scubaccr

This is exactly the issue these days compared to 3years ago with profusion of blog sites, those with very limited points earnings and CC points with zero stays only booking on PBs and the increased speed hotels leave the PB list in just 1-3 day

and in holiday seasons no doubt some booking two sets of location hotels for same dates and then cancelling the one that is then not needed, which then do not return as PB nights once hotel is off the list

As PB's are like normal Awards flex/refundable if one thinks their us even a small chance of using one of the PB hotels people speculatively book as they can get points back

This has resulted in an increasing vicious circle over the last couple of years as some of those that did not speculatively book now have to do so to have a chance

I would like to see something like PBs can only booked by those who have stayed say 20paid nights in last 12months, the old Gold qual limit. Then CC pointers can use points on full awards but not PBs unless they also stay during the year.
Only RA or Spire could be used as Statuses as the lower Plat, Gold, Ambassador are too readily obtained without stays, hence need for a check on nights stayed.

nacho

The bloggers have definitely helped spreading out the news. It seems that IHG is helping loyaltylobby to give them exclusive information about the PB - somehow they get the exclusive pre-preview list.

If you feel strong about this, contact IHG and tell them how you feel, and if you don't like what they do, vote with your wallet and stay somewhere else.

IHG has already "tighten" the rules by 2 bookings/hotel, which I think it's reasonable.

I started using PB about 3 years ago. I do see some "popular" hotels being take off the list fast. However I have also booked PB hotel 1 week before the list expired - I think what you say is right if the whole list being taken off 72 hours after releasing it.

I hardly stay in more than 1 PB hotel/period (can't just tele-port myself to any IC, CP on the list), and most of the time the hotels are HIX, SBS or CWS, so I'm not taking any slot from the RAs (I assume you guys only stick to CP or above). I did cancel my recent PB booking after finding out that I could do a paid stay with Hilton for almost the same price. That PB hotel is still on the list - I haven't taken up all the quotas.

I see PB as the main reason I stay with IHG and I'm sure I'm not the only one thinking this way. I don't think I'll stay at IHG if PB is not there. I don't live in the US so I can't get myself a credit card to get elite status + free night with IHG.

FFlash

Very good viewpoint here, scuba. Speculative booking is a result of the PB rules and system behaviour how people learn to act on these campaign and somehow I cannot blame too much on people who do that, they are just trying to fight their part of the game. Whereas I cancelled my PB booking (due to a real family reason, not speculative) in the hope of someone else being able to book them, I feel very bad about those rooms not returning available for PB booking. IMO this has gone too far and IHG should really think about new rules around PB, since it is an important part of the program (IMHO one of the best part of it so far).

I think the solution is not to make PB non-refundable, since I believe there are so many people who have hoards of points where a 5k loss would be insignificant as to speculative booking anyway. It must be another solution, and I believe something along what many sports clubs do (those who are in "overbooked" demand) is you will be penalized for not using your booking. Again, that in turn might create a "secondary" market, but I highly doubt so, since 5000 points is not worth the effort

Concerto

I also think that if Pointbreaks were non-refundable then the speculation would cease. It's a hard line to wish for, because I find being able to refund is incredibly useful, but it would probably go a long way to solving the problem. After all, cheap airline fares are mostly non refundable, and 5,000 points is a very low amount. The other thing would be to make a Pointbreaks refundable booking cost more points!

chrism20

I wouldn't object to them being made non-refundable or even a 50% penalty put on them should they be cancelled. Even that would probably reduce the gaming of the system.

Possibly even a 1,000 point penalty charge if you need to change the dates of your stay - again something like that would make some think again about just booking like hell.

Whatever they do or don't do someone will be unhappy about it.

FlyerTalker688786

That is why I came up with this IDEA

But no one likes it as they are afraid of not able to booking months of PB.

PB should be given proportionally to people who stay more often and spend more with IHG. Link how many PB nights to member's Elite Qualifying Points is a better way to go forward. Details can be refined of course, for example, some hotel could do PB without voucher promotion etc.

I hope IHG comes up with some better ideas to control and to please in the same time. The current situation is not sustainable.

FlyerTalker688786

The problem:

1000=$6 or $2 depends on different calculations.
5000=$30 or $10 depends on different calculations.

A PB night in a great hotel can be worth $150-200 to customer paying cash.

Resale value in a certain country can be worth $60-90 (medium value, some as low as $45).

People with intention of making a profit can use multiple accounts to book PB nights and can afford to cancel without hurting bottom line and still make a great profit that margin greater than stock market.

And the cancelled PB nights, according to many poster here, will not be returned to inventory if that hotel is removed.

So the problem is not solved unfortunately.

chrism20

No the problem will never be solved unless they cancel PBs altogether.......

At the end of the day it's IHGs game and we need to play by the rules they sey whether we like it or not.

Froggitt

Give everyone two and only two PB booking cards per PB. You cancel....fine, but that's one card gone.

chrism20

Not a bad idea on paper however that could potentially make PBs even harder to book than they are at the moment.

PBs aren't very prominent on the IHG website. A huge number of members probably don't even know what a PB is so by giving everybody two you would be increasing awareness of it even further with potentially no increase availability.

It is a good idea, it just creates another potential issue. Like most things with IHG it's not straightforward to address.

FFlash

I think this is one the best idea regarding the PB issue ^

Remove all the PB restrictions as how many bookings, hotels removed from list etc. and simply apply a following logic:

If once cancels a PB booking, he is withdrawn the original property category points -5000 back. For adjusting dates, a milder penalty. End of speculation?

ChinaShrek

Non-refundable or you pay BAR is the way to go. Many hotel chains charge you for the night at the BAR if you don't cancel or if the reservation is non-refundable. Even on a award stay, if you cancel the reservation after the deadline you will pay rack rate. If people feel pain in their wallets then they will only book if they are absolutely 100% sure.

nacho

I think from IHG's point of view, what they care is whether someone is using PB to sell award rooms. I don't believe that all RA will move chain if IHG continues with the PB like the way it is now. IHG will do something if they find out someone is using PB to sell rooms.

Talking about how to make PB exclusive so that other people don't get a chance to book a room that you might "potentially" need is useless and waste of time IMO. If you feel so bad about PB, go and tell IHG. If you know someone who sells PB room, tell IHG and get their accounts suspended.

The funny thing about this is that I haven't seen that many FTer saying that "Oh I want to book this hotel and it's gone." Most of those are like - got a weekend in XXX, great deal or got myself 2 nights here for my business trip, sweet.

Grabbing PB is like any crazy sale either offline or online - someone is going to offer something great, and there will be people who can or cannot get the offer. I know when Cathay crazy sales, it took 5 minutes before all the tickets were sold. PB is nothing compared to that.

One thing IHG could do is to put all the cancellations of PB hotels back into PB inventory. Another thing - you could suggest IHG to do a PB for their super VIPs - maybe only open to 50 top members of IHG/RA whatever. Nothing can be more exclusive than that!

nacho

If you know someone sells room, please report to IHG or guide IHG to sites that sell rooms.

There are risks associate with selling rooms too - if the guy you sell the rooms to decide to trash the room or empty the minibar, your card on profile will be charged. IHG will try to make you pay and if you don't they will freeze your account. Unless you check-in with the person you sold your room to. Plus there aren't that many hotels in China for PB - the IHG hotels are cheap in China anyway, quite often the 40% weekend discount ended cheaper than PB and with breakfast and a free rollaway.

beachmouse

Except that it's a bad strategy if you're trying to grow your loyalty program user base. The PB for all is the grand carrot of 'even if you don't stay a lot with us, you can still get a free room' and there are many IHG properties, especially in vacation areas, that rely on more casual hotel users than they do elites.

And the hotel chains do want to establish a preference among light hotel users because some of them will become heavier stayers at some point, and you want to get your hooks into those people so that when they get the 25% travel job, they already have a hotel chain preference. Seems like I can't go a commercial break on American tv cable lately without the Wyndham Rewards genie talking about 'points and cash rates from only 3,000 points per night'.