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Consolidated "Points & Elite Benefits When Booking Through Third-Party?" thread

Consolidated "Points & Elite Benefits When Booking Through Third-Party?" thread

Old Jun 17, 2004, 1:29 pm
  #31  
 
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Originally Posted by GUWonder
This is irrational behavior on the part of Hilton and the hotels.

Hilton hotel restaurants are not so compelling that eating there makes any sense -- unless you can get get the hotel points.
In fact, she hated the food which makes her even more pissed off.
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Old Jun 17, 2004, 2:05 pm
  #32  
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Originally Posted by pdhenry
So the problem here is that HH is enforcing their policy?

I didn't see anything in Alonzo's posts where the offending stay is Priceline. In fact "She booked her travel through one of the largest travel company in Hong Kong. She's a director of the company that owns the travel company...". Either this wasn't a web-based booking (in which case I'd argue that the points should not have been deducted) or Alonzo is being selective in what information is being released about just how the booking was made.

Hotel bookings made by a Travel Agent should earn points unless there's some special rate (industry or negotiated) or unless the booking is made through a third-party website.

Well, I was surprised that this was their policy on bookings not made thru them. I certainly understand -- but do not agree -- with their decision rate bookings made outside their site, but I was under the belief that one wouls at least get points for incidentals charged during the stay -- as they do with award stays, and as their competition allows, as well!

Apparently, not!

With respect to Alonzo's situation, regardless of the method used to book the package, his mom detrimentally relied on their mistake to her misfortune, and under these circumstances, she should have the points reinstated, for had the initial points not appeared, it is unlikely that she would have spent the $$ during the second stay.

I suggest you contact the FT Hilton e-mail, or perhaps the much vaunted C/S that YXU points to would actually make an appearance on this thread to assist Alonzo.

PDHenry --

I think that your initially questioning Alonzo's veracity was very much out of place -- and out of character -- in this instance.
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Old Jun 17, 2004, 3:02 pm
  #33  
 
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I thought this development serious enough to start a post on this topic
This is not any sort of recent "development." A search will tell you that this has been corporate policy for at least two years, if not longer.
Is it annoying? Yes.
Is is stupid? Yes.
Do I choose to not spend money on incidentals for this very reason? Yes.
Is it a development? No.
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Old Jun 17, 2004, 3:07 pm
  #34  
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Originally Posted by UpgradeMe
This is not any sort of recent "development." A search will tell you that this has been corporate policy for at least two years, if not longer.
Is it annoying? Yes.
Is is stupid? Yes.
Do I choose to not spend money on incidentals for this very reason? Yes.
Is it a development? No.
Well, it certainly was news to me.

I guess that I missed it since I don't stay at Hiltons much any more -- Hyatt and Marriott have captured my business for other reasons. Now, this development just reaffirms that I made the right decision!
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Old Jun 17, 2004, 3:28 pm
  #35  
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Thumbs down Bad Policy

This is a very timely post for me. I JUST had this conversation with HHonors reservations and the manager at the local property who told me that I will not be receiving points for incidentals for my stay tomorrow night in Irvine, CA. She said that they have re-written the software to force out the HHonors number. Before I called HHonors I came here and read this post. Although I'm no longer a Diamond (just silver now) this is a big deal to me. I had originally planned to have a large - and growing - dinner at the hotel purely for the purpose of earning points. Although my stay is through Priceline this policy is incredibly inconsistent, I've been doing this for years without problems.
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Old Jun 17, 2004, 3:33 pm
  #36  
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Originally Posted by TravelManKen
This is a very timely post for me. I JUST had this conversation with HHonors reservations and the manager at the local property who told me that I will not be receiving points for incidentals for my stay tomorrow night in Irvine, CA. She said that they have re-written the software to force out the HHonors number. Before I called HHonors I came here and read this post. Although I'm no longer a Diamond (just silver now) this is a big deal to me. I had originally planned to have a large - and growing - dinner at the hotel purely for the purpose of earning points. Although my stay is through Priceline this policy is incredibly inconsistent, I've been doing this for years without problems.
That's what I thought!

Thanks for confirming my suspicions.

Upgrade Me -- wrong as usual.

Stupid Policy, but par for the course for Hilton making unaanounced changes or springing enforcement of changes on us without any notice whatsoever.

How typical of Hilton to emplace new software to screw its HHonors members out of points that they originally had received, while at the very same moment, they also have revamped their software applications as it relates to allowing one to do a search for which hotels are in the various category groupings. As many of you know, one can no longer input a hotel category and do a global country or statewide search for what turns up. Now, one must choose a destination and do a search that will perform a search within a 50 mile radius of that destination to see if the requested hotel category is there. Choose wrong -- tough luck!

YXU -- Lies, damned lies, and statistics. The proof is in the pudding!

You can keep HHonors. @:-)

TMK -- Kudos to that manager for being upfront with you! Are you still going to have that dinner at the hotel?

Last edited by NJUPINTHEAIR; Jun 17, 2004 at 3:52 pm
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Old Jun 17, 2004, 3:35 pm
  #37  
 
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I agree it's a bad policy and it is news to me.

I used Priceline a couple of times in 2002 at Hiltons and received points for the incidental charges.
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Old Jun 17, 2004, 3:39 pm
  #38  
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Update

Ms. Osi at the HHonors Service Center said that we do earn points for incidentals. All we have to do is fax the receipt along with our HHonors number to 972-788-1818 attention "Document Services" and we'll receive credit - I'm still skeptical...
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Old Jun 17, 2004, 3:40 pm
  #39  
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Originally Posted by kevino
I agree it's a bad policy and it is news to me.

I used Priceline a couple of times in 2002 at Hiltons and received points for the incidental charges.

Should be interesting if they, too, disappear.

Watch your point totals!
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Old Jun 17, 2004, 3:51 pm
  #40  
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I guess the part I don't understand is why Hilton is trying to drive guests out of their hotels for restaurants, bars, and other services.

So you used an agent to book your room. You know you don't get points for that... Hilton didn't make much money off of you on the room, but you'd think they'd be eager to do so off of incidentals. Everybody knows that most hotel food/bev is mediocre and overpriced. Everybody knows that the hotel services are also overpriced. Allowing you to earn points on those incidentals might entice some customers to stick around instead of hitting the streets in search of dinner.

I rarely do hardly any incidental business in a hotel anyway - regardless of the points, I don't want bland food in a drab atmosphere - but it seems odd that Hilton would be trying to push you out the door just because your room rate was low.
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Old Jun 17, 2004, 4:00 pm
  #41  
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Originally Posted by TravelManKen
Ms. Osi at the HHonors Service Center said that we do earn points for incidentals. All we have to do is fax the receipt along with our HHonors number to 972-788-1818 attention "Document Services" and we'll receive credit - I'm still skeptical...
So, now that a manager has told you that they have a new software application that essentially does a search and destroy on any points that you may have earned on a stay not booked thru Hilton, and you learn of poor Alonzo's mother apparently having been the subject of this very same software -- kinda like the Matrix, wow! -- and he reports in practice, what you have been told by the hotel manager, and then a Hilton rep said, don't worry, you can send it that receipt and you will get the points! Right?


Interesting that they should want to spend the time and $$ to root out those points and then have them incur time and $$ to manually put those points back into your account? It's a wonder that with management like this, Hilton is not facing bankruptcy!

I won't be spending any $$ until I know this is a firm decision, or not, one way or the other! I'm just glad that my next Hilton stay is not until mid-July!
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Old Jun 17, 2004, 4:01 pm
  #42  
 
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Do you even have to stay at a Hilton to get points for incidentals?

I am *wood Platinum...HH Diamond. I have eaten at a *wood property (no stay) and the points were credited to my account by providing my ID card. What is the HH policy? Can you get points for eating without a stay? If so, then the policy really makes no sense at all, since you could pay by credit card and get points?
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Old Jun 17, 2004, 4:02 pm
  #43  
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Originally Posted by Platman
I am *wood Platinum...HH Diamond. I have eaten at a *wood property (no stay) and the points were credited to my account by providing my ID card. What is the HH policy? Can you get points for eating without a stay? If so, then the policy really makes no sense at all, since you could pay by credit card and get points?
AFAIK, SPG is the only chain where you can earn points for dining without staying at the property.
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Old Jun 17, 2004, 4:21 pm
  #44  
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Aside from the comp upgrade to Gold status last year, it doesn't seem as though Hilton is doing much to retain the marginal business.

Hyatt offers FFNs and treats priceline customers well.
Marriott rewards customers with multiple-night visits by tracking nights rather than "stays," and offers a nice range of properties.
Even *wood offers no blackout dates and those heavenly beds and baths.

Many, many people are required to make reservations through corporate travel agents (or prefer to use travelocity, expedia, etc.) If HHonors doesn't want this business, I'm sure there are plenty of other chains that will recognize the value of loyalty.
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Old Jun 17, 2004, 6:32 pm
  #45  
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Watching Your Point Totals?

I think that a warning to watch your point totals is on target. If reports are correct that Hilton HHonors is doing a "sweep" to search and destroy points from 3rd party-booked stays, then I would not be surprised if some people magically lose points due to nothing more than the plan code recorded on your stay in HHonors system being incorrect due to a clerical error or something of the sort or a retroactive application of policy that was not applied before.

Last edited by GUWonder; Jun 17, 2004 at 6:35 pm
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