptions for 2 nights using the last night free. As a Gold and then a concierge I was waived the resort fee. Now at 9K, two nights at 18K, it is an acceptable devalue.

My wife and I found it decent, solid 3 stars. Of course you can go better, but value wise, it was great, and the kids loved it. Just stay clear from any overly friendly people, they are timeshare sellers. I flat out told them I buy timeshares in the resell market and hold 20 of them, and asked them if they were interested to buy any from me, that kept them clear.

milesforfamily

@ORD-TGU I really appreciate your thoughts on the property. Thank you for taking the time. I didn't know that they waive resort fees for Gold members (yet another reason to hang on to that credit card!).

I have no doubt that the property is super basic, but hey, it's 9,000 freaking points per night! I didn't get a chance to use BOGO rate on this hotel since I literally just got the bonus few months ago, and used the points for other redemptions. I was a bit sad, but then I saw that it will now be 9,000 points instead of 15,000. I can live with paying 18,000 points!
It won't be our main vacation of the year, but I'm certain the kids will love it. We live in the state, so transportation expense is minimal. I'll treat some cousins to a 2-night stay, so we can have a dysfunctional family reunion of sorts. At least it will be almost free!

iahphx

You have "family and friends" who have the Club Carlson credit card? Wow. That's unimaginable to me. It's just not the kind of product that would appeal to "normal" Americans. Just the idea of needing a credit card for int'l hotels would be mind-boggling, yet alone figuring out the squirrelly rules and manufacturing spending on the card to pay for those hotel rooms.

You must have some well-travelled family and friends, who are also way more into "gaming" these things than the vast majority of Americans. Indeed, they should become flyertalkers.


Club Carlson's footprint is actually larger in the USA than Europe There are a large number of Country Inns and Suites (not the concentration of Hampton Inns or HI Expresses, but a bunch of them). It's just these properties don't appeal to many Flyertalkers. I actually find County Inns to be useful; they compare quite reasonably to other mid-priced motel brands. The problem was that I find most of these hotels to be one-night stopovers: not "destination" hotels. Since I didn't need 2 nights at them, I saved my points for the foreign hotels.

MD/DC Flyer

Let me clarify - because you are correct about the sheer numbers, but as mostly leisure traveler I have zero interest in them. Even the "flag ship" property in NYC does not worth the per-devaluation points. I guess it is adequate if you have to go to the places they are present, but the presence in major metropolitan areas is abysmal. Even that, it is rare that where those properties are there would not be a better option in one of the bigger chains (though it is of course possible).

I think they have miscalculated immensely and did not understand the impact of:
1) The profile of the credit card users and the number that would use the benefit; and
2) The geographic distribution of where the redemption will happen.

GUWonder

People have been "gaming" airline and hotel loyalty programs since well before there was FT. Even I.

People see affiliate credit card sign-up info at hotel check-in, when doing online bookings or even after staying and using the Club Carlson program without a Club Carlson credit card. Seeing that and signing up for such credit cards is completely normal.

I have no Club Carlson credit card, and I'm on FT.

I have very well-traveled friends and family, but most of them don't have this credit card either. Some of them are good at playing this game and have little to no interest in FT or its spinoffs.

Normal Americans have been playing, gaming or complaining about loyalty programs since before you heard the word "internet".

These negative changes to the Carlson hotel loyalty program don't stop with just these changes; rather, marching forward on the path to devaluation keeps the ball rolling toward further devaluations.

eefor jfp

Well, that's it for me. I have spent the last several days trying to find hotels in Europe to use my current points at before June 1 and I keep coming up empty (or saying "but the Hyatt or SPG or Hilton there is so much nicer.") But I thought it might be worth it to keep the card for the rare stay at a CC property in central Europe and for the annual bonus that got me most of the way to a top hotel (50K). The sad reality is that there just aren't that many aspirational properties.

This was the most shocking stat for me. That's SEVEN times the number of hotels in the highest category compared to before.

eponymous_coward

This is pretty illustrative of why CC is doing this:

http://loyaltytraveler.boardingarea....d-stay-of-150/

Multiply by the FT CC forum and you get the idea... giving away $800 on a $150 spend to someone who wouldn't normally even spend the $150? I doubt that's a really valuable customer to keep around. You might as well sell the rooms on Priceline/Hotwire.

Brendan

Spot-on!
The 70K point price was just invented a year or so ago for a few hotels in tip-top expensive destinations such as Paris! Now there will be 2 in Minneapolis?!

Miami305

Them Minnesotans would have something to say about that...

After all, The Atlantic is REALLY high on living in Minneapolis.

Paulchili

To be fair, 30K of this 50K came from a one-of kind of offer as a sort of "compensation" for canceling their last night free bonuses (as well as several other promos that are not offered regularly).
It's not like every $150 spend will give you $800 value (I wish )

dw

All joking aside, it IS pretty ridiculous that the Radisson Blu at the Mall of America is now going to cost the same amount in points as the May Fair in London! Since our point earnings are based on room rates, there should at least be some correlation when it comes to redemption.

It's like someone at Club Carlson just decided, "Well, as 'Blus' they are supposed to be more upscale than the regular Radissons, so let's just put all Blu properties in the US in the highest points redemption tier"

Brendan

OK, so Minneapolis is a good place to raise a family, but how many of those writers for the Atlantic are going to spend a whole week of vacation in Minneapolis? How many in winter ?

fassy

To be honest, as a long time European member I'm for once not too unhappy with the changes this year. The US CC Free Bonus night has been badly abused (as we can see in all those threads here about it) and a serious devaluation of the points/increase of the redemption rates was the only logical step - next to get rid of the bonus.

I hope this action will regulate again the balance between earning and redemptions. For me, not much changes - besides that I have to spend some more points on the supposed to be higher scale properties. But hey, that's what all the chains do all the time. And faster the more points and bonus accelerators they hand out.

wharvey

I am curious... how have people abused the benefit?

The benefit is offered to give the last night free on an award reservation.

People have chosen to take advantage of it.