PointsHound will let you earn hotel status + points + miles
Jan 28, 2013, 10:42 am
#1
formerly known as felinaar
Original Poster
Join Date: Jan 2010
Location: SEA
Programs: UA Plat, AA Gold, AS MVPG, Hyatt Diamond, Hilton Diamond, SPG Gold
Posts: 612
PointsHound will let you earn hotel status + points + miles
Others have reviewed PointsHound in the past, and I just posted my review this morning (you can find it through the link in my signature below). What mine adds is an announcement of a new option from PointsHound that they call "Double Dip." With this option, you can still earn airline miles (United, Delta, and other) for every hotel you book with PointsHound. Soon, you'll have the choice to earn fewer miles but they will guarantee that you also get your hotel elite stay/night credit, elite benefits, and hotel points.
Lack of elite credit, benefits, and points has been a major argument against booking hotels through online travel agencies, and PointsHound seems to be the first company to resolve the issue. They expect this service to go live sometime soon, perhaps in February. Hotels expected to be part of the launch include Hyatt, Starwood, Hilton, Marriott, and Priority Club.
Depending on how much you use their service, past customers have earned 4-12 miles per dollar. I'm not sure what the final number will be for customers who choose the Double Dip option, but the numbers I've seen indicate it could be pretty close (e.g., 2-10 miles per dollar).
Here's a quote from my conversations with the company to give you an idea of how it will work:
Lack of elite credit, benefits, and points has been a major argument against booking hotels through online travel agencies, and PointsHound seems to be the first company to resolve the issue. They expect this service to go live sometime soon, perhaps in February. Hotels expected to be part of the launch include Hyatt, Starwood, Hilton, Marriott, and Priority Club.
Depending on how much you use their service, past customers have earned 4-12 miles per dollar. I'm not sure what the final number will be for customers who choose the Double Dip option, but the numbers I've seen indicate it could be pretty close (e.g., 2-10 miles per dollar).
Here's a quote from my conversations with the company to give you an idea of how it will work:
1) Best rate guarantee (standard, this is our current product you just reviewed):
- Key attributes: 100,000+ properties, Best rate guarantee
- Payment: Prepaid
- Example: W hotel - 3 nights @ $300 /night and earn 4500 miles
2) Supercharged earn: We will be accessing hand picked inventory in major markets where we'll be receiving substantially greater commissions, which we'll be passing along with 25-50% more points-per-dollar. This inventory, while not always best price guaranteed, will still be very competitively priced. In most cases it will be the same as the first, we just won't always know for sure.
- Key attributes: 3,000 properties, supercharged earn offer
- Payment: Prepaid
- Example: W hotel - 3 nights @ $305 /night and earn 6500 miles (slightly more expensive, way more miles)
3) Double Dip: We will be connecting to an inventory source that pays us less commission, but lets us guarantee that a user will earn their hotel stay credits + hotel points
- Key attributes: 5-6 major hotel chains, double dip
- Payment: Pay at checkout
- Example: W hotel - 3 nights @ $300 /night and earn 4000 United MP miles, plus all your Starwood points/room night credits/premium amenities... guaranteed
- Key attributes: 100,000+ properties, Best rate guarantee
- Payment: Prepaid
- Example: W hotel - 3 nights @ $300 /night and earn 4500 miles
2) Supercharged earn: We will be accessing hand picked inventory in major markets where we'll be receiving substantially greater commissions, which we'll be passing along with 25-50% more points-per-dollar. This inventory, while not always best price guaranteed, will still be very competitively priced. In most cases it will be the same as the first, we just won't always know for sure.
- Key attributes: 3,000 properties, supercharged earn offer
- Payment: Prepaid
- Example: W hotel - 3 nights @ $305 /night and earn 6500 miles (slightly more expensive, way more miles)
3) Double Dip: We will be connecting to an inventory source that pays us less commission, but lets us guarantee that a user will earn their hotel stay credits + hotel points
- Key attributes: 5-6 major hotel chains, double dip
- Payment: Pay at checkout
- Example: W hotel - 3 nights @ $300 /night and earn 4000 United MP miles, plus all your Starwood points/room night credits/premium amenities... guaranteed
Jan 28, 2013, 12:51 pm
#3
formerly known as felinaar
Original Poster
Join Date: Jan 2010
Location: SEA
Programs: UA Plat, AA Gold, AS MVPG, Hyatt Diamond, Hilton Diamond, SPG Gold
Posts: 612
They have a low-price guarantee. You'll probably have issues getting things like a AAA or Costco rate honored, but I imagine standard rates are similar.
Jan 29, 2013, 3:32 pm
#4
Join Date: Aug 2012
Location: LGB
Programs: B6 Mosaic, AA GLD, Hyatt PLT, HHonors Gold, SPG Gold, Starbucks Gold
Posts: 88
After getting the signup bonus, tried to use them for a Marriott booking. Points never posted (supposed to within 2 weeks) and the phone number given on the reservation is to a central call center in El Salvador (I asked). They said they could not help because they handle reservations only, not mileage issues. Could not transfer me or give me a number for customer service. I asked them if they had ever heard of pointshound.com and they said literally "no, what is that sir?". Called back twice, they had my reservation but could not help. No other customer service number or email address on the web site. What a waste of time.
Jan 29, 2013, 8:06 pm
#5
Join Date: Jan 2007
Programs: Many
Posts: 335
After getting the signup bonus, tried to use them for a Marriott booking. Points never posted (supposed to within 2 weeks) and the phone number given on the reservation is to a central call center in El Salvador (I asked). They said they could not help because they handle reservations only, not mileage issues. Could not transfer me or give me a number for customer service. I asked them if they had ever heard of pointshound.com and they said literally "no, what is that sir?". Called back twice, they had my reservation but could not help. No other customer service number or email address on the web site. What a waste of time.
Jan 29, 2013, 11:57 pm
#6
Join Date: Nov 2011
Posts: 30
Agreed, that cliche looks like it works in this case. Operating customer service out of El Salvador and not being able to assist? No thanks.
Jan 30, 2013, 12:57 pm
#7
formerly known as felinaar
Original Poster
Join Date: Jan 2010
Location: SEA
Programs: UA Plat, AA Gold, AS MVPG, Hyatt Diamond, Hilton Diamond, SPG Gold
Posts: 612
It's a small company with a new idea. It's not surprising the customer service is outsourced. If you'll email me some information about your experience, I can bring it up when I talk to them.
Jan 30, 2013, 1:00 pm
#8
formerly known as felinaar
Original Poster
Join Date: Jan 2010
Location: SEA
Programs: UA Plat, AA Gold, AS MVPG, Hyatt Diamond, Hilton Diamond, SPG Gold
Posts: 612
The new program to allow you to earn elite status, hotel points, and airline miles relies on a separate inventory that guarantees these will be eligible rates for hotel benefits and elite status. However, the commission is smaller. With less money, they buy fewer miles.
Jan 30, 2013, 4:25 pm
#9
Moderator
Join Date: Jun 2003
Location: Miami, Mpls & London
Programs: AA & Marriott Perpetual Platinum; DL & HH Gold
Posts: 48,952
Specifically excluded from the definition of "stay" are the following types of ineligible stays: wholesale/tour operator packages; contracted crew rates; travel agency discount rates, packages exclusively for casino player card holders; Team Member Travel rates, Hilton Family Travel Rates; stays secured utilizing Hilton Grand Vacations Club and Hilton Club timeshare programs, Hilton Grand Vacations marketing packages with a sales presentation requirement; complimentary or barter rooms; Reward Stays (as defined herein); NET Group rates; Series Group or IT Group rates; contracted Entertainment or Encore rates; third party websites bookings (irrespective of rate paid); and "opaque" channel bookings where the brand may or may not be known at the time of purchase. HHonors Points may not be earned (including as a My Way benefit) for or during ineligible stays, including without limitation, folio charges incurred during ineligible stays.
Last edited by mia; Feb 3, 2013 at 10:42 am
Jan 31, 2013, 11:48 am
#10
formerly known as felinaar
Original Poster
Join Date: Jan 2010
Location: SEA
Programs: UA Plat, AA Gold, AS MVPG, Hyatt Diamond, Hilton Diamond, SPG Gold
Posts: 612
That's a good question and something I'll ask tomorrow when I meet them. But you can imagine that any company can create exceptions to its rules. Better for Hilton to have a blanket statement that says you won't get perks and make a separate deal with PointsHound than for it to create three paragraph of legalese defining specific conditions.
All I know for certain is that it's a separate inventory from the hotels you'd normally see on an OTA. My suspicious is that it's linked to RoomKey, which is an OTA run by the hotels themselves and promises elite benefits, but I don't have confirmation.
All I know for certain is that it's a separate inventory from the hotels you'd normally see on an OTA. My suspicious is that it's linked to RoomKey, which is an OTA run by the hotels themselves and promises elite benefits, but I don't have confirmation.
Feb 2, 2013, 6:21 pm
#11
formerly known as felinaar
Original Poster
Join Date: Jan 2010
Location: SEA
Programs: UA Plat, AA Gold, AS MVPG, Hyatt Diamond, Hilton Diamond, SPG Gold
Posts: 612
The explanation I got about ensuring you can still earn hotel points and status is that even though they are a third-party, all they are doing is making a reservation in your name. You do not pre-pay like with most online travel agencies. They get a smaller commission because all they really do is refer you and get some money back, rather than the usual case of collecting the money and then passing on a share to the hotel.
When you arrive at the hotel, you pay at check-out just like any other reservation and the hotel sees it no differently than if you were to book directly with them. Since it is still a bit new, they plan to roll out the Double Dip program slowly with a few members at a time and will manually check on each reservation to ensure you get your credit until they are sure things are moving smoothly.
When you arrive at the hotel, you pay at check-out just like any other reservation and the hotel sees it no differently than if you were to book directly with them. Since it is still a bit new, they plan to roll out the Double Dip program slowly with a few members at a time and will manually check on each reservation to ensure you get your credit until they are sure things are moving smoothly.
Feb 2, 2013, 7:04 pm
#12
formerly known as daveland
Join Date: Oct 2003
Location: NY, NY, USA
Programs: Hyatt Globalist, Marriott LTP, Delta Platinum, Hilton Honors Diamond, Wyndham Diamond
Posts: 2,969
If it didn't make you signup just to search inventory, I'd do a search and tell you who powers their backend (i.e. HotelMagician.com is powered by Travelocity inventory and VacationMagician.com is powered by Priceline/Booking.com inventory).
Clearly they are just depositing points in your account based on their commission. And clearly what they are doing for the "you earn benefits" rates is making sure they are booking GDS inventory there. When you book GDS inventory (i.e. post paid) it is the same as booking a post-paid rate through a travel agent. These rates are almost always eligible for stays.
I once tinkered with this very idea - but wasn't sure what the hotel chains would say about incentivizing people away from their direct channels with points.... I guess it's ok!?
Clearly they are just depositing points in your account based on their commission. And clearly what they are doing for the "you earn benefits" rates is making sure they are booking GDS inventory there. When you book GDS inventory (i.e. post paid) it is the same as booking a post-paid rate through a travel agent. These rates are almost always eligible for stays.
I once tinkered with this very idea - but wasn't sure what the hotel chains would say about incentivizing people away from their direct channels with points.... I guess it's ok!?
Feb 3, 2013, 3:45 pm
#13
Join Date: Aug 2012
Location: LGB
Programs: B6 Mosaic, AA GLD, Hyatt PLT, HHonors Gold, SPG Gold, Starbucks Gold
Posts: 88
The explanation I got about ensuring you can still earn hotel points and status is that even though they are a third-party, all they are doing is making a reservation in your name. You do not pre-pay like with most online travel agencies. They get a smaller commission because all they really do is refer you and get some money back, rather than the usual case of collecting the money and then passing on a share to the hotel.
When you arrive at the hotel, you pay at check-out just like any other reservation and the hotel sees it no differently than if you were to book directly with them. Since it is still a bit new, they plan to roll out the Double Dip program slowly with a few members at a time and will manually check on each reservation to ensure you get your credit until they are sure things are moving smoothly.
When you arrive at the hotel, you pay at check-out just like any other reservation and the hotel sees it no differently than if you were to book directly with them. Since it is still a bit new, they plan to roll out the Double Dip program slowly with a few members at a time and will manually check on each reservation to ensure you get your credit until they are sure things are moving smoothly.
Did you happen to ask about why there is no customer service phone number / email on their web site when a member has an issue? It seems a bit like they are hiding and do not want help out their members. I know they have a call center, but those agents were not helpful and had never heard of "pointshound.com"
Feb 3, 2013, 4:28 pm
#14
FlyerTalk Evangelist
Join Date: May 2002
Location: NC
Programs: AAConciergeKey/1MM, DL DM/2 MM, UA Gold,Hilton Diamond, IHG Plat, Hyatt Globalist, Marriott Titanium
Posts: 11,961
I still haven't received my sign up bonus after five months and have still booked three stays. It says 4-6 weeks for those points to post. Are people seeing their points post sooner?
Feb 3, 2013, 10:03 pm
#15
Join Date: Dec 2010
Location: NYC
Programs: Kettle Class
Posts: 796
Interesting.
I just booked 5 nights through them, but if it's taking that long for points to post I might consider canceling and rebooking through a more reliable cashback/points portal.
FWIW, they do have a Twitter account (@PointsHound) and it might be worthwhile to reach out to them that way for customer service.
I just booked 5 nights through them, but if it's taking that long for points to post I might consider canceling and rebooking through a more reliable cashback/points portal.
FWIW, they do have a Twitter account (@PointsHound) and it might be worthwhile to reach out to them that way for customer service.
