milepig

Seems like they were a dime a dozen last year. "Due to your UA status, we're comping you to xxx Gold status". I personally took advantage of Starwood and Hilton.

I haven't seen one in months.

exerda

I got one from Starwood last month. I wish Hilton would bump me up (I have earned silver status with them, and would have gold if I hadn't had to choose conference hotels over the local Hilton / Hampton Inn a few times this year).

sobore

Have any 2P's been able to get comped in the past, or is this for the big boys only?

mahasamatman

Don't know about the "big boys", but my wife (1P) got both Starwood and Hilton last year. I (also 1P) got nothing.

jhayes_1780

I got comped to *wood Gold a couple years back.... now I have been able to maintain it.

FWIW... I gave my wife 3P and a couple weeks later she got a comp to *wood Gold.

gnaget

I call and demand Gold on Starwood and they give it to me. The caveat is that I can only collect points with UA and not Starwood.

UpstateNY

I got a Starwood gold earlier this year when I was a 2P, and then after making 1P I got another. How valuable can this be if they're giving it away like this?

bigasian

After several months, call Starwood and ask them to remove your MP number from your account. The Starwood Rep removed my friend's number, and she has been earning Starpoints through a complimentary Gold membership

mahasamatman

If they generate business, it's very valuable to them. Starwood and Hilton have gotten lots of business from us that they would not have if they hadn't give my wief the status.

last2board

I have been 1K for 2 years and have never received a hotel status offer. I made Starwood gold for 2006 on my own, but will lose it for '07. I just made Hilton gold until 2008 on my own. After Starwood expires I may have to do a little begging and whining.

stevenshev

It's not. Imagine how pissed (and deservedly so) 1Ps would be if United just practically gave it away to anyone who asked (status matches don't count). Starwood Gold is embarassing.

ms_go

Received the Starwood package a few months ago and set it aside. Took it out recently to use it and realized that it hadn't been sent to me--it was in the name of my 13-year-old daughter (a 2P). Nice!

Muckus

I was recently comped Starwood Gold. It was in their system in August when I stayed at one of their hotels, and the card arrived last week...

CrazyOne

Here's an odd one that some of you might just hate: I just got a Gold status offer from Hilton tied to UA, and I have, of course, no status at all on UA except that I like to earn miles with them. I did just get a new Chase UA card, as if UA would really care about that. (Maybe they sell list to Hilton tho?) Not much flight activitiy this year (one trip, 2 segments, on US credited to UA!)

This thing came in the mail today from Hilton. I punched in the info on the site, and it gives me Gold status right now. What's not 100% clear is if I get to keep the status until '08 if I don't make the 5 stays between Nov 1 and Feb 28 that it suggests, but it looks like it could be. Each of those 5 stays qualifies for 1000 UA miles and 5000 HH bonus points, though (apparently even if I stay at Hampton), so I'll try to get a few of those in as it looks like I may actually have a few occasions to stay coming up.

So the mailing certainly does the job of making me look first at Hilton properties for these upcoming trips, but I highly doubt I'm going to suddenly be worth free Gold status all year. Or, maybe I'll get some upgrades along the way and find myself doing mattress runs at the end of '07 to keep the status.

pacoocap

I get constant mailings and emails from UA, but no comp Hotel status. At least I earned Plat at Marriott on my own.