No changes/refunds for award bookings ?
Jun 1, 2016, 3:37 pm
#1
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Join Date: May 2000
Location: Little dot in Asia
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No changes/refunds for award bookings ?
Has anyone heard of this before?
I booked the Park Inn Manchester for this weekend 4-5th June on the 30th May for 38,000 points. I then cancelled on the 31st May and saw the 38,000 points go straight back into my account and then I booked the same hotel for the 3rd-4th June.
I go into my account today but the booking for the 3rd-4th June is not there. I called CC Reservations and they told me that the booking did not go through. But then where are my points? On my account , the hotel apparently charged me a cancellation penalty of 38,000 points even though I cancelled well ahead of time.
A call to CC didn't yield anything as they said the hotel's reservations dept is closed. CC Customer Service couldn't help me... and said that they will contact the hotel in the morning. So I called the hotel directly and they basically told me to call CC as they have 'nothing to do with points'. The Duty Manager did say that it was unusual to have an award booking be nonrefundable and no changes.
So I decided to check the website for award availability of the hotel again. Apparently only on that day it shows even on an award booking that its no changes, or refunds. Whereas any other day, that rule is not there. I even checked on dates tomorrow and day after, and next week where the rack rate is the same as for this weekend. Every other date, except for the 4-5th June, there are free cancellations even Christmas Day !
Could the hotel or whoever programmed the website actually have made a mistake on the cancellation penalty - for that day only? There is nothing 'special' going on in the city.. eg Justin Bieber concert... though ColdPlay is playing at the Etihad Stadium but that's miles away from the hotel.
Is this unusual ?
I booked the Park Inn Manchester for this weekend 4-5th June on the 30th May for 38,000 points. I then cancelled on the 31st May and saw the 38,000 points go straight back into my account and then I booked the same hotel for the 3rd-4th June.
I go into my account today but the booking for the 3rd-4th June is not there. I called CC Reservations and they told me that the booking did not go through. But then where are my points? On my account , the hotel apparently charged me a cancellation penalty of 38,000 points even though I cancelled well ahead of time.
A call to CC didn't yield anything as they said the hotel's reservations dept is closed. CC Customer Service couldn't help me... and said that they will contact the hotel in the morning. So I called the hotel directly and they basically told me to call CC as they have 'nothing to do with points'. The Duty Manager did say that it was unusual to have an award booking be nonrefundable and no changes.
So I decided to check the website for award availability of the hotel again. Apparently only on that day it shows even on an award booking that its no changes, or refunds. Whereas any other day, that rule is not there. I even checked on dates tomorrow and day after, and next week where the rack rate is the same as for this weekend. Every other date, except for the 4-5th June, there are free cancellations even Christmas Day !
Could the hotel or whoever programmed the website actually have made a mistake on the cancellation penalty - for that day only? There is nothing 'special' going on in the city.. eg Justin Bieber concert... though ColdPlay is playing at the Etihad Stadium but that's miles away from the hotel.
Is this unusual ?
Last edited by Guy Betsy; Jun 1, 2016 at 3:50 pm
Jun 3, 2016, 1:48 am
#2
FlyerTalk Evangelist
Original Poster
Join Date: May 2000
Location: Little dot in Asia
Programs: AA-EP, TK-*G, HL-DM, HY-GLO, MR-LTP
Posts: 25,932
UPDATE : I'm still waiting for a call back from the CC customer service representative...
But I called the hotel back in the morning and spoke to the Duty Manager who very kindly refunded the points back to my account immediately. She said that it is 'normal' for the hotel to impose such conditions even on an award booking due to the fact it has a concert in the city - abeit it being at the Etihad stadium miles from the city centre. But she understood the confusion as the hotel just imposed that due to Coldplay playing on Saturday night.
So for anyone booking award stays. Be aware of that 'little blue dot' on any of your bookings which usually mean, 'No changes, No refunds' - for any hotel and not only for Manchester.
But I called the hotel back in the morning and spoke to the Duty Manager who very kindly refunded the points back to my account immediately. She said that it is 'normal' for the hotel to impose such conditions even on an award booking due to the fact it has a concert in the city - abeit it being at the Etihad stadium miles from the city centre. But she understood the confusion as the hotel just imposed that due to Coldplay playing on Saturday night.
So for anyone booking award stays. Be aware of that 'little blue dot' on any of your bookings which usually mean, 'No changes, No refunds' - for any hotel and not only for Manchester.
Jun 19, 2016, 7:57 pm
#3
FlyerTalk Evangelist
Join Date: Jul 2003
Location: Florida
Posts: 29,755
This happened to our booking made at Chicago Aqua. There was no blue dot, but the rate details indeed said nonfundable and of course I did not check the rate details before making the booking.
It also was due to an "alternative music" concert will be held in the weekend we booked. When I called on an afternoon it was the night manager on duty. He later at night tried to refund it but found out the points would not go back so he reinstated the bookings. They had to call Club Carlson to post the refund because the system was set up to nonrefundable. All in all the hotel management was very accommodating, canceled 2 bookings and refunded all the points.
Lesson learned, for ANY hotel booking, NEED to read the Rate Details before making the booking as I have found similar situation on a potential SPG booking as well.
It also was due to an "alternative music" concert will be held in the weekend we booked. When I called on an afternoon it was the night manager on duty. He later at night tried to refund it but found out the points would not go back so he reinstated the bookings. They had to call Club Carlson to post the refund because the system was set up to nonrefundable. All in all the hotel management was very accommodating, canceled 2 bookings and refunded all the points.
Lesson learned, for ANY hotel booking, NEED to read the Rate Details before making the booking as I have found similar situation on a potential SPG booking as well.