Originally Posted by
Iluvsafeflights
I have requested a status match from Starwood. I have made four reservations with them for this year. The devaluation of points really is not the issue with me. I expect to pay for services, be it cash, miles or points and every program will do devalue from time to time. The comment(s) by HH Rep and those quoted by others from Hilton email responses in regards to the most elite Diamonds free night is what really bothers me. I would expect that a Diamond is a Diamond is a Diamond. Words matter. I was insulted.
I know that some customers may stay at specific hotels 120 days a year and they will have a strong relationship with that customer. They may be treated better than I based on that relationship. I am great with that. What bothers me is that corporate has apparently made a policy to add unpublished elite levels to their corporate program. From what I can determine, you can be a super, secret, special Diamond from having a Hilton credit card and never spending one night in a Hilton property. Apparently stays mean little to nothing as long as you’re spending on your HH card. That means this is no longer a loyalty program in my opinion but a purchase points via credit card program.
Its interesting how so many view this in so many different ways
Yes reasonable and justifiable devaluation is excepted and understood in every
If I were Hilton HHonors I would be throwing you two free nights to keep your business especially in light you are willing to overlook an upcoming major devaluation
IMO the devaluation is the real issue in principal here.
The other is emotional though I fully understand your feelings.
That said every program is guilty of that at one time or another
Hyatt has done the same business behavior dividing Diamonds with a holiday gift in previous years sent to whom ever they randomly pick. It’s another form of targeted marketing. Targeted gifting?
Though I have taken hundreds of stays with Hyatt and spent tens of thousands I too was one that was passed over. At the end of the day I look at the bottom line. If I was your banker and you put a million dollars in my bank
then sent you an email saying we were deducting 200 to 250k after the first of the New Year you might look at this a little different. Never mind throwing the dog an old tired bone (a devalued free night) why are
they emptying a good portion of our hard earned accounts substantially?
Through the years I always took the bad with the good at Hilton because a reasonable value proposition existed. It made sense to always be actively engaged in the program. I always ended up taking more stays then I really wanted to do
The party ends soon......I hope they realize they could have accomplished a lot more gain with more reasonable increases. Replacing customers in this economy is a liability. There could have been a middle ground. Unfortunately the light is on upstairs but no one knows how to make the right decisions.
The key folks who knew and ran this program sensibly are now gone
Its now in Blackstone bean counters appointed replacement hands
Scary and out of control. The last changes to the program with multi night awards in the past year or two were somewhat justifiable. I accepted that it wasn’t all that radical.Though no one likes increases it was an acceptable change